If you are reading this, then I want to start by offering some sympathy. No socially well-adjusted person ever WANTS to hire a lawyer, so chances are that you NEED some help. This means that you are already stressed out. You can't wait to spend thousands of dollars for something you can't touch, which makes your stomach turn and which is best forgotten as quickly as possible. Your lawyer, no matter how kind or thoughtful, just reminds you of what may be your worst nightmare.
This information will not make your problem go away. It could, however, help you make the most out of a bad situation. I offer logical and practical advise to consumers and small business owners about hiring and working with a lawyer. What can your lawyer do? What should you expect? How can you keep your legal fees as low as possible? What are the range of outcomes? What does your lawyer expect from you?
So who am I, and what qualifies me to write this guide? No surprise - I am a lawyer. I was first licensed in California in 1982 which means that I have been "at this" for more than 30 years. I was also licensed in Massachusetts in 1983, but have never worked there so my status is now "inactive". Despite my, perhaps, regional bias, I believe that this guide is helpful for anyone living or operating a small business under the American legal system.
My career has been focused on Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 consumer debtor repayment programs and Chapter 11 reorganization cases under the Bankruptcy Code which help consumers and modest size businesses, all of whom are faced with stressful financial problems. I have had the opportunity to help hundreds and thousands of clients deal with their financial and personal legal problems such as divorce (which can either lead to, or be caused by bankruptcy), personal injury, employee disputes, landlord/tenant disputes, business disputes, malpractice disputes many more. My clients have been good teachers, and I have learned a lot. The lessons learned are not limited to certain issues of law, but, with some specific exceptions, apply generally.
I have also been a consumer of legal services. I know what it feels like to face the unknown without a budget. It's scary.
Finally, I have benefitted from mediation training and acted as a mediator in a number of cases. Mediation is a process which helps people with disputes find real world and practical solutions. Instead of focusing on who is right or who is wrong, the process most often looks for a solution which makes no one happy, but which ends the dispute. There are lots of helpful lessons to be learned from the mediation process.
This is a work in process. It is also my chance to give something back to future clients everywhere who are looking for a "good" lawyer charging a "fair" price. This article is the first of a series to explore these subjects. Eventually, I hope to provide a complete guide to help consumers and small business owners find the right lawyer and the right price.
Stay tuned.....
If you are reading this, then I want to start by offering some sympathy. No socially well-adjusted person ever WANTS to hire a lawyer, so chances are that you NEED some help. This means that you are already stressed out. You can't wait to spend thousands of dollars for something you can't touch, which makes your stomach turn and which is best forgotten as quickly as possible. Your lawyer, no matter how kind or thoughtful, just reminds you of what may be your worst nightmare.
This information will not make your problem go away. It could, however, help you make the most out of a bad situation. I offer logical and practical advise to consumers and small business owners about hiring and working with a lawyer. What can your lawyer do? What should you expect? How can you keep your legal fees as low as possible? What are the range of outcomes? What does your lawyer expect from you?
So who am I, and what qualifies me to write this guide? No surprise - I am a lawyer. I was first licensed in California in 1982 which means that I have been "at this" for more than 30 years. I was also licensed in Massachusetts in 1983, but have never worked there so my status is now "inactive". Despite my, perhaps, regional bias, I believe that this guide is helpful for anyone living or operating a small business under the American legal system.
My career has been focused on Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 consumer debtor repayment programs and Chapter 11 reorganization cases under the Bankruptcy Code which help consumers and modest size businesses, all of whom are faced with stressful financial problems. I have had the opportunity to help hundreds and thousands of clients deal with their financial and personal legal problems such as divorce (which can either lead to, or be caused by bankruptcy), personal injury, employee disputes, landlord/tenant disputes, business disputes, malpractice disputes many more. My clients have been good teachers, and I have learned a lot. The lessons learned are not limited to certain issues of law, but, with some specific exceptions, apply generally.
I have also been a consumer of legal services. I know what it feels like to face the unknown without a budget. It's scary.
Finally, I have benefitted from mediation training and acted as a mediator in a number of cases. Mediation is a process which helps people with disputes find real world and practical solutions. Instead of focusing on who is right or who is wrong, the process most often looks for a solution which makes no one happy, but which ends the dispute. There are lots of helpful lessons to be learned from the mediation process.
This is a work in process. It is also my chance to give something back to future clients everywhere who are looking for a "good" lawyer charging a "fair" price. This article is the first of a series to explore these subjects. Eventually, I hope to provide a complete guide to help consumers and small business owners find the right lawyer and the right price.
Stay tuned.....
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