When facing a legal issue, you may wonder if it is your best interests to hire a local lawyer over large national law firms or cheaper out of state options.  There are a number of good reasons to have the services of an experienced local lawyer.  For instance, when dealing with a legal issue in Seattle, a Seattle attorney will be the most knowledgeable and experienced professional that can handle the distinct challenges in interpreting state and local legal codes.  You will have the benefit of having the case proceed in your local jurisdiction and you will have an easier time contact and meeting with your Seattle attorney.

Local municipalities tend to set their own laws on a number of issues, such as the carry and discharge of firearms.  The state of Washington, which explicitly protects the right to bear arms in the state constitution and the city of Seattle that attempted to ban guns within city limits.  The Seattle ban was overturned as the state held the right to preempt local laws on firearms.  This battle is just one example of intersecting state and local laws contradicting with each other as well as an example of how Seattle law might differ from the laws in the rest of the state.  For this reason, it is in your best interest to have the services of Seattle attorneys when dealing with legal matters in Seattle.

All Seattle attorneys will be members of the Washington State Bar Association.  WSBA has been an integrated bar since 1933 and is administered by the State Supreme Court as a regulatory body for lawyers.  All Seattle attorneys are admitted, licensed and disciplined through the WSBA.  There are practice sections for specialized lawyers, such as family law and criminal law as well as competitively priced Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes to keep Seattle Attorneys up to date and informed on critical ethical and legal issues.  The WSBA also provides a number of professional services, including an ADR service to resolve fee disputes, a lawyer assistance program to help lawyers with substance abuse and stress problems and mentoring for young lawyers.  There is also an ethics line to provide ethical advice for Seattle attorneys that require assistance.

In addition to the WSBA, there is the King County Bar Associations.  King County is the part of Washington State where Seattle is located.  In addition to professional networking, among the more important features of this Bar Association is its lawyer referral service.  The WSBA does not provide a referral service, opting to leave that function to county and regional referral services.  The King County Bar Association also encourages pro bono service and can link those individuals that may require free legal to a lawyer that will be able to assist them.  This is separate from the lawyer referral service.

The Washington State Bar Association is the fastest and easiest way to verify the credentials of your lawyer.  Lawyer records are public and you will be able to ascertain the legitimacy of your Seattle lawyer.  You will be able to find all Seattle Lawyers in the directory.  Membership is mandatory in the Washington State Bar and any Seattle attorney who is not a member is not licensed to practice law in Washington.  

Also, look for a history of legal malpractice cases against the lawyer, as this may be indicative of a larger problem the lawyer has with clients, even if the lawsuits were not successful.  The disciplinary record is important when researching a potential lawyer to represent you.

The Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection is a fund administered by the WSBA that compensates clients for potential fraud and other breach of fiduciary duty by the Seattle attorney.  This will provide you with some peace of mind when dealing with a lawyer.  Still, be sure that you understand all arrangements you make with the Seattle attorney and get the fee agreement in writing.  You will invariably have to submit irrefutable proof before you can expect to collect from the client security fund.

The King County Bar maintains a Lawyer Referral Service that will charge potential clients no more than a $45 referral fee for an initial consultation with a Seattle lawyer.  This fee is reduced to a $10 processing fee for personal injury, criminal defense and worker’s compensation cases.  SSI/SSDI appeal cases are not charged for referrals.  You may receive up to three consultations through your fee.  You may apply electronically or call the service directly.  This service is backed by the American Bar Association.

The King County Bar Foundation provides pro bono services and legal clinics for low income Seattle residents.  Those that cannot afford typical legal representation should contact this foundation to determine if they qualify for pro bono services.  The legal clinics are neighborhood based and can dispense some legal advice that may suit the needs of some Seattle residents.  There is also a separate Housing Justice Project that provides legal services for families that may become homeless without proper legal representation.

You may use this website to find an attorney.  To do so, use the search box on top of all pages.  You may also compare attorneys and ask free questions by clicking Find Attorneys on top of the page.

Factors affecting the Seattle attorney rates are the lawyer’s experience, expertise, service provided and location.  

For malpractice, personal injury or accident cases, a Seattle attorney will usually work on contingency, unless the client indicates otherwise.  Contingency arrangements will have the Seattle attorney collect a percentage fee of the eventually jury award or settlement.  Contingency fees may be limited by law or court decision.

There may still be fees for the initial consultation and court costs.  Additionally, you may be able to receive legal services from Seattle attorneys in unbundled or in flat fees.  In that way, you pay only for the services you need.

How does my case relate to Washington state and local laws?

What are your fees and do you have alternate payment plans?

Can I please have all fees in writing?

Are you an active member, in good standing, of the Washington State Bar Association?

What roles do you play as a member?

What are my chances of winning a settlement or at trial?

Can you refer me to another lawyer if you are unable to take my case?

When faced with many options for hiring a lawyer, a Washington attorney is a sound decision for dealing with a legal issue within the state.  The interaction between state and local laws is distinct and there are many statewide statutes that may affect your case.  Trusting large, out of state law firms with your legal issues can be risky, especially when considering the dangers of claims in advertising and the risk that the large out of state firm will not be aware or interested of distinctions in the state laws that can work in your favor.  A Washington attorney will generally be able to provide you with individualized attention as well as ease of communications and knowledge of the state legal code.  

Bankruptcy exemptions are one example of how laws vary from state to state.  Most states, including Washington allow for federal and state exemptions to be used in conjunction, necessitating a Washington attorney to handle your bankruptcy filing.  The Washington Homestead exemption is $40,000 or unlimited if attempting to discharge debts for unpaid taxes on retirement benefits.  This is significantly different that other state exemptions.  Personal property exemptions include clothing, luxury items up to $1,000, motor vehicles for an individual up to $2,500, food and fuel, health aids and keepsakes.  Most insurance, municipal pensions and public benefits will be exempt from the bankruptcy judgment.  There is also a special “wild card” exemption that exempts $2,000 of personal property from the judgment.

All Washington attorneys will be members of the Washington State Bar Association.  WSBA has been an integrated bar since 1933 and is administered by the State Supreme Court as a regulatory body for lawyers.  All Washington attorneys are admitted, licensed and disciplined through the WSBA.  

Among the benefits for Washington attorneys, there are practice sections for specialized lawyers Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes that are priced to not compete with local and private CLE providers.  

Like most bar associations, the WSBA also provides services such as ethics opinions, fee dispute resolution and a client protection fund in case of malpractice.  There is also a lawyer assistance program to help members that face personal crisis that affect their professional practice.  Those Washington attorneys with substance abuse and stress issues can use the services of this program.

The Washington State Bar Association is the fastest and easiest way to verify the credentials of your lawyer.  Lawyer records are public and you will be able to ascertain the legitimacy of your Washington lawyer.  You will be able to find all Seattle Lawyers in the directory.  Membership is mandatory in the Washington State Bar and any Washington attorney who is not a member is not licensed to practice law in Washington.  

Also, look for a history of legal malpractice cases against the lawyer, as this may be indicative of a larger problem the lawyer has with clients, even if the lawsuits were not successful.  The disciplinary record is important when researching a potential lawyer to represent you.

The Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection is a fund administered by the WSBA that compensates clients for potential fraud and other breach of fiduciary duty by the Seattle attorney.  This will provide you with some peace of mind when dealing with a lawyer.  Still, be sure that you understand all arrangements you make with the Seattle attorney and get the fee agreement in writing.  You will invariably have to submit irrefutable proof before you can expect to collect from the client security fund.

The WSBA does not have its own lawyer referral service.  Instead, those that need to find a Washington attorney will have to contact the following services or organizations:

– Seattle (King County) – King County Bar Association

– Spokane – Spokane County Bar Association

– Tacoma (Pierce County) – Spokane County Bar Association

– Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, Wahkiakum Counties – Southwest Washington Lawyer Referral Service

The King County Lawyer Referral Service is certified by the ABA as a trusted referral service.  You can be assured that these services will be low cost and vet their lawyers properly before referring them to potential clients.

Low income clients that require pro bono or reduced fee legal services may contact CLEAR, which is Washington’s intake, advice and referral service.  It is toll free and easy to use and can help facilitate legal services to needy Washington residents.  There are additional volunteer attorneys available to provide legal aid for home foreclosures.

You may use this website to find an attorney.  To do so, use the search box on top of all pages.  You may also compare attorneys and ask free questions by clicking Find Attorneys on top of the page.

Factors affecting the Washington attorney rates are the lawyer’s experience, expertise, service provided and location.  

For malpractice, personal injury or accident cases, a Washington attorney will usually work on contingency, unless the client indicates otherwise.  Contingency arrangements will have the Washington attorney collect a percentage fee of the eventually jury award or settlement.  Contingency fees may be limited by law or court decision.

There may still be fees for the initial consultation and court costs.  Additionally, you may be able to receive legal services from Seattle attorneys in unbundled or in flat fees.  In that way, you pay only for the services you need.

How does my case relate to Washington state and local laws?

What are your fees and do you have alternate payment plans?

Can I please have all fees in writing?

Are you an active member, in good standing, of the Washington State Bar Association?

What roles do you play as a member?

What are my chances of winning a settlement or at trial?

Can you refer me to another lawyer if you are unable to take my case?

Colorado Attorneys are  lawyers who are permitted to practice within the State of Colorado because either he or she is barred within the State of Colorado or is barred in another State but has been given special permission from the court to practice in Colorado for a brief period of time, usually for a specific proceeding, this is called pro hoc vice.

In order to become a Colorado Attorney an individual must meet a number of requirements; these include educational requirements as well as ethical requirements.  The first step is that a Colorado  Attorney must have his, or her, bachelors degree from an accredited college or University.  After that an individual must be accepted and graduate from an accredited law school or meet any of the alternative requirements set by the Colorado Bar Association.  

After graduating from an accredited law school a Colorado Attorney candidate must take and pass that Colorado Bar Exam.  The Colorado Bar Exam is a two day exam that is administered by the Colorado Bar Examiners Office.  The first day consists of 9 essay questions and 2 Multi-State Performance Tests.  The 9 essay questions are prepared by the Colorado board of Bar Examiners and are based solely on Colorado law.   The Multi-State Performance Test is a 90 minute test that gauges an applicants ability to take evidence and substantive law and write a persuasive memos or briefs.  The second day of the Colorado Bar Exam is the Multi-State Bar Exam.  The MBE is a 200 multiple choice examination administered by the National Board of Bar Examiners.   The passing rate for the Colorado Bar Exam is around 73%.  

In addition to the substantive requirements proving the educational experience of the candidate a Colorado Attorney must also represent the ethical and moral standards of the legal profession.  The candidate must take and pass the Multi-State Performance Exam with a score of 85.  In addition, the Colorado Attorney candidate must also complete a character and fitness application including background information, criminal record checks and financial reports that will be analyzed by the Colorado Bar Association.

Colorado Attorneys practice in three different types of trial courts within the State of Colorado.  These are the District courts, the County courts and the Water courts.  The district courts in the State of Colorado hear civil cases involving any amount, domestic violence cases, criminal cases, juvenile cases and probate cases.  The County courts are able to hear civil cases where the amount in question is less than $15,000, all misdemeanor cases, traffic violations, and felony complaints.  Judgments from the County courts are immediately appealable to the district courts.  Water courts in the State of Colorado hear all cases involving water rights.  There are 7 water courts in the State of Colorado that are located in each of Colorado’s river basins.

If you are looking for a Colorado Attorney you can take many routes.  You can perform a simple internet search to find information on Colorado Attorneys near you that practice in the area of law where you need representation.  Most Colorado Attorneys have their own websites that give valuable information about the Colorado Attorneys education, experience, and results.  

You can also take advantage of a referral service.  The Colorado Bar Association does not operate a Colorado Attorney Referral service but it does have direct links to a number of referral services within the State of Colorado.  Two of the most respected are the Metropolitan Lawyer Referral Service and the El Paso County Lawyer Referral.  The first referral service can be contacted at 877-283-8145.  The Metropolitan referral service will cost $75 for a 30 minute consultation.  The El Paso County Lawyer Referral service will cost $40 for a 30 minute consultation.  

This website also has a lawyer referral service if you are having trouble finding representation in your area.  By going to the top of this page and clicking on the “find a lawyer” link you will  be directed to input specific data including your contact information, a brief description of your legal problem and your specific location.  At that point a representative from laws.com will contact you about an attorney in your area who will be able to help you with your legal problem.  

If you need a Colorado Attorney but you cannot afford one then you may have some options.  There are a number of legal aid services in the State of Colorado that will be able to help you.  By going to the Colorado Bar Association’s website you will find links to: Colorado Legal Services; Colorado Pro Bono; Metro Volunteer Lawyers; and CBA’s Appellate Pro Bono Program.   Thes legal aid services will not be able to help you with finding a criminal lawyer.  As per the 5th Amendment you are automatically appointed a criminal Colorado attorney to defend you in criminal matters.  In order to qualify for Colorado attorneys through legal aid you must have an annual salary no more than 125% of the national poverty level.

An Arizona Attorney is a lawyer who is barred and in good standing in the State of Arizona.  An Arizona attorney represents clients in all kinds of legal matters.  Criminal Arizona Attorneys will represent individuals charge with crimes originating in the State of Arizona whether they be misdemeanors, felonies, DUI, traffic violations or violations of local ordinances.  Civil Arizona Attorneys represent their clients in actions where the cause of action for a tort, contract or other matter involving damages, injunctions, or other form or relief are at issue.  Arizona Attorneys who focus on civil law will represent clients who are involved in  personal injury, contracts, real estate, landlord/tenant, wills and trusts, corporate law and many others.  

In order to practice law within the State of Arizona an Arizona Attorney must be barred in the State of Arizona, be in good standing and meet the disciplinary requirements of the Arizona Bar Association.

The first requirement is that the Arizona Attorney have a bachelors degree from a college or university either in the United States or an accredited University abroad.  In addition, a Arizona Attorney applicant must be a graduate of an accredited law school or meet any of the alternate eligibility requirements allowed by the Arizona Board of Bar Examiners.  Once an applicant has graduated from law school he, or she, must pass the Arizona Bar Exam.  The Arizona Bar Exam is a two day examination. The first day is comprised of 6 essay questions based exclusively on Arizona law.  The first day also includes 2 Multi State Performance Tests.  The MPT exam is an test that gauges an applicants ability to take evidence and, both statutory and common law, and create a persuasive memo or brief discussing the legal issue.   The second day of the Arizona Bar Exam is the Multi-State Bar Exam.  The MBE is a nationwide exam consisting of 200 multiple choice questions written and administered by the National Bar Association.  The average passing rate for the Arizona Bar Exam is around 71%.   In addition, an applicant must take the MPRE and get a passing score of 80.

The Arizona state court system is comprised of three levels of courts.  There are 3 types of trial courts consisting of the municipal courts, the justice of the peace courts, and the superior courts.  Appeals from those matters are brought in the Court of Appeals for the State of Arizona and the Arizona Supreme Court is the highest court in the State.

The municipal courts in Arizona are also known as the city courts or the magistrate courts.  They hear criminal matters involving misdemeanors and petty offenses in the municipality.  The municipal courts have concurrent jurisdiction with the justice of the peace courts over violations of State laws and also have jurisdiction over DUI, hit & runs and reckless driving.  The municipal courts do not hear civil suits.

The Justices of the Peace Courts comprise a larger jurisdiction than the municipal courts and are larger than a town but usually smaller than a county.  The Justices of the Peace Courts hear traffic cases, certain criminal cases; and civil matters where the amount in question is less than $10,000.  The Justices of the Peace Courts also have concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior courts to hear landlord/tenant matters where the damages are between $5,000 and $10,000.  The Justices of the Peace Courts also hear misdemeanors, assault & battery, preliminary felony matters, and criminal offenses where the maximum penalty is greater than 6 months in jail or greater than a $2,500 fine.  

The Superior court has one location in each county and hears all felony cases and some misdemeanor cases concurrently with the Justices of the Peace Courts.  The Superior Courts also hear civil matters where the amount in question is greater than $10,000, evictions, probate, divorces and naturalization.

If you are looking for Arizona Attorneys you have many options to you.  The easiest way is by looking though an internet search, asking friends or co-workers, looking through newspapers, magazines and other publications.  Almost every Arizona Attorney has a website that will detail their experience, education, victories, any specialities, and their areas of practice.  Although this is a good start, the information about the Arizona Attorney that you will find through this method will be positive and is unlikely to show an disfavorable information about the Arizona Attorney.  

Aside from looking on your own you may also want to take advantage of a referral service.  The Arizona Bar Association does not operate its own referral service but most of the Arizona County and Local bar associations operate referral services.  

Maricopa County, the home of Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona has a referral service at www.maricopalawyers.org.  You have two options when accessing the service. You can call directly at 602-257-4434 to speak to a representative or you can fill out the referral form by clicking on the link at the right of the page.  A representative from the Maricopa County Referral service will then get in touch with you about finding an Arizona Attorney to represent you in that particular county.  

One other option in seeking an Arizona Attorney is to use the lawyer referral service at laws.com.  Laws.com operates a valuable referral service where, just by inputting your basic contact information and a brief description of your problem a representative from laws.com will be able get you in touch with an Arizona Attorney who will be able to help you with your legal problem.

When you are meeting with Arizona Attorneys you will want to ask a number of questions regarding the Arizona Attorneys ability to represent you.  You should sit back and make a long list of questions that you have and what aspects of an Arizona Attorney will be important to you.  Here are just a few examples of questions you should ask a potential Arizona Attorney before agreeing to representation.

■ Where did you go to law school?

■ How long have you been practicing in Arizona?

■ Have you ever been disciplined by any bar association?

■ What areas of law do you practice in?

■ What percentage of these cases are in the area I need help in?

■ Who in your firm will be handling my case?

■ What is the main issue in my case?

■ What do you see as the result?

 

Alabama Attorneys are those lawyers that have passed the Alabama Bar Exam and are licensed, and in good standing, in the State of Alabama and capable of practicing law within the State of Alabama.  Alabama Attorneys represent clients in both criminal and civil matters that are argued in any State court proceeding within Alabama.

In order to practice law within the State of Alabama and be considered an Alabama Attorney an individual must be barred within the State of Alabama as well as meet the ethical and moral standards of the Alabama Bar Association.  

To be able to sit for the Alabama Bar Exam an individual must have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized University.  The school need not be within the United States but must be recognized as an established University.  In addition, an applicant to sit for the Alabama Bar Examination must have graduated from an accredited law school from within the United States or met one of the other options that are outlined in the Alabama Bar Examiners Office handbook.  

The Alabama Bar Exam is a 3 day exam.  The first two days are comprised of the Multi-State Essay Exam, The Multi-State Performance Exam and The Alabama State Essay Exam.  The third day of the Alabama Bar Exam consists of the Multi-State Bar exam.  A passing score on the Alabama Bar Examination is a 128 scaled score.  The Alabama Bar Exam is administered twice a year, once in February and again in July.  The passage rate for the July exam is around 73% and the passing rate for the February exam is around 50%.  This is not necessarily because the February Exam is more difficult but rather because the February exam consists mostly of individuals who took the July exam and did not pass.

When an individual is an Alabama Attorney he, or she, must be familiar with the Alabama court systerm.  There are 3 main types of courts in the Alabama Court System; the District Courts, the Municipal Courts; and the Circuit Courts.

There are 273 Municipal Courts in the State of Alabama.  These courts handle probate matters, and offences involving violations of municipal ordinances, DUI and DWI, and traffic violations.  

There are 67 District courts in the Alabama judicial system.  The district courts hear all small claims and misdemeanor violations.  The district courts also have exclusive jurisdiction involving civil matters where the amount in question is less than $3,000.  For those civil matters where the amount in question is between $3,000 and $10,000 the district courts have concurrent jurisdiction with the Alabama Circuit Courts.

There are 41 Circuit courts in the State of Alabama.  These courts handle all juvenile and domestic violence cases.  They also have exclusive jurisdiction in all felonies and civil claims where the amount in question is more than $10,000.  The Circuit courts have concurrent jurisdiction with the District courts in matters involving DUI, misdemeanors and those civil matters where the amount in question is between $3,000 and $10,000.

Once cases move past any of these three courts they may be brought to either the Court of Criminal Appeals of the Court of Civil Appeals.  The Court of Criminal Appeals hears all matters involving an appeal of a misdemeanor or felony;  the court of Civil appeals hears all appeals where the amount in question is less than $50,000.  The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the State where an Alabama Attorney will practice.  The Supreme Court of Alabama hears all appeals that go through the Appellate System and also have exclusive jurisdiction in all civil appeals where the amount in question is greater than $50,000.

If you have had a problem with your Alabama attorney then you may want to file a complaint with the Alabama bar association.  Before you attempt to go through with any formal proceeding against your Alabama attorney you should attempt to resolve the matter personally with your Alabama attorney.  Once a formal complaint is filed against your Alabama attorney it may not be repealed.   

If you feel that the only way to deal with the matter is to file a complaint with the Alabama State Bar then you should seek a brochure by contacting the bar association at 334-269-1515.  Once you have filled out a report then your complaint will be reviewed by the Alabama Bar Counsel.  The Counsel will then contact the Alabama attorney involved and ask him, or her, to file an answer.  The complaint process may take between 6 – 18 months for formal charges to go from the preliminary investigative stages to a final outcome.  If your Alabama attorney is found by the Bar Counsel to be in violation of an ethical violation the the Alabama Bar Association may file a number of sanctions ranging from probation, public or private reprimand, suspension or even disbarment.  You can file your complaint by filling out the complaint form at www.alabar.org and mail the written, signed, document to:

Alabama State Bar

Disciplinary Commission

P.O. Box 671

Montgomery, AL 36101-0671

If you are looking for Alabama Attorneys then you will have a number of options available to you.  One simple option is to just do an internet search.  Almost all Alabama Attorneys have their own websites that will describe what their kind of cases they handle, their educational background and experience practicing as an Alabama attorney.

You can also use the referral service at Alabama Bar Association at www.alabar.org.  The  referral  service at the site is the only one that is operated by the Alabama Bar Association.  All Alabama Attorneys that are used in the referral service are barred and in good standing with the Alabama Bar Association.  The referral service may be reached calling 1-800-392-5660 to speak with a representative or by completing the online referral form at www.alabar.org.

The lawyer that you are eventually referred to you will not charge more than $50 for a half hour consultation interview.  

In addition, if you cannot afford a lawyer than you may be able take advantage of free legal aid services in from an Alabama Attorney.  Alabama Attorneys are required to perform a certain amount of pro bono hours per year.  In order to find out if you qualify for free legal aid from Alabama Attorneys you may call 1-866-456-4995 or fill out the form at www.alabar.org.  Even if you do qualify for free legal aid from the Alabama Bar Association cannot help with traffic, criminal or juvenile matters.

If you have legal issues that involve a large sum of money or is too complex to handle yourself, you may prefer to handle the issue with the assistance of one of many South Dakota attorneys. These attorneys not only provide legal information and counsel, but they also offer strategic advice and sophisticated technical skills against your legal issues. Usually, you can find many South Dakota attorneys who are willing to serve as a legal guidance to help as much as possible and to only take over when formal legal counsel is necessary. It is beneficial to hire South Dakota Attorneys not only because they can assist with legal issues, but also because their professional foresight can help prevent legal issues from coming up in the first place. 

South Dakota attorneys can provide assistance by assessing the legal situation you have and offer information about different options in pursuing your case.  It is ideal to receive preliminary information about the case from multiple South Dakota attorneys in order to find a general opinion about your case and whether or not it will hold up in court as well as if the case is financially or emotionally worthwhile to pursue. This opinion can be a big time and money saver if the case is not worthwhile.

South Dakota attorneys do their job to ensure the best interests of their client by collecting relevant information and records, utilizing a legal strategy suitable for your case, collecting information that is important for your case, filling out the necessary paperwork, and communicating with the opposing party’s counsel. Your attorney will do all of this to protect your legal rights and ensure the best outcome for your case.

While it is possible to pursue a case pro se and without an attorney, it is rarely recommended for issues that are not routine or are complicated. Most pro se cases are unsuccessful due to failure to follow correct procedures, which may result in the case being thrown out. South Dakota attorneys can assist in legal situations such as arrest or questioning by South Dakota law enforcement, employment discrimination or harassment, incorporation or formation of a business, family law cases involving contested divorce or child custody, buying or selling real estate, tax issues, accidents involving personal injury and/or property damage, or drafting wills, estate plans, and trusts. 

If you decide that your case requires the assistance of an attorney, the next step is to find the best one. While there are many South Carolina attorneys to choose from, but you can filter down the options to make it easier for yourself.  The most important thing to remember is that when sorting through the different South Carolina attorneys, you want to find one that is compatible with you and the case. A great way to start your search is by asking for any referrals from businesses, friends, family, other lawyers, or online sources. When using referrals from other individuals, you should ensure that the referrals are based on the attorney’s ability to represent cases that are similar to yours. 

An easy way to narrow down the pool of potential attorneys is by reducing the scope of the geographic location of your search. Many online directories provide search tools to sort through South Carolina attorneys by geographic location. While you should not eliminate attorneys because they inconvenient, there is no point to consider attorneys that are nearly impossible for you to work with because of the location. 

For South Dakota, you can search through South Dakota cities including Deadwood, Custer, Chamberlain, Clear Lake, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Vermillion, Wagner, Watertown, Gettysburg, Howard, Lemmon, Madison, Miller, Pierre Aberdeen, Britton, and more. You can also sort through various South Dakota counties such as Codington County, Brown County, Pennington County, Mead County, and Minnehaha County.

If you decide that you need an attorney to assist you in your legal proceedings, and you have found potential candidates, you must then sort through the attorneys to find the right one based on education, experience, track record, and so on. You should also verify that the attorney is a member the American Bar Association and the South Dakota state bar. Additionally, he or she should have a decent track record that shows success in your type of case and should be able to provide references demonstrating this. You can also ask if the attorney has continued their education in the relevant field.

To figure out who is the right South Dakota attorney for you, meet each potential attorney individually to discuss the specific details of your legal issue. You should also bring along any necessary records or documents that provide relevant information about the case, to help the attorney make a good decision. 

After discussing your case with an attorney during a consultation, you should also ask the attorney questions to gauge his or her ability to represent your case. The questions can discuss what the attorney feels is the likely outcome of the case, how many similar cases the attorney has had, what education or knowledge makes the attorney appropriate for this case, the attorney’s success rate, how long the attorney has practiced law in South Dakota, what area of law he or she usually practices, how communication works between the attorney and the client, what sort of clients he or she usually has, who would personally handle the case, what are the costs of the lawsuit, and what other legal options may be available. 

South Dakota attorneys usually have varying costs that rely on different factors such as the legal issue, reputation, experience, record for success, or geographic location. Some lawyers will bill an hourly rate while others may offer flat rates or payment plans, depending on the situations. Depending on the case, an attorney may take on the case on a contingency basis as well. 

It is important to discuss with the fees and charges with the attorney to avoid any misunderstanding or miscommunication about exactly what is charged. This includes discussing how billing works, the costs and rates, what activities are specifically charged for, and attorney’s estimated costs of the case. 

South Carolina attorneys are professionals who practice the law. In order to do so, these attorneys have received degrees from accredited law schools, passed the bar exam for South Carolina, and have received their licenses by South Carolina to practice law within the state. There are numerous legal issues that South Carolina attorneys may be able to assist in if you need help. The benefit of hiring South Carolina attorneys is that they can help with both legal problems that have come up as well as preventing any problems in the first place.

South Carolina attorneys can help you with your problems by assessing the legal issue you have and providing you with information about the options available to you regarding any more legal assistance. It is a good idea to get some preliminary advice about the case from different South Carolina attorneys. By doing so, you can get a consensus opinion about your case and whether or not it will hold up in court or whether it is financially or emotionally worthwhile to pursue the case. If you receive answers that are not what you expected, it would be the time to reconsider whether the case is worthwhile.

South Carolina attorneys also make sure to follow the correct protocols to make sure to complete their jobs and work in your best interest in order to protect your legal rights. South Carolina attorneys do this by successfully by researching the law, collecting needed records, creating and executing a proper legal strategy, finding the right testimony from witnesses, finding expert consultants, completing paperwork and documents, and communicating with opposing party’s counsel in order to guarantee the best outcome for your case.

Although it is possible to pursue a case pro se, or without any legal counsel, doing so is not recommended for legal issues that are complicated or not routine. Most pro se cases do not end well because while a person may be aware of the relevant laws, they may not be as aware of the proper procedures, which can cause the case to be thrown out.

South Carolina attorneys can help in many different legal situations including arrest or questioning by South Carolina state or local law enforcement, accidents involving personal injury and/or property damage, family law cases involving contested divorce or child custody, employment discrimination or harassment, incorporation or formation of a business, buying or selling real estate, tax issues, or drafting wills, estate plans, and trusts. 

If you decide that your case requires the assistance of an attorney, the next step is to find the best one. This may seem like a difficult task because of the abundance of South Carolina attorneys, but there are ways to filter your search to make it easier. 

There are many ways to sort through South Carolina attorneys, but the most important thing to remember is to find an attorney that is compatible with you. A great way to start your search is by asking for any referrals from businesses, friends, family, other lawyers, or online sources. When using referrals from other individuals, you should ensure that the referrals are based on the attorney’s ability to represent cases that are similar to yours. 

Additionally, you can use online directories to find the best South Carolina, which allows you to connect the best prospective attorneys for your case. These directories provide search tools to sort through South Carolina Attorneys by geographic location or type of law.

For South Carolina, you can search through South Carolina cities including Aiken, Beaufort, Walterboro, Mount Pleasant, West Columbia, Winnsboro, York, Bennettsville, Bluffton, Greenwood, , Conway, Columbia, Darlington, Easley, Florence, Loris, Manning, Myrtle Beach, Orangeburg, Georgetown, Fort Mill, Greenville, Hampton, Barnwell, Anderson, Hartsville, Johns Island, Lancaster, Charleston, Camden, Chester Pickens, Ridgeland, Seneca, Summerville, and more. Additionally, you may also search through counties such as Charleston County, Greenville County, Horry County, Lexington County, Richland County, Spartanburg County, and more.

After deciding that you do require a lawyer to assist you with your legal issue, and you have found some potential candidates for the job, the next thing to do is sort through the attorneys based on their experiences in handling similar cases to yours. You may also wish to ensure that the attorney is qualified attorney for your case. This means that the attorney should be a member of both the South Carolina state bar and the American Bar Association.

Furthermore, the attorney should have a record for success and should be able to provide references that will verify this. Depending on the field of law, some attorneys may also have completed continuing education, which is something to look for. To figure out who is the best South Carolina attorney to handle your case, you should individually meet each possible attorney in person to discuss the details your case along with the attorney’s ability to represent it competently.

In order for the attorney to thoroughly examine your case and decide its estimated value, the most helpful thing you can do is bring along any relevant records or documents that provide relevant information about the case, including police records, witness statements, and more. All qualified South Carolina attorneys should be able to discuss the details of your case upon examination and explain the specific legal issues along with his or profession opinion of how the case will most likely be resolved if further legal action is taken.

Hiring South Carolina attorneys will have varied costs depending on many different factors such as the issue at hand, the attorney’s reputation and experience, the attorney’s record for success, geographic location, and more. South Carolina attorneys usually bill clients at either at an hourly or flat rate. Depending on your case’s circumstances and the field of law, attorneys may offer different payment plans to accommodate for your financial situation.

The attorney may also take on the case on a contingency basis, meaning he or she will only receive an award if the case is settled or won. During your initial consultation with the attorney, you should carefully go over fees and charges to avoid any misunderstanding or errors in billing. This includes the procedure for billing, the rates, what activities are specifically billed, for example telephone calls, and what are the estimated costs of the case. If you find that one particular attorney estimates a larger bill in comparison to others, you may wish to ask that specific attorney why that is the case.

During your consultation with an attorney, there are many questions you should ask to try to get a grasp on whether the attorney is right for you regarding his or her education, experience and qualifications. Here are some good questions to ask an attorney:

What is the most probable outcome of the case?

How many cases have you taken on that are similar to mine?

What education or special knowledge do you have that is applicable to this case?

What is your success rate in these cases?

How long you practiced law in South Carolina?

What area of law do you typically practice?

How often will I receive updates regarding my case and what form of communication will we use?

Typically, what sort of clients do you have?

Would you personally handle the case or would a junior attorney handle it?

How do your costs and fees work and how are they billed?

Are there any other legal options available for solving this problem?

Ohio attorneys are legal representatives who litigate on behalf of clients in the state of Ohio. Ohio attorneys preside over legal matters in the state’s court system.  Because of the expansiveness associated with this term, Ohio attorneys may practice in any scope of law.

Ohio attorneys are special attorneys because they express an innate understanding concerning the state’s legal system and statutes. This specialized knowledge ensures the delivery of sincere legal representation to residents of Ohio and clients who face legal problems within the state’s jurisdiction.    

To practice law in Ohio, individuals must attain a post-graduate degree from an accredited law school and subsequently pass the state’s bar examination. 

Ohio attorneys preside over cases that deal with the state’s laws or statutes. Because of this scope, Ohio attorneys will represent clients in a wide variety of fashions. As a result, it is important to identify the laws surrounding your legal matter. By doing this, you will be able to filter your search for representation—you must hire a specialist to streamline your search for a legal remedy. For example, if you are filing a medical malpractice suit, you will need—to build an effective claim—to hire a medical malpractice attorney.

To build an effective legal strategy, you must hire a specialist. It is crucial to match the counsel’s expertise with the foundation of your legal matter. To hire a specialist, you must identify what you want out of the legal action. Moreover, you must understand the laws surrounding your case. After you have isolated your strategy you should conduct a thorough search for specialized Ohio attorneys in your area.  

When probing for Ohio attorneys, you should employ all resources, including the Internet (forums, peer review services etc.) the state’s bar association and opinions offered by family and friends.

1. The first step to finding Ohio attorneys, you must utilize an Internet search. To conduct a search, simply type in the area of law your case revolves around and your area.   

2. When you have compiled a list, you should review client testimonials of those who have previously used their services. To find this information, search the lawyer’s name and “reviews” or “testimonials.” 

3. After observing testimonials and client reviews, you should visit each attorney’s website to view the individual’s biographical information. These case profiles will reveal the individual’s educational background and experience.   

After compiling a list of prospective Ohio attorneys in your area, you must contact each individual to schedule consultations. These preliminary meetings are the basis for your quest for a legal remedy; during the consultation the prospective Ohio attorney will decide whether your case is worth pursuing.  The majority of civil Ohio attorneys (particularly those involved in personal injury) will offer free consultation, while other legal professionals in the state will charge a fee.  

Consultations offer a preview as to how the Ohio Attorney will litigate and go about resolving your matter. Furthermore, the consultation will offer a glimpse of the individual’s personality. During consultation, you must ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does the Ohio attorney listen well? 

2. Does the Ohio attorney seem genuine; does he/she care about my position and my well-being?

3. Does the Ohio attorney explain the intricacies surrounding my case, including the laws associated with the matter?

4. Does the Ohio attorney instill assurance that my matter will be litigated in a cost-effective manner?

5. Is the Ohio attorney’s staff professional and courteous?

6. Are you able to communicate with the Ohio attorney? Is the individual affable? Are you able to express your thoughts, concerns and feelings regarding the case without being judged or treated poorly? 

In addition to evaluating these personality traits, you must take note of the professional’s experience and educational background. Experience is the most important attribute: this characteristic denotes a strong understanding for the laws in question, as well as a sense of reputability and effectiveness. Educational background denotes an assiduous individual; however, scholastic achievements should be trumped by the individual’s ability to communicate and his/her experience. 

The fees associated with representation will fluctuate based on the scope of law and the individual presiding over the case. The following fee schedules are frequently charged by Ohio attorneys:

Contingency Fees: In this fee schedule, Ohio attorneys will charge fees based on a percentage of a civil settlement, if one is secured. If a settlement is not secured, the Ohio attorney will not charge a fee—in this setting; you still are required to pay court fees. In the bulk of contingency fees, Ohio attorneys will charge 33%-50% of the settlement. Contingency fees are most common in personal injury suits and property damage cases. Ohio attorneys are prohibited from forming contingency arrangements in criminal and child custody cases. 

Flat Fees: Under this arrangement, an Ohio attorney will charge a flat, lump-sum fee. Flat fees are offered in straightforward legal filings.

Hourly Rate:  Ohio attorneys commonly charge per hour for services rendered. 

Retainer Fees: Ohio attorneys under this arrangement will require the delivery of a set fee paid prior to services being rendered. A retainer is, in essence, a down payment against which future costs will be billed. The retainer is placed in a separate account and the cost of legal aid is subtracted from the account as they accrue. 

An Arkansas Attorney is a lawyer who is permitted to practice within the State of Arkansas because either he or she is barred within the State Arkansas or is barred in another State but has been given special permission from the court to practice in Arkansas for a brief period of time, usually for a specific proceeding, this is called pro hoc vice.

In order to become an Arkansas Attorney an individual must meet a number of requirements; these include educational requirements as well as ethical requirements.  The first step is that an Arkansas Attorney must have his, or her, bachelors degree from an accredited college or University.  After that an individual must be accepted and graduate from an accredited law school or meet any of the alternative requirements set by the Arkansas Bar Association.  

After graduating from an accredited law school an Arkansas Attorney candidate must take and pass that Arkansas Bar Exam.  The Arkansas Bar Exam is a two day exam that is administered by the Arkansas Bar Examiners Office.  The first day consists of a Multi-State Essay Exam and a Multi-State Performance Test.  Both of these exams are written and administered by the National Board of Bar Examiners.  The Multi-State Essay Exam is an essay exam comprised of questions based on federal law.  The Multi-State Performance Test is a 90 minute test that gauges an applicants ability to take evidence and substantive law and write a persuasive memo or brief.  The second day of the Arkansas Bar Exam is the Multi-State Bar Exam.  The MBE is a 200 multiple choice examination administered by the National Board of Bar Examiners.  The passing score for the Arkansas Bar Examination is a 405 overall score.  The pass rate is around 66%.  

In addition to the substantive requirements to be an Arkansas Attorney an applicant must also take, and pass, the Multi-State Professional Responsibilities Exam.  The State of Arkansas requires a score of 85.  

If you have a problem with your Arkansas Attorney you may want to consider filing a complaint with the Arkansas committee on professional conduct.  The legal profession is one that holds itself to high ethical and professional standards and as such, an Arkansas Attorney is required to uphold him, or herself, as a member of the Arkansas Bar on a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week basis.  If you feel that your Arkansas Attorney has violated the rules of professional conduct you should first discuss the matter with the Arkansas Attorney.  If that fails to rectify the matter then you should download the grievance form at www.courts.arkansas.org.  You must complete the grievance form by including your name and information as well as the name and information of the Arkansas Attorney you wish to bring proceedings against.  Send the completed form with all relevant documentation about the violation to:

625 Marshall St.

Justice Building, RM 110

Little Rock, AR 72201-1022

You can also contact the Office of Professional Conduct at 501-376-0313.  

Arkansas Attorneys practice in three different types of trial courts within the States.  These are the District courts, the city courts and the Circuit courts.  The district courts in the State of Arkansas hear cases involving misdemeanors, preliminary felony matters, and civil cases where the amount in question is less than $5,000.  The city courts hear all the same kinds of cases that the district courts hear.  They have jurisdiction over these matters in communities where district courts do not exist.

Arkansas Attorneys also practice in any of 23 Circuit courts withing the State.  Each Circuit court is divided into 5 divisions: the civil division, criminal division, probate division, juvenile division, and the domestic relations division.  The circuit courts hear all civil cases where the amount in question is greater than $5,000.  The criminal division hears all felony cases and misdemeanor cases that are specifically prescribed, by law.  

If you are looking for an Arkansas Attorney you will have a number of options.  You can perform a simple internet search to find information on Arkansas Attorneys in your area that specialize in the area of law that you will be litigating in.  Most Arkansas Attorneys have their own websites that give valuable information about the Arkansas Attorneys education, experience, and results.  

You can also take advantage of a referral service.  The Arkansas Bar Association does not operate an Arkansas Attorney Referral service but it does have a lawyer directory.  By using the lawyer directory and inputting the name, practice, or county you wil be given a list of Arkansas attorneys in your area.  

This website also has a lawyer referral service if you are having trouble finding representation in your area.  By going to the top of this page and clicking on the “find a lawyer” link you will  be directed to input specific data including your contact information, a brief description of your legal problem and your specific location.  At that point a representative from laws.com will contact you about an attorney in your area who will be able to help you with your legal problem.  

If you need an Arkansas Attorney but you cannot afford one then you may have some options.  There are a number of legal aid services in the State of Arkansas that will be able to help you.  Two examples are the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas.  You can contact the Center for Arkansas Legal Services at www.arlegalservices.org or at 1-800-952-9243.  The legal aid services will not be able to help you with finding a criminal lawyer.  As per the 5th Amendment you are automatically appointed a criminal arkansas attorney to defend you in criminal matters.  In order to qualify for Arkansas attorneys through legal aid you must have an annual salary no more than 125% of the national poverty level.

Alaska Attorneys are those lawyers who are barred in the State of Alaska and represent clients in all legal matters that involve an individuals dealings within the State of Alaska.  Alaska attorneys represent clients in criminal matters involving misdemeanors, felonies, traffic violations, and city and burrough ordinances.  In civil matters the Alaska lawyer will represent clients involving torts, contracts, real estate purchases, incorporations, landlord/tenant disputes and many others.

In order to be able to practice law within the State of Alaska an individual must meet a number of requirements set out by the Alaska Bar Association.  An applicant to become an Alaska Attorney must have received a bachelors degree from a recognized college or university.  In addition, an applicant to be an Alaska Attorney must also have graduated from an accredited law school within the United States or meet the other options listed in the Alaska Bar Association’s list of acceptable alternatives.  Once an individual has gotten accepted and graduated from an accredited law school then that individual must take the Alaska bar exam.  

To be an Alaska Attorney an individual must take, and pass, the Alaska Bar Exam.  This is a 3 day exam that gauges a potential Alaska attorneys ability to know both federal and state law as well as write persuasively.  The first and third day of the Alaska Bar Exam consists of 9 essay questions, three short and six long, as well as 2 90 minutes MPTs.  The 9 essay questions are created by the Alaska Board of Bar Examiners and are to gauge an Alaska attorney applicants ability to know Alaska State Law.  The MPT, or the Multi-State Performance Test is a 90 minute test that gauges an applicant for admittance to be an Alaska attorney in his, or her, ability to take evidence and statutory law and create a cohesive, persuasive memo or brief.  The second day of the Alaska Bar Exam is the multi-State bar exam which is a multiple choice exam that is administered by the National Board of Bar Examiners.  The weight that is given to the portions of the exam are 50% for the MBE; 15% for the long essays; 22.5% for the short essays and 12.5% for the MPTs.  The passing rate of the Alaska Bar Exam is around 65% annually with the exam being offered twice a year, once in the end of February and once in the end of July.

In addition to passing the Alaska Bar Exam the Alaska Attorney applicant must also fill out an application for background checks to ensure the Alaska Bar Association that the applicant represents the character and fitness necessary to practice law as an Alaska Attorney.  The Alaska Attorney must also pass the Multi-State Performance Exam with a passing score of 80.

Alaska Attorneys will represent clients in one of 3 different trial courts.  The trial courts in that Alaska attorneys practice in within the state are the district courts, superior courts, and through magistrates.  The District courts are overseen by 21 judges in separate courts.  The district courts handle misdemeanors, minor violations, and violations of city and burrough ordinances.  The District courts also have the authority to issue summons, search and arrest warrants.  The District courts hear all civil cases where the amount in question is less than $100,000, small claims cases, and emergency orders involving children and domestic violence.  

The Superior court is another trial court system that hears both criminal and civil actions, appeals from district courts, matters involving juvenile delinquency, probate matters and domestic relations matters.  The magistrates are independent judgeships that move around from locale to locale to hear cases in local communities far away from the district or superior courts.  

The Alaska Appeals court must accept all appeals from the district and superior courts involving criminal matters.  The Alaska Supreme Court hears all civil matters that are brought on appeal from the district or superior courts as well as the magistrates.

If you have had a problem involving an ethical violation by your Alaska Attorney it may be necessary to file a complaint with the Alaska Bar Examiners office.  It is not necessary that you be the Alaska Attorney’s client, it is only necessary that you have information about an Alaska attorney that reflects poorly on their ability to practice law.   An Alaska Attorney is considered a lawyer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is expected to uphold the rules of professional responsibility when he, or she, is not even in the court room.  If you wish to file a complaint against any Alaska Attorney you should go to www.alaskabar.org.  From there you will be requested to fill out an attorney grievance form which can be downloaded and printed from that page.  You must print and sign the grievance form.  The Alaska Bar Counsel will not accept grievance forms that are electronically file, faxed or copies.  All grievance forms must be sent to 

Alaska Bar Association

P.O. Box 100279

Anchorage, AK 99510-0279

If the Bar Counsel finds merit in the complaint they will forward the grievance against the Alaska Attorney to the Alaska Disciplinary board to issue formal charges.  The Bar Counsel handles matters of ethics and violations of the rules of professional responsibility.  If you have a dispute over fees with your Alaska Attorney you will want to complete the petition for arbitration of fee dispute and mail to the same location. 

If you need an Alaska Attorney then you have many options.  You can do a cursory internet search and find Alaska Attorneys near you who can represent you in your particular legal matter.  

You can also use the referral service at Alaska Bar Association at www.alaskabar.org. The referral service.  All Alaska  Attorneys that are used in the referral service are barred and in good standing in the State of Alaska.  The referral service may be reached calling 907-272-0352 to speak with a representative or by completing the online referral form at www.alaskabar.org.  The Alaska lawyer referral service operated by the Alaska Bar Association will offer you the names and phone numbers of up to 3 lawyers in your area that practice in your area area of law, are barred, and in good standing in the State of Alaska.  Any Alaska Attorney referred through the service may charge no more than $125 for a 30 minute consultations.  

In addition, if you cannot afford a lawyer than you may be able take advantage of free legal aid services in from an Alabama Attorney. Alabama Attorneys are required to perform a certain amount of pro bono hours per year. In order to find out if you qualify for free legal aid from Alabama Attorneys you may call 1-866-456-4995 or fill out the form at www.alabar.org. Even if you do qualify for free legal aid from the Alabama Bar Association cannot help with traffic, criminal or juvenile matters.