How to find a Good and Affordable Attorney

It pains me to write this and put my dirty laundry on display. However, I recognize I am in position of need right now. In short I am in need the services of an attorney on a budget. I have gotten myself into a situation where I feel I need an attorney but not sure how to go about selecting one. I know there are several on here so I would love if someone can point in the right direction. Also I am on a limited budget.

For the record, there is nothing criminal going on here.

Thanks!

See if there is a legal aid society in your area and ask for recommendations. That's how my son, an attorney says to start.

I would put more emphasis on quality of service, not necessarily price. Once you have found a good lawyer, you can always go back and ask for recommendations for other law fields. That is how I do it. Good luck!

Check with these schools:
http://www.law.seattleu.edu/centers-and-institutes/access-to-justice-institute
https://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/Clients.aspx
This may help too (from Univ. of WA Law website as well):

King County

• For low income persons in King County seeking a legal consultation:
  Persons under the age of 60: call 211
• Persons over the age of 60 (or calling on behalf of a person over the age of 60):
  CLEAR* Sr: 1-888-387-7111
  TTY: 1-888-201-9737
  *Information about CLEAR and CLEAR*Sr:http://www.nwjustice.org/about_njp/clear.html
  
• For moderate income persons in King County: Lawyer Referral/GAAP program: (206) 267-7010
• General Lawyer Referral in King County: (206) 267-7010

Outside of King County

• For low income persons outside King County:
  Persons under the age of 60: CLEAR*: 1-888-201-1014
  weekdays from 9:15 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.,
  and Tuesdays from 3:30 p.m. until 6:15 p.m.
  Persons over the age of 60 (or calling on behalf of a person over the age of 60): CLEAR*Sr: 1-888-387-7111;
  TTY: 1-888-201-9737
  *Information about CLEAR and CLEAR*Sr:http://www.nwjustice.org/about_njp/clear.html
  
  

• General Lawyer Referral Outside King County (WSBA does not sponsor a state-wide lawyer referral service):

• Clark County
  Southwest Washington Lawyer Referral Service
  (360) 695-0599
• Kitsap County
  Kitsap County Lawyer Referral Service
  (360) 373-2426
• Lewis County
  Lewis County Lawyer Referral Program
  (360) 748-0430
• Pierce County
  Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Lawyer Referral
  (253) 383-3432
• Snohomish County
  Snohomish County Bar Referral Service
  (425) 388-3018
• Spokane County
  http://www.spokanebar.org/

Also, cost will really depend what you need help with. The best thing to do is be up front with the attorneys you contact about what you need done and how much you can pay. All lawyers are "good" (they passed the bar, no easy task in any state), but like most professions, you pay a premium for marginally better talent. You are also unlikely to encounter a "cheap" attorney, because most people perceive lower cost to be indicative of inferior quality. If Lawyer A bills at $50/hr and Lawyer B bills at $100, most people will assume B is better than A. It may not be true, but it does explain why the floor rates of most lawyers is so high; they don't want to be seen as less competent because they don't charge as much.
*disclaimer: this is all my opinion and not based on research. Not giving you any advice, legal or otherwise, just making observations.

Sorry to hear that you may be in a pickle, Terence. I would definitely go the legal aid route. Good luck.

jkingrph said:

See if there is a legal aid society in your area and ask for recommendations. That's how my son, an attorney says to start.

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I second the recommendation for a legal aid referral. Also, once you have gotten a name, every state bar association will allow you access to see if the attorney has ever faced any disciplinary action, so that's a good way to double-check. Finally, any above-board lawyer will not charge you for the consultation so don't be afraid to "shop around" and don't feel afraid to get quotes.

one cut said:

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+1. I'd recommend this guy as well.

I agree to give the appropriate legal aid outfits a call, and I absolutely agree to see about a free consultation. Any attorney should be willing to do that.

Unless you are under terrible time pressure, do "shop around." Do not be embarrassed to ask hard questions about costs, and be very frank about your budget. Depending on what your needs are, you may be offered (or be able to work out) a flat fee arrangement for the service(s) required, rather an hourly (open-ended) arrangement.

If you speak to an attorney who might not be right for you, do not be embarrassed to ask for a referral. I hope you find that the lion's share of attorneys are more concerned with you getting you what you need than getting with work (and, if that's not the case with someone, you probably didn't want to work with them, anyhow).

May everything work out for you!

I don't see what the big problem is. I just show up unannounced at the door of one of the moderator/attorneys with a box of Star Tavern Pizza in my hand. Never been refused an accommodation.

TexLaw said:

I agree to give the appropriate legal aid outfits a call, and I absolutely agree to see about a free consultation. Any attorney should be willing to do that.

Unless you are under terrible time pressure, do "shop around." Do not be embarrassed to ask hard questions about costs, and be very frank about your budget. Depending on what your needs are, you may be offered (or be able to work out) a flat fee arrangement for the service(s) required, rather an hourly (open-ended) arrangement.

If you speak to an attorney who might not be right for you, do not be embarrassed to ask for a referral. I hope you find that the lion's share of attorneys are more concerned with you getting you what you need than getting with work (and, if that's not the case with someone, you probably didn't want to work with them, anyhow).

May everything work out for you!

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Sage advice.

Personally, if it's family law/divorce, I would find a female lawyer. At least that's worked for me. Good luck.

Austin said:

Sage advice.

Personally, if it's family law/divorce, I would find a female lawyer. At least that's worked for me. Good luck.

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Now that is a great idea! Off to find a female lawyer...

Regarding female lawyers, a woman co-worker went through an awful divorce a few years ago and she used a female lawyer she said was "useless".

The problem for this co-worker who was undergoing divorce proceedings, is that her husband had retained a male lawyer who was VERY familiar with the court he was in. The friend's female lawyer seemed lost, disorganized and unable to properly anticipate or counter the strategy of the husband's lawyer.

The takeaway I got from her story to me was if you retain an attorney for anything, ensure they are competent in the type of case and the court system you are about to involve them in. I suppose it's possible for lawyers to be too broadly generalized, which might increase their client base but presents some risk when it comes to getting the desired outcome in court.

No one has mentioned the Local Bar Association. Also, Public Defender's office and/or the DA's depending on how much exposure you calculate your risk to. In any case, many many of these folk will try and guide you right. But you know nothing until you meet the person and discover if you "click." Personality and comfort are very valuable allies when working long hours on legal matters.

Highspeedlane said:

The takeaway I got from her story to me was if you retain an attorney for anything, ensure they are competent in the type of case and the court system you are about to involve them in.

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Can I get an A-MEN! Chances are very small (about 1 in 20) that you'll even go to trial for any filed case, and even less so in a family law case. Don't choose an attorney based on how you think that attorney will play to a jury or the press.

Choose an attorney based on competence and willingness to achieve your goals.

I prefer lawyers who follow the Peter Blunt system of practice.




Caddyshack 2 reference, anybody? Nobody? Oh well.

I recommend starting with the State Bar Association or the Metro bar association for your region. They will often have a lawyer referral phone number you can call. The referral # will ask for a brief description of the legal problem, and then they'll be able to recommend some lawyers and also get you in touch with legal aid (if you ask about legal aid).

Then you'll just have to call around and let the attorney's know you are on a budget. Many of them will offer a free or low-cost initial consultation. Some smaller offices will even be willing to do the initial consultation over the phone or by video chat so you don't need to go into the office (it actually saves the attorney time).

I would make sure you explain the limited budget to the attorney during the consultation. Find out how much they bill per hour, what the billing increments are (tenths (6min), quarters (15min), etc.), and ask for a very rough estimate range of how many hours they think the matter will take. Also, depending on the particular matter, you might be able to find an attorney that offers a flat rate fee. This is normally only offered for things like wills, trusts, setting up corporations, or simple bankruptcies. The big thing is to ask lots of questions. I'd talk to 2-3 attorneys before making a decision on one. You want one that is a good fit for you and your budget.

Contrary to previous advice, I recommend you avoid hiring a lawyer if at all possible. There is no such thing as an "inexpensive attorney", and since attorneys specialize in fine print, so you will find a lot in the way of hidden fees and expenses added to whatever you are billed. You might be surprised at how much your lawyer will charge you for each phone call you make to him, or for each and every document copied or printed on your behalf.

Example. A friend of mine had a sweet grandmother who lived in a nice neighborhood in southern California. One day, this sweet grandmother passed away, willing her home to her granddaughter. Unfortunately, this grandmother still had three children, and many grandchildren, all of who resented the fact that the home was left to only one of them.

Everyone hired a lawyer, and the will was contested in court. My friend wouldn't settle, and her relatives would not relent. My friend eventually won the case, but ended up having to sell the home to pay for lawyer's fees. After the associated fees, taxes, and other costs, all she inherited from her grandmother was 5 figures of debt. The other family members were obligated to pay their lawyers for their time and trouble, and now everyone in the family hates each other.

My advice to you is to try to settle whatever problem you have person-to-person, and only involve a lawyer as a last resort.

You yourself can do almost anything a lawyer can do, even defend yourself in court if you like. For criminal problems, a lawyer is likely to be the best option, but for most other situations, try to handle the situation yourself. You don't need a lawyer to file for bankruptcy, you can negotiate with an insurance company for damages on your own, and then threaten to hire a lawyer if they are stubborn, you can use a paralegal service for other situations.