If the lawyer is unresponsive and the matter involves a lawsuit, go to the courthouse and look at your case file, which contains all the papers that have actually been filed with the court. If you've hired a new lawyer, ask her for help in getting your file. Also, ask your state bar association for assistance.
Mar 10, 2022 · Find Free and Low-Cost Legal Help. These programs offer a variety of ways to get legal aid. Some limit their services to people with low incomes. Legal Services Corporation (LSC) - Find legal aid in your community for people with low incomes. LawHelp.org - Find free legal aid near you and get answers to your legal questions. These services are for people with low to …
Apr 29, 2020 · How to Find Free Legal Help. If you can’t afford an attorney, here are some strategies to try: Contact the city courthouse. Seek free lawyer consultations. Look to legal aid societies. Visit a ...
In a criminal proceeding, if you can't afford legal assistance, a court will appoint an attorney for you. In a civil case, generally described as a dispute between two private parties, to get legal representation, you have to get creative. Here's how to find legal help if you can't afford a lawyer:
Legal aid societies are nonprofit organizations found in almost every corner of the country that provide free legal services to low-income people. While this is certainly worth exploring, the problem for many households is that the individual or couple makes too much money to qualify for help.
The Akron Bar Association, in Akron, Ohio, is an example of what's out there. You can call the second and fourth Fridays of each month from 9 to 11 a.m., as part of their Ask an Attorney Service, and they'll answer legal questions for free.
That is, if you lose your case, you won't pay money, but if you win, the law firm will take a portion of the money awarded to you. However, it's important to tread carefully before picking a lawyer. Choose a reputable attorney and make sure the rate is agreed upon before the lawyer takes your case.
Geoff Williams, Contributor. Geoff Williams has been a contributor to U.S. News and World Report since 2013, writing about ... Read more. Tags: personal finance, money, personal budgets, lawsuits.
Andrea Vacca is a collaborative divorce attorney in New Yor k City and the owner of Vacca Family Law Group. She says – at least with divorces – that "some courts offer free assistance to parties who want to fill out their own uncontested divorce paperwork."
If you have problems with your lawyer or become unhappy with their services, the first thing you should try to do is talk with your lawyer to try to work it out. There may be some misunderstandings that can be cleared up easily with direct communication. You may want to write your concerns down and request a written response, which may be easier for both of you. If you are still unhappy or uncomfortable, you have a right to terminate the lawyer-client relationship and find a new lawyer.
In general, your lawyer will first ask you to agree to end the relationship, but if you do not agree, the court can allow your lawyer to withdraw from your case anyway.
If you have not fully paid your attorney, the attorney may have the right to retain your file and money belonging to you under certain circumstances. If you have a complaint against a lawyer, you may contact the Lawyer Disciplinary or Grievance Committee that covers the area where the lawyer is practicing law.
However, if a corporation is a party to the lawsuit, the corporation must have a new lawyer ready to take over the case as lawyer of record, because a corporation is not allowed to represent itself. Your lawyer also has the right to decide not to represent you anymore.
If you lost money because of the way your lawyer handled your case, consider suing for malpractice. Know, however, that it is not an easy task. You must prove two things:
If that doesn't work, as a last resort you may need to sue your lawyer in small claims court, asking the court for money to compensate you for what you've spent on redoing work in the file or trying to get the file.
If you're not satisfied with your lawyer's strategy decisions or with the arguments the lawyer has been making on your behalf, you may even want to go to the law library and do some reading to educate yourself about your legal problem.
Every state has an agency responsible for licensing and disciplining lawyers. In most states, it's the bar association; in others, the state supreme court. The agency is most likely to take action if your lawyer has failed to pay you money that you won in a settlement or lawsuit, made some egregious error such as failing to show up in court, didn't do legal work you paid for, committed a crime, or has a drug or alcohol abuse problem.
But all states except Maine, New Mexico, and Tennessee do have funds from which they may reimburse clients whose attorneys stole from them.
If you want to sue for legal malpractice, do it as quickly as possible. A common defense raised by attorneys sued for malpractice is that the client waited too long to sue. And because this area of the law can be surprisingly complicated and confusing, there's often plenty of room for argument.
The Legal Resource Center on Violence Against Women (LRCVAW) helps advocates and lawyers with issues of interstate custody where domestic violence is involved. The LRC can also try to assist survivors of domestic violence to find legal representation for interstate custody cases. They do not help with international custody cases.
The National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women is resource and advocacy center for battered women charged with any crime in which their history of abuse is relevant (or potentially relevant) to their legal defense.
1 (212) 714-2904. URL: https://immigrationequality.org/. Immigration Equality is the nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization. They represent and advocate for people from around the world fleeing violence, abuse, and persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.
Legal Momentum takes a select number of cases per year, including cases regarding Title IX and also provides referrals to victims. Victims must fill out a legal assistance form found here. Legal Momentum also provides information about immigration and support to lawyers representing battered women in immigration cases.
Operates the Resource Center on Domestic Violence and other ongoing projects, including ones on: improving the court system’s response to family violence cases; providing training for judges and court workers nationwide; and developing and promoting model state legislation on domestic and family violence.
NLADA is the nation’s leading advocate for front-line attorneys and other equal justice professionals, representing legal aid and defender programs, as well as individual advocates.
The Hague Domestic Violence Project provides information for mothers, lawyers, judges, and advocates involved in a domestic violence case brought under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Their goal is to help mothers, attorneys, judges and advocates incorporate child exposure to domestic violence as a defense to the otherwise required return of the child to his home country.
Some of the most common types of cases handled by employment lawyers are contracts, wrongful termination, workplace harassment, retaliation, and workplace discrimination.
Some of the most common reasons a person seeks out a bankruptcy lawyer are for medical debt, mortgage foreclosure, and credit card debt. No matter what kind of legal issue you’re facing, there are lawyers who can handle your case, and finding the right one is essential to your peace of mind.
The general term “civil litigator” refers to an attorney who represents clients in civil (not criminal) court, either as plaintiff or defendant. The most common kinds of civil litigation involve contract ...
Real estate attorneys handle purchase agreements, mortgages, title documents, and transfer documents. They represent individual buyers and sellers, developers, landlords, and tenants. Simply put, the most common scenario to use a real estate attorney is when you buy or sell real estate. Cloud-based real estate law software assists attorneys by facilitating collaborative document management and project tracking in a seamless and secure environment.
Criminal lawyers are attorneys who defend individuals and organizations against government charges in federal and state courts. Criminal lawyers understand the rules around arrest, arraignment, bail, pleas, proof, and related issues. Some of the most common crimes requiring criminal lawyers include homicide, sexual battery and assault.
If you’ve been injured due to the negligence of another person or company, you will want to engage a personal injury lawyer. Even though personal injury attorneys usually work on a contingent fee basis (i.e., no monthly bills to prepare and send), you will find that many are using personal injury case management software to help them better manage their cases, control costs, and increase overall returns. The most common personal injury claims are from car accidents and slip and fall accidents.
Some of the most common types of cases handled by employment lawyers are contracts, wrongful termination, workplace harassment, retaliation, and workplace discrimination.
A corporate lawyer will be able to help you with issues related to the formation of your corporation, general corporate governance issues and corporate compliance issues.
The Social Security Disability system can be a particularly complex system in which to navigate. An attorney who specializes in Social Security Disability issues can help you with any step in the Social Security Disability process, including assisting you with eligibility issues, launching an appeal of a decision to deny you benefits and dealing with the reduction or termination of your benefits.
The estate planning lawyer specializes in wills and trusts, and can help you to draw up a will to pass on your assets. Among other estate planning legal services, this type of lawyer can help you set up a trust which will help take care of your children’s financial needs.
Also known as an IP attorney, an intellectual property lawyer can advise you with regard to issues relating to intellectual property, such as copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design and trade secrets.
Employment Lawyer. Whether you’re a company that’s having a problem with an employee, or an individual who’s having problems with the company you work for, an employment lawyer can generally provide advice about legal issues which arise from an employment contract or within an employment relationship.
If you’ve been injured while on the job, or have had to face the death of a loved one as a result of a workplace accident or occupational disease, a lawyer who specializes in workers compensation law can help you navigate the issues you face, such as the extent of the employer’s fault and the amount of benefits to which you are entitled.
Doctors do occasionally make mistakes, and if you’re facing the consequences of a medical mistake such as a medical misdiagnosis or inaccurate treatment, a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice issues can be particular helpful.
If you believe your landlord is discriminating against you, you may need a lawyer to stop the illegal actions and help you recover damages for any harm you suffered. One option is to hire a lawyer to sue the landlord in court.
Landlords must follow eviction procedures set forth by state and local law. If your landlord tries to evict you by taking matters into his own hands—for example, by locking you out, canceling your utilities, or even removing your doors, windows, or possessions—consider hiring a lawyer.
If your landlord serves you with a termination notice that you intend to fight, hiring a lawyer can increase your chance of success. Choose a local lawyer that is knowledgeable about landlord-tenant law and has significant experience fighting evictions.
Sometimes, a landlord's failure to maintain the rental property causes damage to your personal property. For example, a landlord's faulty wiring repair job could spark an electrical fire in your living room, damaging your furniture and other belongings.
If you have renter's insurance, your insurance company will cover the loss and its lawyers will then seek reimbursement from your landlord. If you don't have insurance or have inadequate coverage and the damage to your property is substantial, consider hiring a lawyer to help you obtain reimbursement from your landlord.