Avoid Legal Mistakes - Find The Right Lawyer To Help You
These days, people turn to lawyers to help them with a variety of different legal issues. No matter what your reason is for needing a lawyer, finding the right one can be quite difficult. The following article has some great advice that will help you find a lawyer who has you in their best interest.
Don't pick the first name in the phone book. Do some background research and ask people you know for recommendations. You don't want to find out that you choose the wrong lawyer and end up losing your case. You must be very careful.
You may find that your friends, family, and coworkers can provide a wealth of information when it comes to finding a lawyer who can best fit your needs. Ask around and see what experiences people have had with particular lawyers, or if they have any advice for you based on their circumstances.
Your case may be put off by a lawyer if he or she is too busy with other cases. Discuss with your lawyer how much time he or she can devote to your case. If they are truthful about not having time for you, you will be able to look for a lawyer who does.
If you already have a great lawyer, ask them for advice. They can either tell you that they can take on your case, or point you in the direction of a lawyer who will help you out. When you already have a lawyer you trust, there is no reason to search out advice elsewhere.
You need to know what your legal budget is before you hire a lawyer. You have to include in this the time spent away from work, if you don't get paid for it, to ensure you have enough to pay your bills. Include travel costs, phone bills and other expenses which might come along.
Work with your lawyer on a regular basis to establish a rapport. Some lawyers are hard to reach as soon as they are hired. You can avoid this sort of situation by setting up a schedule at the outset.
Do not feel obligated to hire a lawyer because you met a few times and got some useful advice. You should sign a contract only after you agree on fees and feel comfortable with your lawyer. If you are hesitating because you have heard bad things about this lawyer or think the fees are too high, keep looking.
Make sure that the lawyer you are considering has extensive knowledge in the field of law your case pertains to. There are many people that hire attorneys based on other factors, and this is not a good idea. They may do their best, but the reality is that the case may be more than they can handle.
Although a lawyer may be rated best in their field, it does not mean that they provide the best services. Never hire an attorney based on professional reputation alone. Their professional abilities are essential, but remember that you will have to spend a great deal of time collaborating with them. You will have to establish a good relationship if you are to achieve success.
Be aware of the fact that every lawyer is covered by malpractice insurance in case they are responsible for an error that costs you in some way. This is helpful to you because your lawyer doesn't want to have to pay high malpractice here fees, so he or she will strive to adhere to the letter of the law. Keep the faith that your lawyer has only your best interest in mind.
Check the desk of the lawyer if you are going in for a consultation. Make sure that he is neat, well-organized and clean. Also, notice his speech when you have a conversation with him. These are very good indicators of how professional he is, and how well he will present your case in court.
When you are purchasing a home or other property, you should consider hiring an attorney to make sure every detail of the contract is done correctly. The same is true if you are selling a property. The extra expense is well worth knowing there will be no future surprises for you.
When you have legal needs, a good lawyer makes all the difference. Be sure to make your choice based on your needs and not just your budget. Keep these tips in mind as you go through the legal process.
Auto insurers play hardball in minor-crash claims
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- If you are injured in a minor car crash, chances are good that you will be in the fight of your life to get the insurance company to pay all the medical costs you incur -- even if the accident was no fault of your own.
That's what CNN discovered in an 18-month investigation into minor-impact soft-tissue injury crashes around the country. Those are accidents in which there is little damage to the vehicle and the injuries to people are not easy to see by the naked eye or conventional medical tools like X-rays.
Since the mid-1990s, most of the major insurance companies -- led by the two largest, Allstate and State Farm -- have adopted a tough take-it-or-leave-it strategy when dealing with such cases.
The result has been billions in profits for insurance companies and little, if anything, for the public, according to University of Nevada insurance law professor Jeff Stempel.
"We can see that policyholders individually are getting hurt by being dragged through the court on fender-bender claims, and yet we don't see any collateral benefit in the form of reduced premiums even for the other policyholders," Stempel said.
"So I think now we can say to continue this kind of program is in my view institutionalized bad faith."
If you have never heard of the strategy, it's because insurance companies don't want you to know that they are paying out less and less for minor crashes even while their profits soar and your premiums continue to rise.
But after a review of more than 6,000 company documents and court records, interviews with a dozen people nationwide, including former company insiders, and conversations with accident victims, the picture is clear: If you challenge the offer by some insurance companies you will be left with no option but to go to court, where you will be dragged through the wringer.