| |
When do you need a lawyer's help?
Sometimes
it's a no-brainer, like when you get sued or when you're arrested
and charged with a crime. But keep in mind that people hire
lawyers for advice and expertise all the time, in all kinds
of situations, not just to deal with problems but to prevent
them as well. And while you may be able to get through a legal
problem without hiring a lawyer, you should remember that when
you represent yourself, you might have a "fool
for a client," as the saying goes.
One of the first things
to ask yourself in deciding if you should consult an attorney
is: "What's at stake?" When
your finances or liberties are in serious jeopardy, the obvious
answer is to get legal help as soon as possible. But what is
serious? An ordinary parking summons is a brush with the law,
but you need not consult with an attorney to pay the fine or
even to fight it. However, if you've accumulated a number of
unpaid parking tickets and a warrant has been issued for your
arrest, you would probably want to hire a lawyer to help you
best resolve the situation, and perhaps save you money or even
keep you out of jail.
In good times as well as bad, individuals and businesses
rely on their lawyers' advice to understand and secure their
legal rights and financial interests. Lawyers help clients
with estate planning and business negotiations, strategies
and transactions. With good legal advice, clients are better
prepared to comply with, and navigate through, the complex
mazes of governmental rules and regulations.
It is also a lot
easier to rest easily after consulting with experienced lawyers for important
undertakings such as tax and estate planning, drafting wills and trusts, negotiating
business deals and even pursuing personal family matters, such
as adopting children or getting divorced...
What should you consider before you hire a lawyer?
It
never hurts to talk to a lawyer, and it may be the best thing you can do if
you think you have a legal problem that you can't resolve yourself. At Bodwin & Associates, P.C.
we offer a free 30 minute consultation on any legal matter in our wide
range of practice areas.
Short of hiring a lawyer, you may want
to look at alternative sources to resolve your legal issues. For example:
| • |
Many companies and public utilities
offer customer service departments that effectively address consumer problems
and complaints. |
| • |
Many state attorney general offices and other
agencies provide consumer protection departments. (But it's not usually
a good idea to try to gain an advantage in a legal dispute over adversarial
parties by threatening to contact a government agency if they don't comply
with your demands. It is possible that such action could be characterized
as attempted extortion on your part - a serious crime.) |
| • |
If you have a problem with a regulated industry
such as banking or insurance, contact the agency in your state responsible
for overseeing that industry. |
| • |
Many community groups such as elder associations,
civil rights groups and other organizations offer free legal help and information. |
| • |
Some disputes may be resolved by using increasingly
popular litigation alternatives such as mediation or arbitration. Businesses
and individuals might agree to use alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
rather than court action to resolve legal conflicts. |
How quickly should you consult a lawyer?
In many situations it's obvious that you need to act fast.
But even if you think you have lots of time to consider your
alternatives, deadlines sneak up on you, and lawyers need time
to prepare. Moreover, rush jobs cost more because the attorney
has to drop everything else to address your issue. Therefore,
it's always better to start looking for a lawyer sooner than
later.
If you've been injured in an accident, keep in mind that there
are time limits on your right to file a lawsuit. These "statutes
of limitation" depend upon the facts and type of claim
in each case. In some instances, the law requires a claimant
to notify potential defendants about any injury within an extremely
short period of time - as little as a few months. For example,
a violation of the Whistle Blower's Statute must be brought
within 90 days. If you sit on your rights, you could lose them.
Another example is, you might have been angry for years over
your neighbor's fence encroaching on part of your property,
but if you wait too long without objecting or taking some legal
action, the law might consider the fence as the property line,
by acquiescence.
What are you trying to achieve?
This is an easy question to answer if you find yourself a
defendant in a civil suit or charged with a crime. In these
cases, your goal is to keep your money out of your adversary's
pocket, or avoid criminal sanctions.
In other situations, your objective may
be less clear. If you feel your employer unlawfully fired you, you might want
to get your job back, or you might just want money damages.
Perhaps you are faced with a situation where you want to stop
someone from doing something or force someone to do something.
In that case you will need to seek an injunction. Think about
these things before you hire a lawyer.
If you aren't sure what your legal rights
are, it might be worth your time and expense to retain a lawyer to evaluate
your situation and advise you on alternative courses of action.
Even if you end up having to pay a few hundred dollars to consult
with an attorney, it could be a very wise investment that ultimately
saves you time and money.
From agricultural law to zoning and land use - from
family law to taxation and more, lawyers can provide incredibly useful
information that can empower you to make better decisions with
respect to your legal concerns.
|
|
