Showing posts with label Litigation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Litigation. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

How to Talk to a Lawyer For Legal Advice For Law Questions



Talking to a lawyer to get legal advice can be a daunting task. Lawyers can be short in their conversation, stern in their tone, and pointedly direct in their questioning. This can intimidate even the boldest of the bold, but it shouldn't. A little understanding of lawyers helps explain why they act the way they do. Here is a bit of this explanation and some tips for talking with lawyers about legal questions.

  • Be punctual and flexible

  • http://www.singlemomfinance.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/legal.jpgLawyers earn their living by selling their time. At any given time, any one lawyer will usually have multiple projects for multiple clients. Time spent waiting for a client to arrive, is time lost. This usually happens when the lawyer is not able to begin working on another project if the client is expected to arrive any moment. This directly impacts the law firm's earnings if he is not able to spend the time working on another project.
    Given the high expenses lawyers must pay (such as legal advertising costs, expert costs, legal research costs, etc.), lawyers are very sensitive to time issues. This is particularly true for lawyers who spend a lot of time in court, as litigation lawyers spend their days trying to meet strict deadlines. The courts often sanction lawyers for missing deadlines. Lawyers are used to this treatment and they may have the same expectations for clients.
    Punctual clients are good clients. This means clients who arrive early, who are patient, and who are flexible. This also means clients who promptly call to reschedule meetings. This courtesy allow the lawyer to plan out their day, which makes them more profitable and more effective at their craft.
  • Be prepared and organized

  • Lawyers spend their time researching, writing, talking with others about legal issues, and talking with prospective and actual clients about legal issues. The first four tasks are often time intensive and viewed by lawyers as being mandatory to achieving appropriate legal results in cases.
    One might think lawyers would love to spend hours talking with and billing clients for providing legal advice rather than doing the legal work, but this may not be the case. There is a balancing act whereby lawyers are expected to deliver results, and spend time with clients explaining the law. The attorney who spends too much time talking with clients may he has too little time to work on delivering the desired result. This puts added stress on lawyers.
    http://harfordmedlegal.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/14/balancing_scales1.jpgThus, unfortunately, talking with clients is often viewed by the lawyer as a distraction. This is especially true if the client is not prepared to discuss their legal questions when they meet with the lawyer. Clients should review the facts and any evidence they have prior to meeting with their lawyer. This also means having any documentation in order and ready to be reviewed. This will help the lawyer communicate effectively, yet briefly. This too makes the lawyer more profitable and effective at their craft.
  • Expect to be asked hard questions

  • Lawyers are also officers of the court, in addition to being businessmen. The lawyer needs to find and prosecute meritorious claims. This helps the lawyer earn a living and build a solid reputation. As lawyers filter prospective clients and client claims, it is often necessary for the lawyer to ask the hard questions. Client sensitivities should be set aside if at all possible. This can allow the lawyer to get to the heart of the matter and craft defenses or strategies for any harmful or difficult issues from the start. It is often better to discard void legal theories up front, so the lawyer can focus on the pertinent legal theories that will produce the desired results. Clients who are prepared to answer these difficult questions up front can prove to be invaluable in this regard.

    Tuesday, March 1, 2011

    Texas Litigation Lawyer ? Be Legally Represented!

    It can be pretty frustrating to find yourself in a legal dispute. There are times when life happens, and you cannot but file a lawsuit against the person, company or entity that is infringing on your rights. If you live in the Austin, Texas and you are facing a legal battle, it makes sense to get help from a Texas Litigation Lawyer. Like any battle, you cannot go to the battlefield unprepared; you will need to be armed to the teeth in order to come out victorious.


    Not everyone has the patience or time to take a case to trial. Some times a case may even reach settlement, saving you valuable time. But, the truth is that not all cases are settled out of court, which is why it is always a smart idea to be prepared for trial.


    Important Note: Contrary to popular belief, an Austin Lawyer is not all about "billable hours".

    It is important to approach a litigation lawyer with an open mind and not a preconceived notion that all lawyers are sharks.

    Your lawyer will counsel you regarding your case and will take time to research and gather compelling proof. Naturally, the lawyer will first try to reach an out of court settlement doing this will prevent you from spending so much money on a civil case and avoid risks if you are dealing with a criminal case.


    It is also the lawyer's responsibility to take depositions and carefully study important evidence. Your Texas litigation lawyer will also argue motions. There may be a strong possibility that your case might go to trial, and if it does, your lawyer will be there to offer you legal representation before the judge and or jury.

    It is important for the Austin lawyer to be highly knowledgeable when it comes to trial advocacy.

    Are you thinking of representing yourself? Well, in the US, there are certain types of cases where you have the constitutional rights to represent yourself. Unless you are well grounded in the laws of the state of Texas and know precisely what you are doing, you could end up being in more trouble than you imagined. If you think that you are going to get some sympathy from the presiding judge and members of the jury, you will need to think again. Most judges do not have time to waste on people who know absolutely nothing about the law and still choose to represent themselves: Translation; you will simply annoy the judge and jury members instead of gaining their sympathy.


    Think about it, judges have no qualms yelling at a highly qualified Texas litigation lawyers, now imagine what they will do to someone with no knowledge of the law-enough said!


    Lastly, it is important to choose a Texas litigation lawyer who specializes in the area of law that you are having legal trouble. For instance, it is does not make any kind of sense to contact a criminal lawyer for a tax fraud case. With valuable advice from a competent ligation lawyer, you stand a string chance of beating the opposition.