Locating Good Lawyers

By M.S, April 11, 2008
Finding the best lawyer for your legal situation is similar to making any other major financial decision; you need to do some comparison shopping. Search for a Lead Counsel Rated lawyer on this site, ask friends for recommendations or otherwise find lawyers that specialize in the law area in which you need assistance (e.g., if you are charged with DUI find a lawyer that specializes in DUI defense). Make a list of several that appeal to you. Then, call each lawyer on your list and ask him or her questions to help you make a decision. Some lawyers may prefer to meet in person rather than discuss your situation over the phone. If this is the case, find out if there is a consultation fee. Many times, lawyers will not charge for the initial consultation (first meeting).

Some of the things you may want to ask the lawyer when you talk over the phone or meet include, how much experience do you have with legal issues similar to mine, how recently have you handled a case like mine, how was it resolved , what was the result. If you end up meeting the lawyer in person for a consultation, you shouldn’t expect it to last any longer than 15 minutes to a half-hour. Write down all the information you get from each lawyer. Review your notes a couple of times, and take some time to think things over before making a decision. Then, make an appointment to discuss your situation further with the lawyer who seems best for you. Before the meeting, make notes about your legal situation so you can easily go over the important points with the lawyer. Bring the names, addresses and telephone numbers of everyone connected with your case (including witnesses), as well as all papers involved in your case. Some lawyers may ask to see the papers before the meeting. If the one you’re meeting does, fax everything the lawyer requests as quickly as possible so he/she has enough time to go over it all before meeting with you. It depends on how you feel after meeting with them. How comfortable do you feel with the answers the lawyer provided to your questions? If you asked the lawyer how he/she handled a case similar to yours, are you satisfied with the results? Base your decision on how well you feel the lawyer can handle your case, rather than being concerned about his/her age. Just remember that even though a lawyer may have been in practice for 15 or 20 years, he/she may not have as much experience with your particular type of situation as one who has more recently graduated from law school.

Jonathon Ledbetter provides closing services and title services for real property transactions primarily in Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, Johnson, Colling, and Southlake, a well favored and recommended Real Estate Attorney in Dallas.

Source: ArticleTrader.com

Role Of Lawyers

By M.S, April 11, 2008

Most of the lawyers take one or more additional years of graduate law school to obtain a Masters degree. Lawyers attend seminars periodically conducted by bar associations. A client always has lots of expectations from the lawyer. At highest priority is quality work. It is difficult for clients to decide whether their lawyer is providing good quality work or not? For avoiding this kind of situation you should set a goal with your lawyer at the very beginning. You should tell your lawyer what you expect when the project initiates and find out from the lawyer whether he or she will be able to meet those expectations. Like for example, if you want to draft a standard contract for your use with all your clients, tell the lawyer what you are trying to accomplish. Then your lawyer should then tell you whether your expectations can be met or not.

Remaining in contact with the lawyer is important while the project is underway. Make sure that your lawyer promptly return your telephone calls, and should send you copies of all pertinent documents that she or he prepares or receives in connection with your project. In case you need to meet with your lawyer, you should not be kept waiting too long. Also your lawyer should be able to explain things in language that you can understand. Last and not the least your lawyer should always be courteous.

When we agree to a fixed fee, be sure that you know what it does and does not include, also should find out if any other charges might be added later on. Some hourly fees can vary from lawyer to lawyer, to find out the approximate total of your bill, ask the lawyer to estimate how long your case will take. Do remember that circumstances may change, and your case may take longer to handle than the lawyer expected at the beginning. The legal profession operates in an extremely competitive buyers’ market like all other businesses. So you should receive just as much customer-oriented service from your lawyer as you give to your own clients. Lawyers receive training. So in order to know what you can reasonably expect from your lawyer, you should know about the training needed to become a lawyer. In earlier times an individual could become a lawyer by studying books containing laws and written rulings made by judges and by working for a lawyer as a clerk. But now those days are gone. Now days to become a lawyer, an individual first must do the following. Firstly he has to be a graduate from a four-year college. Secondly should achieve a sufficient score on a standardized test called a Law Scholastic Aptitude Test. Also he has to complete at least three years of full-time law school studies, and pass a two-day-long bar exam.

Jonathon Ledbetter provides closing services and title services for real property transactions primarily in Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, Johnson, Colling, and Southlake, a well favored and recommended Real Estate Attorney in Dallas.

Source: ArticleTrader.com

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