How Do You Deal with Lawyers?

Commercial Lawsuits are Different

T There are different types of laws such as Commercial, Family, Immigration, Real Estate, Labor, and Criminal Laws, and most lawsuits are decided according to the statutes and regulations. However, there is some room for individual discretion when it comes to commercial cases such as disputes over breaching contracts or allocating profits. In other words, the ability of an individual attorney will actually determine the time it is going to take, the cost, and the final outcome. The ability of the lawyer plays a big role in commercial lawsuits.

How to Fill Out a Complaint

U Usually, most clients are not familiar with the laws, and that is why they hire lawyers and seek professional advice. The first step of a lawsuit is to fill out a formal complaint. At this stage, the client probably wants to share all the details of what had happened so far, but it is not necessarily helpful to include all the details in the complaint because it can be used against the client later on. You do not want to add more problems because it is going to take more time to resolve.

Time is Gold

S Some lawyers prefer to contract on a flat fee, but most professional lawyers receive the hourly rate. Thus, time means money for them. Out of the entire process, it takes a lot of time to listen to the whole story from the client and create a complaint based on the story.

Lawyers Want Lawsuits

I If the lawyers are putting the interest of their clients first, they will try to come up with a concise complaint since it will eliminate some potential disputes and reduce the attorney fees. However, the lawyers who put their interest first will try to push for a lawsuit even with the slightest chance. Usually, the lawyers tend to encourage the clients to go for lawsuits. It is because the final outcome is actually up to the judge and/or jury, and it is hard to predict the outcome. The attorney will provide advice on how to handle different issues while the lawsuit is ongoing. When the client is not familiar with the law, it might be difficult to tell whether the given advice was for the client or for the attorney. It is nearly impossible to find out if the lawyer is actually doing the job right for the client unless something was done illegally. If you are going for a trial, the total attorney fees for the entire process is way beyond affordable even for middle-class individuals. The lawyer can provide legal advice and services, but he or she is not responsible for the final outcome. The client is the one who is carrying all these burdens. So, make sure to choose someone who you can fully trust.

Here are some tips on how to deal with lawyers

1.      Seek advice on how to resolve your dispute, rather than how to win a case. The main goal is to get money from the other party. It is meaningless to go for a lawsuit if you can’t get the money even if you win.

2. Before you go for your appointment, make sure to gather all the necessary documents and evidence. If you provide an oral statement during the session, it could take a long time and some information might not be delivered accurately.

3. Before your appointment, do some research on similar cases so that you are aware of the average cost for the trial as well as the duration of the lawsuit process beforehand.

4. Study the related vocabulary words in advance. If you are not familiar with certain legal terms, the lawyer might spend the time explaining the terms to you and you might not get to the point that you wanted to make.

5. Ask the attorney about the worst-case scenario. No one can predict the outcome of the trial. Make sure to ask about the possibilities of losing the case.

6. Before hiring your attorney, make sure to meet 2-3 different lawyers. It is better to let them know in advance that you are seeking advice only, not necessarily hiring anyone particular. If the lawyer is aware that the client is not hiring him/her, then he or she will remain neutral and provide objective opinions. Make sure to pay for the session. The lawyers will want to provide a more detailed explanation since it is more money for them if there are more questions that they need to answer.

7. Make sure to document the legal advice from each session and bring it with you when you meet another lawyer. Then, you can clearly compare different opinions and will be able to see the nature of the lawsuit.

8. Let your attorney know that you have other options to choose from if he or she is not doing a good job. If the lawyer is aware that he or she could be fired at any time, it will motivate him or her to be more faithful and diligent.

9. Make sure to have your attorney to report on all activities, and you should be the one making the final decision. If the client does not lead the process, the lawyer is going to do whatever he or she thinks is right. Keep in mind that each document submitted by the law office is irrevocable and thus has the potential to ruin the entire lawsuit. The client should double-check all the time.

10. When you submit a document, make sure to ask how it is going to be used and bring up the issue of privacy protection. Usually, the documents that are submitted to the courts are open to the public. Only the client is aware of the sensitivity of the material being exposed to the public.


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