How to Find a Lawyer
Sep 09, 2019 · There are many ways to find a reliable lawyer. One of the best is a recommendation from a trusted friend, relative, or business associate. Be aware, however, that each legal case is different and that a lawyer who is right for someone else may not suit you or your legal problem.
Jun 11, 2014 · 1. If they have ever been involved in a lawsuit, their lawyer would have likely filed an appearance in the case. 2. If they own a business, the attorney might be listed on the corporate information filings as the counsel for the company. 3.
Talk to a local lawyer. Nolo's Lawyer Directory Nolo offers a unique lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information to help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law.
The best way to find an attorney is to get a referral from someone that actually uses the attorney. You don’t want a referral from someone that just knows them. Join a group on meetup.com that is related to what you need the lawyer in and announce that you are looking for someone.
Where does the person live and in what type of case do you believe he/she may have been represented by the attorney? In New York, for example, some of this information may be online on the New York Court System website. If the attorney represented the person in Federal Court, the information could be on the Federal Courts' PACER system.
Not sure if this is really an intellectual property question, since you are only asking about how to find out who their lawyer is. Here are a few suggestions:#N#1. If they have ever been involved in a lawsuit, their lawyer would have likely filed an appearance in the case.#N#2.
If there has been any litigation the information would be in the court file and perhaps on line at nycourts.gov although that information is not always correct or up to date.
The attorney-client is Privileged. Unless published in a case or in the news there should be no access to the relationship. You can speak with an Intellectual Property attorney regarding this privilege.
Here are a few other sources you can turn to for possible candidates in your search for a lawyer: 1 The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. 2 The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area. For example, if your dispute involves trying to stop a major new subdivision, it would make sense to consult an environmental group committed to fighting urban sprawl. 3 A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. 4 A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.
Nolo offers a unique lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information that will help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law.
Lawyers, of course, are prime sources of this information, but if you bought all the needed information at their rates -- $150 to $450 an hour -- you'd quickly empty your bank account.
Lawyer referral services are another source of information. There is a wide variation in the quality of lawyer referral services, however, even though they are required to be approved by the state bar association. Some lawyer referral services carefully screen attorneys and list only those attorneys with particular qualifications and a certain amount of past experience, while other services will list any attorney in good standing with the state bar who maintains liability insurance. Before you choose a lawyer referral service, ask what its qualifications are for including an attorney and how carefully lawyers are screened.
A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.
Fortunately, many lawyers will work with you to help you acquire a good working knowledge of the legal principles and procedures you need to deal with your problem at least partly on your own. If you are hoping to represent yourself and use a lawyer only for advice, make sure the lawyer is open to that type of set-up.
Criminal Attorney. Criminal lawyers defend individuals who are charged with a crime. Criminal cases range from murder to fraud. The US Constitution guarantees criminal defendants an appointed lawyer to represent them if they can’t afford one. Sometimes an appointed criminal attorney may work for the government.
Probate attorneys represent someone’s last will and testament during the court process. Their duties range from estate planning to filing petitions to appoint a will’s executor. They’ll also handle courtroom procedures when someone challenges a will.
Examples of legal cases that will need legal representation include: 1 Criminal cases 2 Personal injuries 3 Wills/trusts
Attorney Fees. You can ask lawyers if they’ll accept a payment plan for their services. Sometimes lawyers ask for portions of their full fee upfront before they start on your case. Other lawyers might have contingency fees and only receive a payment if your case wins.
Ads by. It’s safe to say that you will need a lawyer when it’s clear your matter will eventually go to trial. Lawyers will provide legal advice throughout the life of your case to make it more likely that you eventually receive a decision that’s in your favor.
Ask them if they know about events in the deceased's life that would have required legal representation, like an arrest or a lawsuit. Follow up on any leads.
Signatures on deeds, divorce settlement agreements and affidavits are examples of documents that require notarization. If the deceased's signature was notarized, that means that he signed the document before a notary public.
Like the Better Business Bureaus, attorneys might provide information about their license, certifications and accreditations to the chamber of commerce. Check your local chamber for this information. Some communities have search tools to use on their websites to make this process easier.
If the accreditation is from another entity, conduct an online search for that particular type of accreditation to see if there is an authority that can provide you with more information on the accreditation.
Each state has a bar association that regulates the practice of law . Accreditation may be provided to certain attorneys of the state by that state’s bar association. For other types of accreditation, approval from the state bar association may be required even if the bar association itself does not provide for the specific type of accreditation.
Lawyers may receive accreditation to practice law or to practice in a particular area. While lawyers may focus in particular areas, state ethic rules regarding professional conduct generally prohibit lawyers from advertising that they are “certified” or that they “specialize” in particular areas unless they receive such certification ...
Personal service, in which a process server hands the other party the legal documents in person, is the preferred method of service. This process leaves little doubt in the judge’s mind about whether the individual was served or not. Here are a few methods to help you obtain the individual’s physical address for personal service:
Send a letter to the last known address with “Return Service Requested. Do Not Forward.” If there is a new address on file, the letter will be returned to you with the new address.
Conduct a basic Internet search in order to attempt to locate the individual. Some such searches are free and may provide the individual’s phone number or address. Likewise, you can call information for this data. If you know the individual’s phone number, you can use a reverse telephone directory.
Many individuals list their address, phone number or employer information on social media.
Many online services help locate a person for a small fee. The more details you have, the more likely you are to get accurate results through this strategy.
Through many of the above-listed strategies, you may be able to see who the party’s friends, relatives and employers are. Consider contacting one of these individuals and asking for basic contact information for the other party.
If you know that the party whom you are attempting to contact owns property in a certain jurisdiction, try looking up property records. The county tax assessor’s office can search this information for you, which is listed by name and address. You may also be able to contact the county recorder’s office.
If you're sure the will isn't in the home, here's how to find a will in six steps: Contact their attorney. Search a will registry.
However, many people keep their will with other important papers in their desk, drawer, or file cabinet. If possible, literally rummage through the decedent’s papers and personal belongings.
When someone writes a will, it ’s usually given to an attorney, stored in a safe place or hidden.
A will registry is a service that a person uses after writing a will.
Trying to locate a will that you are not even sure exists can seem like trying to grasp the wind. However, when people draft wills, they usually do the same things with them:
People who go to an attorney to draft their will usually leave the original, executed version of their will with their attorney. A probate court will not accept a copy of a will—it will only accept the original.
There are many reasons why someone needs to find out where someone else works. Usually, it’s because they wish to perform a wage garnishment – but many times there are other legitimate reasons. Here are a few: 1 The subject is late with child support payments 2 The subject has a court-ordered money judgment entered against them 3 Back taxes – the Internal Revenue Service REALLY wants to chat! 4 There is some type of fraud investigation going on 5 Background Checks – Routine Investigations
Finding someone’s current employment is not easy. You do have other options, so do some research and find out how to best find your debtor’s assets. Dr. Peter Gilboy wrote a great Citizen’s Guide to Collecting Your Own Judgment. Check it out. Stay within the law – and finally collect the money owed.
In other words, they call neighbors, former employers, or the subject himself to try and get someone to give up that person’s job information. Not good, and probably illegal. Unethical, to say the least.