My Lawyer: How?

[imoldernu]

This is simple... Please don't over
complicate my question or your answer.

How do I get "my lawyer?".

I have no issues.. no questions... no reason to have a lawyer...

But... if something.... ANYTHING... that could cause a legal problem (of any kind) should come up...

What to do?

On TV.. everyone has a lawyer. Someone to make that ONE call to.

If and when it happens, I'm sure I'd be in no condition to select.

Sooo... What to do to get a telephone number that I could call to get help?

1. How to find that lawyer?
2. How do I know he/she's not a scam/charlatan?
3. What is a reasonable cost to become a client?
4. Do you have "my lawyer"... and is it worthwhile... $$$ and mentally?

Yeah... dumb questions from an old man ... but mebbe "maybe" more important than you think.

[Live Free]

I'm going to complicate the question...sorry.

My personal opinion is that there are no "general" lawyers (at least not good enough for the reason you would need them). They seem to specialize in something. Tax attorneys, estate planning attorneys, defense attorneys, divorce attorneys, contract law attorneys, blah, blah, blah.

But attorneys seem to know attorneys - who is good, who is bad - across the legal spectrum. So here is my advice. Hire an estate planning attorney and have him/her review your will or medical directives, or whatever. Establish the relationship.

Then, if you need a criminal defense attorney when you go crazy one day and knock off someone - call up your estate planning attorney and ask for a recommendation for a good criminal defense attorney.

PS. I learned the hard way that you should not hire a general purpose attorney to do estate planning. Trust me.

[Live Free]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu On TV.. everyone has a lawyer. Someone to make that ONE call to.

I don't think most people have an attorney to call despite what you see on TV. I've noticed that on TV shows like Law and Order or CSI they seem to be able to, with a few strokes on their computer keyboards, access real-time traffic in Tokyo on a specific street, zooming in to a specific car's license plate; access employee records from a company that went bankrupt in 1970, or zero in on a prisoner's great-aunt's birth records, etc... Yeah, right.

OTOH, there are probably some drug dealers or bankers that do have an attorney on speed dial.

[Sue J]

I was in this position once and was clueless. I was 27 years old, working as an accountant at a local company and taking a couple of college classes. I was walking to class and 3 full sized collies were running through the neighborhood, surrounded me, jumping and barking and one bit me multiple times on the leg. I used my book bag to fend them off and another neighbor told me where the dogs lived.

I'll skip the details here (I think I may have covered this before in another post) but when I returned to work the company lawyer came to see how I was doing. He wasn't looking for business, we were friends. He asked if I had contacted "my lawyer", which of course, I didn't have. He suggested that I had a pretty clear case if I was interested in suing. I wasn't even sure what I was suing for as I had full medical coverage for the ER visit and had used paid sick time for my day off of work.

I thought about it for a couple of days and then went ahead with it. He gave me the number of a lawyer he knew in the area who did civil suits. I met with the lawyer, gave him pictures of my gigantic purple bruises and puncture wounds and told him the details. I had no idea how much he'd sue for and how it all works. I wanted to go ahead because as I limped home, crying and bleeding, I saw a neighbor's 6 year old daughter and I thought about how this could have been her face or throat instead of my thigh.

"My lawyer" basically did paperwork, which is probably normal. The suit was not against the dogs owner, personally. It was against their homeowners insurance. I don't remember how much the suit was for, it's always more than you expect to get, but we settled for $1300. He recommended that we settle because this was a college town in a rural county and dog bite lawsuits are very common. My injuries were minor.

"My lawyer" got 1/3 of the $1300. There was no cost to become his client, his fee was contingent upon me collecting something, he got 1/3rd.

So the other poster was correct, sometimes when you need a lawyer it comes through another lawyer that you already know or have used.

[heeyy_joe]

Good old fashioned yellow pages. Find listing for BAR association, Lawyer referral.

[Meadbh]

The occasions to consult a lawyer are myriad but for most individuals, the need is sufficiently infrequent and varied that it would not make sense to have an ongoing relationship with a single legal practice. Referrals and targeted internet searches are the methods I use to find lawyers when I need them. For example, my bank referred me to an estate lawyer.

[imoldernu]

Thanks
I expect there will be more comments here, but the basic question is...
My Lawyer... How?

In the hopefully unlikely even that I am arrested, for whatever... and allowed one call... --------
At this point, no number to call.

How?

[haha]

When I wanted a personal injury lawyer, I asked an insurance adjuster that I knew who he most hated to see bring a case, and I called that person. She didn't want to work in the county where the suit would have to be brought, so she gave me another name which worked out fine.

What you basically want is a crook that you think you can keep from stealing much from you.

Ha

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu Thanks I expect there will be more comments here, but the basic question is... My Lawyer... How? In the hopefully unlikely even that I am arrested, for whatever... and allowed one call... -------- At this point, no number to call. How?

Unless you have murdered someone, call a bail bondsman and get out of jail pronto.

Remember, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you Sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite.

Your friend, Ha

[MuirWannabe]

Better call Saul


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

[imoldernu]

not what you think I should do... but what you did, or
what you'd do IF you suddenly landed in jail ?

Theoretical be damned...

You don't have a lawyer... you are arrested... and told you can make one phone call.

Hmmm... "call a bail bondsman?"... "your estate attorney?"..."the yellow pages?" Yeah... really!!! do you know the number?

You are in jail... What do you do...

Call mom?

Theoretical aside... WDYD.... (What do you do with that ONE Call?)

My mom is dead.


I'm not very smart.

[MRG]

You call a close friend, family member or bail bondsman. The later are on lists your friendly jailer has. Treat your jailer nice.

[rodi]

We have a small firm (and one of the partners) that we consider "my lawyer". We hired him after things went to heck with a contractor - (eventually led to arbitration, administrative law court, and was heading towards civil court). We've asked him for referrals to other specialists twice. (Elder law, estate planning.)

When we first hired him, we paid a retainer, when it was used up we were billed by the hour. Since that original mess, we've consulted his firm twice on contract/real estate issues - and were just billed at an hourly rate (no retainer.)

We've also used a legal plan I had with my old employer (Hyatt legal plan). It was useful for finding out of state attorneys for initial consultation. We needed out of (our) state help with an elder law issue, and my husband needed a lawyer licensed in both PA and NJ to help settle a family owned property that was never properly probated. (That one is still in the works.) The referral through Hyatt led to a good candidate who hasn't overbilled, and kept stubborn older relatives moving forward on getting this property properly probated and ready for sale.

So I guess I have a fleet of lawyers - but the first one is the one I think of as "my lawyer".

[EastWest Gal]

I use a CPA for taxes, as I have two family partnerships and did not want to make mistakes, nor be alone if the IRS comes a-calling. He recommended a small town lawyer for my dad when he updated his will. He also guided me through the estate settling process, though I did most of the work, so it wasn't expensive at all. On the other hand, when I set up a family limited partnership for my own assets, I used a lawyer I met through the County Medical Society. Boy was that expensive. I will use the small town lawyer again, but not the medical society branded law office.

I don't intend to commit any crimes, so I hope I don't need a criminal lawyer any time soon, LOL.

[imoldernu]

To all: Know you're giving good advice, and don't mean to belittle help, but

Real life situation: Imagine...

You are home when the local police come to your house... ask about where you were today.

`
Accident... Car cut off and drove into ditch... Child killed. Spectator gives your number plate.

You are in the police station.... for questioning.
One call... to son, daughter, relative , best friend... minister priest or rabbi...

Whaddya do?

Well, yeah... I'd try to call my son... but then, what would he do?

How much to have an attorney... on call?

Worth it ?

" theoretical, and not an ongoing personal situation, but something to think about... just in case."

Sometimes, life is a bit complicated ...

[easysurfer]

imoldernu,

Hope you aren't planning on getting arrested anytime soon?

There was a discussion about bail bondsmen not long ago after I got stopped and patted down by a cop in a K-9 unit

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ail-72359.html

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu Sometimes, life is a bit complicated ...

Especially if you like it that way. Why not plan your strategy for when the Ruskis make an amphibious landing?

[MRG]

The questions can't begin untii you have legal representation. Unless you start talking, so you don't, ever! You get bailed out, arrange a time meet with attorney, for you and him to talk. After that you and your attorney give statements, answer questions etc.
I'm of the belief the 'one phone call', is TV inspired. Check me on that, but if you won't talk they want to get the resources you need to allow for questioning.

This assumes you can be bailed out. The chances of not getting bail are generally reserved for folks that really mess up.

[imoldernu]

nothing pending...


... but would guess that if the first answer is call brother in law... that might not be any better than what you'd do if he called you.

DUH?

So... a plan... Look ahead... call a local attorney and ask...

This was just a theoretical... I have a DS and DIL who are both lawyers... and of course I would call them...

.... But, on asking the theoretical to my "senior" neighbors... no good answers.

May not be important, but then again...

Just a phone call to find out..sheesh... and my promise, was to "not give advice".

[Meadbh]

I hope you are not planning to join the criminal element, imoldernu!