how do county lawyer referral services work

How Does the Lawyer Referral Service Work? The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) maintains a list of pre-screened Monterey County attorneys to help with your specific legal needs. LRS attorneys have specialized knowledge in several areas of the law, are active members of the State of California Bar and carry errors and omissions insurance.

Full Answer

Mark W. Oakley

Some lawyer associations charge and some don't. Contact your local bar association to be sure. Some counties also have more than one referral service. The Legal Aid Society is another referral service. Check to see if there is one if your area.

Ethan K. Pham

Every county is different. In Baltimore County, the Lawyer Referral Service is run by the Baltimore County Bar Association. If you are referred through the Lawyer Referral Service, you pay $35.00 for a half hour consultation with an attorney. All of this money goes to the Lawyer Referral Service and not the lawyer.

Scott R. Scherr

Typically they are done through the local bar association and there is no fee, they just give you some info on local lawyers. It would work just as well to look on here or other sites or check reviews. Who knows how those local bar associations decide who to refer to

What does the lawyer referral service do?

This information will help the Lawyer Referral Service determine if you can resolve your problem without a lawyer, which may be a better solution for you. If you need this type of assistance, the referral service may be able to connect you with the appropriate organization.

What is the phone number for the CA state bar?

Use our directory or call the State Bar at 866-44-CA-LAW (866-442-2529) .

Can referral service give you an estimate of legal fees?

Please note: The referral service won’t be able to give you an estimate of overall costs for your legal needs , which will vary. More information about legal fees.

What is the purpose of a lawyer referral service?

The purpose of the Lawyer Referral Service is to serve the community and improve the quality and affordability of legal services as required by the California State Bar Rules.

When is a referral provided?

A referral is provided after the fee is paid.

What is a LRS lawyer?

The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) maintains a list of pre-screened Monterey County attorneys to help with your specific legal needs. LRS attorneys have specialized knowledge in several areas of the law, are active members of the State of California Bar and carry errors and omissions insurance.

What to do if an attorney cannot see you?

If the attorney you were referred to cannot see you as quickly as you need, or informs you of a conflict of interest, call us back and we will refer you to another attorney.

What is attorney referral service?

An attorney referral service is a resource that assists people in finding a lawyer who practices in the appropriate legal field for their matter.

What does a representative do for a lawyer?

Based on the facts that the person gave them, the representative will search the attorneys listed in their database and provide the caller with the name and contact information of one of their member attorneys.

What is legal match?

LegalMatch is a proprietary business software that connects its users with local attorneys. Basically, how it works is that a user registers for free and explains their case in a submission form. The details then get sent to local attorneys who practice in the legal fields that are relevant to the user’s matter.

What happens when an attorney receives alerts?

The attorneys who receive alerts will then review the materials and decide whether or not they are interested in taking the case, and if so, if they are available to take on the matter. Once these two things are determined, the attorney will reach out directly to the client to set-up a meeting to discuss the case.

Is the Oklahoma Bar Association considered an attorney referral service?

Their limited services are not considered attorney referral services.

Can you post an anonymous case on LegalMatch?

You can post anonymously from the comfort of your home, or from the office where you work. Potential attorney matches will see the facts of your case, but not your name.

Do lawyers have to be pre-screened?

The fact that all attorneys are pre-screened. Each attorney registered with LegalMatch is required to have a valid bar license, excellent references, no serious disciplinary problems, and needs to be in good standing with their particular state bar association. In contrast, any lawyer can purchase an ad in the Yellow Pages.

Lawyer Referral Service

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What is a lawyer referral service?

The Lawyer Referral Service of the Worcester County Bar Association is a public service program to help you find the right lawyer for your legal issue. We can refer you to an attorney who concentrates their practice in the area of law in which you need assistance. The LRS is a full fee program. We do not make referrals to attorneys that take cases on a pro bono basis. Fees should be discussed directly with the attorney. You are not obligated to hire the referred attorney nor is the attorney obligated to accept you as a client.

What happens if you send a form to an attorney?

If you send in the form, the nature of your situation will be evaluated by a trained personnel and you are given the name and phone number of an attorney to contact. In some cases you may be referred to an agency or other organization that may be able to help you.

Step 1: Call us or complete the request form

Our referral intake line is open from Monday – Friday, 8.00 AM to 4:30 PM at ( 512) 472-8303 where you get a chance to speak to our intake staff. Alternatively, you can submit an online request any time of the day via our website: www.AustinLRS.org and we will get back to you on the next business day.

Step 2: Discuss your legal situation with one of our intake counselors or briefly explain your legal issue

We have a team of referral intake counselors to help you find help with your legal need either by finding an experienced lawyer or another community service. When you contact LRS, our trained staff will ask questions about your legal issues to determine how best to direct you.

Step 3: Get referred to a lawyer

During your first consultation with the lawyer, you will discuss the legal situation of your case and the costs involved. A consult fee of $20 is charged for the first 30 minutes after which charges may vary depending on the lawyer.

How Fast Should You Act?

According to industry experts who have analyzed these services, one of the key aspects to making them effective with clients is convincing those involved in auto accidents or other related situations to make the call as quickly as possible.

Attorney Affiliations

When it comes to how attorneys become affiliated with various referral networks, it can be an interesting process. Ideally, the referral service will do extensive research on various lawyers, then offer those who are judged to be excellent in their field a chance to join their network.

Little if Any Experience

While a client may be matched with an attorney who does possess the knowledge and experience needed to properly handle their case, others may have the opposite experience. Since all calls to the referral service go to a call center, the person answering the call is simply acting as an operator.

Conflict of Interest

As stated earlier, clients who call these services may be fortunate enough to be matched up with an attorney who can assist them with their case. But in many situations, those who have examined these services tend to find a conflict of interest.

Do Lawyer Referral Services Work? Decide for Yourself

Ultimately, you must decide for yourself if a lawyer referral service will give you the legal expertise you need for your case. Just like any other business decision, buyer beware.