lawyers are your pals, not your opponents

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Lawyers Are Your Pals, Not Your Opponents Have you recently gotten into some legal trouble? Maybe you are the victim of a crime? Perhaps you just want to set up a living trust. Whatever your reasons, you are going to need a good lawyer. Unfortunately, finding a good lawyer can be a bit difficult. Read the following article for some key tips that will help you hire a good lawyer. Make a budget when it comes to paying for legal fees. If you contact an attorney and they are above your price range, try to find someone else. While there is nothing wrong with going a little over your budget, you do not want to choose a lawyer that you will have trouble trying to pay. Legal proceedings can often be confusing and complicated when you lack a background in the law, so make sure to let your lawyer know when you are confused or if you a clearer idea of what to expect from your trial. He or she should return your calls in a timely manner. If you search for the http://www.lawyersmarketingassociates.com/ word "lawyer" in your area on the Internet the results can be overwhelming. It is critically important to check out your choices to make certain you are getting the best. Take any recommendations with a grain of salt; is the person offering the advice truly qualified to make a good recommendation? Therefore, you need to be cautious. Communicate with your lawyer. A good lawyer should be easy to get in touch with and call you back quickly after you leave a voice-mail. You should not hesitate to call your lawyer to ask for some updates or schedule regular appointments so your lawyer can give you more details on what they have been working on. Meet and interview a few lawyers before you hire one. Talking to each personally can give you a chance to see if you have good rapport. It is also a good opportunity to ask them key questions that will help you make an informed decision. Many attorneys are willing to have a thirty minute meeting with you at no charge. Set up a good communication system with your lawyer first thing. Lawyers are busy people, and your case may be one of many. If you haven't established an expectation for communication, then you may be forgotten. So set it up during the first meeting. Make sure your expectation is clear. If you need a good lawyer for your business, use your network. You could ask your banker, partners, insurance agent or even your distributors if they know any good lawyers in the area. Do not hesitate to refer this lawyer to people you know if you have a good experience. Money is an issue for many people these days, and the thought of paying for high legal fees can feel downright terrifying! Ask your lawyer if he or she might consider allowing you to pay off your fees with a payment plan; it's possible that this might be an option for you. Bring a pen and notebook to your initial consultation. At this meeting, you are probably going to be presented with a lot of material that is important. It is crucial to write this down and keep a notebook of your case, as there are usually deadlines that you will have to meet. Once you have made the decision to hire a particular attorney, ask if the office employs a legal assistant who could work with you. Many times a legal assistant has the ability to effectively

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Page 1: Lawyers Are Your Pals, Not Your Opponents

Lawyers Are Your Pals, Not Your Opponents

Have you recently gotten into some legal trouble? Maybe you are the victim of a crime? Perhaps youjust want to set up a living trust. Whatever your reasons, you are going to need a good lawyer.Unfortunately, finding a good lawyer can be a bit difficult. Read the following article for some keytips that will help you hire a good lawyer.

Make a budget when it comes to paying for legal fees. If you contact an attorney and they are aboveyour price range, try to find someone else. While there is nothing wrong with going a little over yourbudget, you do not want to choose a lawyer that you will have trouble trying to pay.

Legal proceedings can often be confusing and complicated when you lack a background in the law,so make sure to let your lawyer know when you are confused or if you a clearer idea of what toexpect from your trial. He or she should return your calls in a timely manner.

If you search for the http://www.lawyersmarketingassociates.com/ word "lawyer" in your area on theInternet the results can be overwhelming. It is critically important to check out your choices to makecertain you are getting the best. Take any recommendations with a grain of salt; is the personoffering the advice truly qualified to make a good recommendation? Therefore, you need to becautious.

Communicate with your lawyer. A good lawyer should be easy to get in touch with and call you backquickly after you leave a voice-mail. You should not hesitate to call your lawyer to ask for someupdates or schedule regular appointments so your lawyer can give you more details on what theyhave been working on.

Meet and interview a few lawyers before you hire one. Talking to each personally can give you achance to see if you have good rapport. It is also a good opportunity to ask them key questions thatwill help you make an informed decision. Many attorneys are willing to have a thirty minute meetingwith you at no charge.

Set up a good communication system with your lawyer first thing. Lawyers are busy people, andyour case may be one of many. If you haven't established an expectation for communication, thenyou may be forgotten. So set it up during the first meeting. Make sure your expectation is clear.

If you need a good lawyer for your business, use your network. You could ask your banker, partners,insurance agent or even your distributors if they know any good lawyers in the area. Do not hesitateto refer this lawyer to people you know if you have a good experience.

Money is an issue for many people these days, and the thought of paying for high legal fees can feeldownright terrifying! Ask your lawyer if he or she might consider allowing you to pay off your feeswith a payment plan; it's possible that this might be an option for you.

Bring a pen and notebook to your initial consultation. At this meeting, you are probably going to bepresented with a lot of material that is important. It is crucial to write this down and keep anotebook of your case, as there are usually deadlines that you will have to meet.

Once you have made the decision to hire a particular attorney, ask if the office employs a legalassistant who could work with you. Many times a legal assistant has the ability to effectively

Page 2: Lawyers Are Your Pals, Not Your Opponents

represent a client. This shared arrangement can greatly reduce the full cost of your legalrepresentation.

Make sure that you know how you can fire your lawyer in the beginning, not when it may benecessary. If you have to fire your lawyer, make sure you understand if they will still have to be paidout of any settlement you may receive. You do not want to pay someone after the fact for not doingany work for you.

If you need a lawyer for a criminal case, doyour best to gather all the information they willneed to defend you. Your lawyer may requestother documents that you might not have with

you, but you are better off having everything ready before they need them. If your lawyer asks youfor something, you need to give it to them, even if it is detrimental to your case.

Do not let your lawyer impress you by using complicated legal terms. If your lawyer uses terms youdo not understand, stop them and ask for an explanation. You should know that some lawyers willuse this technique to make you feel powerless and present themselves as the ideal solution to yourproblems.

If you are going through a divorce, do not use the same lawyer that your estranged spouse is using.Many people use a familiar firm, but that is a big conflict of interest when it is the same one used byyour ex. Look around and try to find someone comparable.

A good lawyer will work with you to develop a strategic plan. This plan will include the strategiesthey are going to https://www.linkedin.com/in/attorneymarketing1 use to help you win your case.They will also be able to tell you why this is the best course of action. The strategic plan will forceyour lawyer to give your case the attention it deserves.

There are times where you may just go with your instinct when it comes to choosing a lawyer. If youfeel a connection with a lawyer and have a good sense about him or her, that may very well be thelawyer for you. This doesn't absolve you of your responsibility to do your due diligence, though.

Although a lawyer may be rated best in their field, it does not mean that they provide the bestservices. Never hire an attorney based on professional reputation alone. Their skills are important,but so is their personality. You should make sure they are someone you are able to get along with.

Many law firms are very large. When you go in for a consultation, make sure you are speaking withthe actual lawyer, not a legal assistant. If the lawyer does not have the time to speak with you togain your trust and your business, then go elsewhere and find a better lawyer.

Tell your lawyer everything. Lawyers are bound by confidentiality rules, even at initial consultations,so don't hold back. Withholding information will only make your lawyer's job harder and could evenharm your case. In order to do the best job possible, your attorney needs to have all of theinformation about your case.

Page 3: Lawyers Are Your Pals, Not Your Opponents

Now that you know a few things about finding an attorney, you can begin the hunt. Use these tipswisely, and you'll have no trouble finding an attorney who will serve you well. Share what you'velearned with others so that they too can easily find legal representation when needed.