Free Lawyers

If you happen to be on the hunt for a New York defense lawyer, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed about where to begin. With so many advertisements online for defense lawyers, how are you supposed to know which one is the best for you? You might turn to an organization called the Bar Association of New York Legal Referral Service, or LRIS.

The New York Bar’s LRIS was founded in 1870 and is intended to be a trustworthy service for residents looking to find qualified New York attorneys to hire. Every single attorney that they recommend has been pre-screened and deemed qualified and capable in their ability as a legal representative.

Simply visit their website, at nycbar[dot]org, and select the option for “Legal Referral” – the first option on the tool bar at the top of the page – or the “Looking for a lawyer?” link in the body of the page.

After clicking one of the previous links, you will be taken to a page where you are requested to type in your phone number. Soon after you submit your contact information, a referral counselor will contact you as soon as possible. You will be asked to give them your personal information. They will also ask what type of case you will be dealing with so they can try to find a lawyer who specializes in that type of suit.

Whether you are in need of a New York criminal defense lawyer, or for any other matter, it will be your responsibility to make contact. Whilst they will be informed of the referral, they will not make any attempt to contact you.

Some people may not feel comfortable speaking about legal matters over the phone. In which case, you can choose to go through the online referral process. You should receive contact information through e-mail within about a day’s time.

You may be surprised and please to find out that the New York LRIS service is offered free of charge, therefore there’s really nothing holding you back from finding the best lawyer to defend you!

By: Bella Holly

Are you in need of a lawyer? Whether you need legal advice for divorce, medical malpractice, DWI or another reason, you have many choices. Although using Craigslist.org to find a lawyer may not be your first thought, you can do it. In fact, you should.

To find a lawyer on Craigslist, visit the website. You then select your state and city, such as Georgia and Atlanta. You have the option to search or browse. To search, you would traditionally use the search box on the left-hand side of the page. However, Craigslist is a city based service. You are only able to perform searches on one city page at a time. Whether you want a fair divorce settlement or need a criminal attorney, you want and need the best. You should examine more than lawyers based out of your local area, such as Atlanta. To do so without wasting time, you need a free Craigslist search tool that allows multi-city searches.

Regardless of how you search to find a lawyer on Craigslist.org, there are a number of important questions you should ask before retaining their services. What are they?

What is your area of specialty? Some attorneys are jack of all trades, meaning they may handle divorces, medical malpractice lawsuits, as well as criminal cases. It is your decision as to which type of attorney you want to hire, but make sure he or she has some experience first.

How many years have you been in practice? Not only do you want a lawyer who has experience dealing with your type of issues, cases, and lawsuits, but you want one who has been in practice at least a couple of years. They are familiar with the legal system already, which should work to your benefit.

How many cases have you handled and what is your satisfaction ratio? To ensure you get a good attorney with experience, ask how many similar cases they have handled. Also ask about the results. It is best to ask about a success ratio instead of a win ratio. For example, a DWI lawyer may be unable to get their client off of charges because of a breathalyzer, but were they satisfied with the sentence?

What are your rates? Rates vary greatly from attorney to attorney. Although it is important to choose a quality, proven, and experienced lawyer, you also need one you can afford. Although some state their rates right on Craigslist, verify them before officially retaining their service.

By: Adnan Masood

Generally people don’t look for a lawyer until the need arises. Someone sues you, or you decide to bring a lawsuit, or you were wrongfully terminated from your employment, suffered sexual harassment in the work place, or you were arrested for committing a crime. This, unfortunately, can often lead to not retaining the best lawyer that you can find for your needs. There are many ways to find a lawyer, but there’s really only one way to find a good lawyer and one that’s right for you – do your research!

Get a List of Specialized Attorneys

The first step is to put together a list of 5-7 lawyers that specialize in the area of law that you need legal representation for. There are many good lawyers who are general practitioners, not specializing in one specific area, but handling a few or many different areas. They may very well be excellent attorneys, but depending on your legal needs, it’s often better to retain a specialist, especially in cases such as DUI/DWI defense, for example.

How do you know if a lawyer is a specialist? Easy. First visit their websites. This should give you a pretty clear indication of the areas of law the focuses on. Some law firms will handle many areas of law, but have different lawyers focused on each one. Ask if he or she specializes in the particular area of law that you need representation for and/or what percentage of his or her law practice is focused on the particular area of law. Find out if they belong to any special law organizations dedicated to the particular area of law. See if they write articles on the specific legal subject. Do they teach this area of law?

Interview the Lawyers

Now that you have a list of specialized attorneys that you can be assured of are knowledgeable and experienced in the area of law you need services for, the next step is to meet with them. This is, of course, assuming that you have time to do so. You must always be aware of the statute of limitations for the type of legal action you seek to bring and of any important upcoming dates. Assuming you have time, contact each lawyer on your list to set up a time to meet. Many attorneys will offer a free legal consultation or meeting to get an idea of the services you are seeking. Take advantage of this time, which is usually no more than 30 minutes. Observe the law office, how many people work there, are they courteous, does the office seem understaffed, etc. You want the best attorney you can afford to represent you, but you also want one that will be attentive to your needs and be able to respond to your inquiries. Get a feel for the attorney’s thoughts about your legal needs, see if he or she seems enthused about your case or if you may end up just being another file on his or her desk. Remember, you want a good lawyer, but you also want one that you feel comfortable working with and one that you trust.

You don’t have to choose the first lawyer you speak to or come across. More than likely, you will be investing a lot of money for the legal services you seek out, so do your research and find the right lawyer for you. Remember, any lawyer can take out an ad on television, radio or in the newspaper, but it doesn’t mean they’re the best at what they do or the right lawyer for you. There are a lot of good lawyers out there and sometimes it just takes a little work to find them.

By: Sonny Sheth