Free Lawyers

Divorce can sometimes be the best last option in a bad marriage. However, getting a divorce is not an easy task. The procedure usually involves a lot of legal complexities relating to the custody of children, property, alimony, child support and other such issues. Letting a divorce lawyer deal with all such messy issues would be the best choice for either party.

Divorce lawyers are usually those lawyers that deal with the family law. They are specialized in all areas of family matters and can provide sound legal counsel when approached for the same. It is usual as well as safer for both the parties to use different divorce lawyers to deal with the proceedings and individual matters of both the parties separately. The divorce lawyers will provide excellent advice relating to the divorce proceedings and also other matters that might crop up later on after the divorce.

Checking through the yellow pages would also produce quite a list of all the lawyers practicing family law. However, getting a lawyer for free is another matter. Even the ones on the Internet tend to charge a nominal fee for the advice provided. Even with the Pro Se or the do it yourself divorces that usually do not require a lawyer, some charges would be applicable if a lawyer gets involved in the proceedings.

One sure way of getting free lawyers advice is through the talk shows on TV and radios. However, it’s only for those who are able to get connected to the speaker or the guest in the talk show. Also, very less time would be allotted for asking the questions and getting them clarified to ones satisfaction.

Although it might be a difficult task to find free lawyers practicing family law, the other option is to file the papers without the assistance of a lawyer. This way both the parties can represent themselves in the court all by themselves without an attorney assisting them. This would ensure no money goes to the lawyer and is practically a free divorce except for the forms that are available online on the Internet at nominal prices presently. It is, however, suggested to get the initial paperwork reviewed by an experienced lawyer would be a good choice before filing the papers. This would ensure that all the requisite documents are being provided and getting a separation is only a matter of time even with individual representation in the court without the assistance of a lawyer. The list of documents to be submitted is available on the Internet on websites that help with Pro Se divorces and are relatively easy to locate.

Free legal advice is hard to come by as legal help is expensive. Much of the cost is related to the time attorneys spend conducting legal research. Before someone hires a lawyer, they should perform a legal research on their own. This can result in significant savings on legal bills. There are a number of free legal resources on the Internet that can be used for this purpose. This article describes a method anyone can use to research any legal issue using free resources on the Internet.

Start by Researching Broad Categories of Law in General

The purpose of legal research is to find the very specific laws that apply to a given legal issue. Unless the researcher has been trained to perform legal research or experience with this particular legal issue, the research process should start by considering the law in general. This means the researcher must cast his nets wide. Starting with a broad category of law is advisable.

This part of the legal research process is not aimed at discovering the answer to specific legal questions. Rather, this part of the legal research process is aimed at gaining an understanding of what issues and sub-issues should be considered. This will often help change the way the legal issue is worded and lead the researcher down an entirely different path. Unfortunately, researchers often succumb to the temptation to skip this step and, as a result, they often miss these valuable alternative research paths.

Information about general categories of law can be found throughout the Internet. Legal article websites and specialized law firm blogs can provide a good starting point. Search engines can help researchers find these Internet resources. Information linked to these resources should also be explored. The researcher should read these law articles by making a mental note of the types of issues and facts that are being addressed. The researcher should also make note of any law that is mentioned in the legal articles, such as case names, statute numbers, or citations for administrative rulings.

Continue Researching the Actual Law

With a broad understanding of the issues and facts, the researcher can now focus on finding the specific law applicable to his legal issue. There are a number of different types of laws in the U.S.

With federal law, the sources of law include: the Constitution, federal statutes, court opinions from federal courts, and rulings from federal agencies (with international issues, treaties may also come into play). These sources of law are described in their order of authority. For example, the Constitution trumps all other sources of law and administrative rulings are trumped by all other sources of law. Notably, court opinions may either create law (this is called common or judicial law) or define ambiguities in the Constitution or statutes (i.e., fill in the law). Each state in the U.S. has developed these same sources of law for issues particular to their state. City and local governments have also established many of these sources of law for issues specific to their city or locality. continue reading…

There are many benefits available that allow a person to obtain a free or hire an attorney at a greatly reduced rate. Most union members are eligible through their union for this type of service. United Auto Workers have a plan that allows their members to one free legal consultation for 30 minutes on any particular topic. They are also eligible to have an attorney review documents and send one letter, also at no charge. Many unions avail themselves of the Union Privilege Legal Service Plan. This Plan covers numerous unions that allow their members free consultation with an attorney, and free review of documents. This Plan also allows a member to hire an attorney at 25% off the normal hourly rate.

Another source for an attorney to represent you would be the American Automobile Association [AAA]. They will provide up to $500.00 in attorney’s fees in defending you against any traffic citation other than drunk driving and criminal violations. AAA will also guarantee up to $1000.00 towards an arrest bond for a driving violation other than drunk driving and criminal.

For those who are members of the Armed Forces of the United States, you can receive free legal advice through the Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAG). You may also get free legal advice through the Armed Forces for such matters as writing a will, alimony and child support.

If you are involved in automobile accident in which you are at fault, your insurance carrier will provide free legal representation to you in defending any suit covered by your policy. On the other hand, if you are involved in an automobile accident that is not your fault, many lawyers, including myself, will represent you without any advance fee for a one-third fee of whatever is recovered (you are responsible for out of pocket expenses to the attorney, such as photocopying charges, fees for obtaining records, deposition costs and court costs).

The Public Defender will represent you for free or minimum charge if you meet certain low income requirements. Many lawyers, including the author of this article, will provide a free initial consultation on almost any legal matter that they handle. continue reading…