Many lawyers offer one consultation at no cost. Other lawyers charge for the consultation. At our office, we are happy to offer one no cost consultation and you can contact us by e-mail, telephone, facsimile or letter to request a consultation.
Selecting a lawyer is not much different than choosing the right professional to assist you with other needs that you might have. Your goal should be to find the lawyer with the best qualifications, experience and knowledge to meet your legal needs who will be committed to your case and who will communicate with you and keep you informed throughout all stages of the case.
You are making an important decision when you hire a lawyer to represent you. You can check with the state agency that oversees lawyers, which in Massachusetts, is called the Board of Bar Overseers and in Connecticut, it is called the Statewide Grievance Committee. Both of these agencies can tell you if a lawyer you are considering has had serious disciplinary problems. Also, be sure to ask the lawyer you are considering about his or her qualifications, as well as ask people you trust to recommend a lawyer.
Your lawyer will generally be able to give you an idea as to how long your case may take to resolve. Usually, the more complex the case, the longer it takes to conclude. Many factors determine the length of time it takes to resolve a case. The type of legal issues involved will also determine whether a case will resolve in short order, or require much more time. Also, the number of parties involved can also cause a case to take longer than if there were fewer parties involved.
The answer to that depends on what kind of case you have. Most personal injury cases are settled. However, until your lawyer knows the details of the accident or occurrence which caused the injury and the nature and extent of the injury itself, the lawyer cannot state with any degree of certainty whether or not the case may to go to trial.
In the Immigration field, many petitions and applications are approved without having to appear before an Immigration Judge. Generally, the main function of the Immigration Courts are to determine if an alien is removable from the United States. In many instances, an alien who is brought before an Immigration Judge will have an opportunity to present arguments why he or she should not be deported. At this stage, it is highly advisable to have an experienced immigration lawyer representing you.
In any event, regardless of whether your case is civil, criminal or an immigration matter, be sure that your lawyer is familiar with the inside of a courtroom.
Most lawyers take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. In most instances the usual practice is for the lawyer to take a fee of one-third out of the settlement or verdict received in the case. Many, but not all lawyers, will pay for the out of pocket expenses associated with pursuing the claim. Some lawyers may ask the client to front the lawyer the money for expenses. Other types of cases are usually handled on an hourly fee basis. That is when the lawyer charges a client by the hour for the legal representation. In these types of cases, it is customary for the client to pay the lawyer a retainer of an agreed amount of money up front for the lawyer to begin working on the case. Yet another alternative, is a flat fee. That is when the lawyer charges a specific amount of money for the service. An example of this is drawing up a will. Many lawyers charge a set fee for this, as with other transactional matters.
