Is your savings account starting to shrink?
If you’re like a lot of Americans, your savings account is a lot smaller than you’d like it to be. Thanks to COVID-19, about 61% of Americans will exhaust their emergency savings by the time 2020 is over. However, the truth is whether you have $9 or $9,000 in your bank account, paying for a lawyer can be financially overwhelming.
If you’re dealing with a legal situation, and you’re wondering how to get free legal advice then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll review several ways you can get legal advice, without paying a dime. The faster you seek out the legal advice you need, the sooner you can get back to doing the things you love.
Read on to learn how to get free legal answers, the right way.
Federally Funded Lawyers
First, you should find out if you’re eligible to see federally funded lawyers for free legal answers. The American Bar Association has different income guidelines, depending on where you live, to determine your eligibility. We suggest you start your search by looking at nonprofit legal aid organizations in your area.
While certain non-profits work with civil legal issues, others will focus on things like workers’ compensation. If you’re having trouble finding a local legal agency, try searching for a virtual one. There are plenty of legal advice clinics that solely operate online. You can email these organizations your questions and volunteer lawyers will send a reply.
However, keep in mind that volunteer attorneys usually won’t be able to answer criminal related law questions. Moving on, it’s also a good idea to visit the library in your county to see what resources they have. Sometimes libraries will have access to online resources that can assist you with self-representation.
Lastly, if you belong to a particular group you might qualify for low-cost legal assistance or even free legal aid. For instance, if you’re elderly, disabled, or in the military, there could be a group that specializes in helping you get legal help. To find out what’s available to you, do an internet search for legal assistance programs by state.
Get Legal Advice During Free Consultations
Moving on, another way to get free legal advice is by scheduling a free consultation. Oftentimes, a qualified attorney will be more than happy to discuss your case with you for free. When you request legal help, simply let the law office know you need a free consultation before you’re willing to enter into any type of contract.
During the consultation, potential attorneys will get a chance to ask all of the questions they have about your case. You’ll also be able to interview the attorneys to find out if they’re qualified for handling your case. By the end of your consultation, the lawyer will be able to tell you whether or not they think you have a winning case.
If they don’t think you have a case, ask the lawyer to explain what the weak parts of your argument are. If your lawyer does think you have a case, find out how much compensation they think you could recover for your damages. Finally, if you have a strong case, with a chance to recover considerable damages, you’ll know it’s worth creating a payment plan with the lawyer.
What Contingency Fees Are All About
Let’s say you have a free consultation and discover you have a strong case that could win big! Now, what? The next step is to find out if the lawyer’s willingness to work on a contingency basis. When lawyers charge contingency fees, it means they only get paid if they’re able to recover compensation for your damages.
Different lawyers will charge different percentages, ranging anywhere from 10% to 50% of your reward settlement. You can negotiate your contingency fee, but only while the attorney-client contract is being figured out.
Lastly, make sure you fully understand what fees you’ll be responsible for if you lose your case. Sometimes lawyers will slip in fees that the client has to pay, such as filing fees, to compensate them for their time. Before you sign any type of contract, have your attorney clearly outline what you’ll owe, and when.
Search for a Pro Bono Lawyer
Moving on, another way to get free legal advice is by seeking out an attorney who will work for you pro bono. For instance, let’s say you’re dealing with a criminal case. You can talk to the court system in your town to find out if you qualify for free legal help. After filling out an affidavit about your income and assets, you could get a public defender or even a private lawyer paid for by the county.
Next, you can look for community-based programs that help provide pro bono lawyers to those in need. For instance, if you’re the victim of a domestic violence lawsuit, your community might have a program in place to help with your legal needs.
Finally, you can also search for legal aid offices or legal service offices that are located close by. Legal aid offices can be federal, state, local, and even privately funded. We suggest you reach out to your local bar association to get a full directory of each pro bono opportunity available.
Don’t Wait to Get Free Legal Advice
As you can see, there’s a ton of different ways to get free legal advice. Go ahead and reach out to a lawyer today to set up a free consultation.
Once you know whether or not you have a strong case, you can decide what to do next. Since a lot of lawsuits are time-sensitive, the sooner you take action, the easier it’ll be for you to have the best possible outcome!
Are you ready to learn more helpful legal advice? Go ahead and read another one of our articles then.