Important things you should know before hiring a lawyer

When you have a legal issue, the last thing you want to do is hire a service that will not help but make your problem even worse. The hiring of a lawyer is a very important decision and some important considerations shall be taken as follows:

You should know if you can afford a lawyer, sounds stupid right? However, what we have noticed is that people when facing legal problem usually are emotional impaired and they want a fast resolution, in this case hiring a lawyer without thinking if you can afford is a fast resolution with detrimental future consequences to you and others. This is the most common mistake people do all the time with terrible consequences such as losing your home, retirement plan and other assets, not to mention your rights and nights of sleep.

Ask yourself if you are able to afford your attorney fees, not the initial fees, but instead the whole case cost, one very common thing we have seeing happens over and over again is individuals would hire a lawyer that they cannot afford, then a conflict would arise between lawyer and client for nonpayment of attorney fees leaving the client in this case you without legal representation and mad without continue representation.

You may find or qualify for free legal help or Pro Bono; however, those are very difficult to find let us know of your financial situation so we could find you the right help.

Before you entered into a contract for legal services you should know what type of fee arrangements you and your lawyer will have, here are some type of common arrangements:

Consultation Fees: Some attorneys charge an upfront fee, usually on a flat rate basis, to meet with the attorney and determine whether s/he will be able to assist you with your legal issues. Many attorneys do not charge an initial consultation fee, but you will need to check in advance to make sure.

Contingency Fees: This is a favorite among personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys. The attorney’s fee is based on a percentage of the amount awarded in a judgment or negotiated in the settlement of the case, while if you lose the case, the lawyer does not get a fee. However, should you lose, you will still often be required to pay expenses, so read your representation agreement carefully.
Contingency fee percentages vary, possibly even within the same case. A one-third fee (33 1/3%) is common. However, some jurisdictions and some lawyers adjust this rate depending on how far along the case progresses. For example, the rate may be lower if it settles before trial and higher if an appeal is required. Some courts may set a limit on the amount of a contingency fee a lawyer can receive.

Flat Fees: Some lawyers may charge a flat fee for certain types of legal matters. This is usually an option if the attorney handles large volumes of a particular kind of case, allowing the attorney to drive the cases through the use of forms and standardized practices. These are usually relatively simple cases like uncontested divorces, will preparations, tenant evictions, or mortgage foreclosures.

Hourly Rate: This is the most typical type of attorney fee arrangement. The lawyer charges a per hour rate, and usually tracks his or her time in fractions of an hour (often 10ths of an hour / 6 minute increments). Some attorneys may charge different rates for different types of cases, so a contract preparation may be $250/hour while litigation may be $350/hour. Additionally, the attorney will also probably charge for certain paralegal fees, usually at a lesser rate than attorney fees.

Retainer Fees: This is not technically a separate fee, but more of a deposit paid toward the total cost of legal services to ensure that the attorney will be paid. The lawyer is paid a set fee, often based on the lawyer’s hourly rate multiplied by a certain number of hours. The retainer is usually placed in a trust account and the cost of services is deducted from that account as they accrue. Many retainer fees are non-refundable, but this can be invalidated if the fee is deemed unreasonable by a court. Many attorneys use retainer fees as a means of putting that lawyer “on call” to handle a client’s legal problems whenever they may arise.

Statutory Fee: In some jurisdictions, a statute or regulation may set the amount an attorney can charge for a particular service. Examples include probate and bankruptcy cases.

Make sure to ask yourself if you are able to afford his or her total fees not the initial fees only but instead the whole case, one very common thing we have seeing happens over and over again individuals would hire a lawyer that they cannot afford then a conflict would arise between lawyer and client since the lawyer will leave you.