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before you agree to hire a lawyer, you should ask the lawyer for details about how he or she will calculate fees, what expenses you will be responsible for in addition to fees, an estimate of the total fees and expenses, and how long the legal matter will likely take to complete. If any of these are not clear to you, this is something you should try to discuss as soon as you realize that there could be a misunderstanding. At the same time, you should realize that a lawyer cannot usually predict exactly how many hours of work will be involved -- especially if the case involves a dispute with another party.

who is entitled to a free lawyer? The Constitution guarantees free legal help for people who are charged with a crime which might lead to imprisonment and who cannot afford a lawyer. If you find yourself in this situation, request the appointment of counsel when you first appear in court. When a court decides someone is "indigent" - with few assets and no funds to pay an attorney - generally either a private lawyer will be appointed by the court and paid with county funds, or a public defender program will be appointed to represent the person. Some public defender programs are permitted to charge an "application fee" from clients, though this is usually a small amount.

who else qualifies for a free lawyer? In non-criminal or "civil" cases, you do not have the right to a free lawyer. But there are many legal aid and pro bono programs that provide legal help for the poor in civil cases. People whose income is low (below the federal poverty guidelines - see below) are generally eligible for free legal help through these programs. In addition, people who are elderly, disabled, the victims of domestic violence, enlisted in the military or in other special circumstances may be eligible for help even if their income is a little higher. Because these community-based programs often operate with very small budgets and don't have enough resources to serve all eligible people, they handle only certain types of cases and must turn away many people who ask for help.

you can also try to handle a legal matter yourself. People without legal training may be able to handle some simple legal matters themselves -- this is called proceeding "pro se" or "pro per." Taking on a legal matter yourself can be risky, however. Each step may involve tax or other consequences that you may not think about. Doing it yourself also requires a lot of time and energy to learn the proper procedures and law. But sometimes people feel that they can't afford legal representation or they just want to do it themselves.

through some Web sites you can hire a lawyer -- who may be a great distance away -- to either handle your entire case, or just to give you advice or prepare some forms for you. You should be careful and check references, especially when dealing with for-profit vendors over the Web. There are many online directories of lawyers, and services that match clients and lawyers. Many of these are for-profit enterprises. Some earn revenue from fees charged to clients, others support themselves by offering books, forms or other information for sale to the public, and still others charge lawyers a fee to participate. Remember that lawyers are licensed to practice on a state-by-state basis. If you are hiring a lawyer, make sure that he or she is licensed in the appropriate state. You can make sure the person really is a lawyer by contacting the state agency that licenses lawyers

what should I do after I hire a lawyer? Communication is very important to a successful lawyer-client relationship. If there are changes or developments that might affect the legal issue your lawyer is working on, you should tell him or her about it. On the other hand, you have the right to know the status of your case, and your lawyer should be willing to spend a reasonable amount of time informing you about any developments in your case. Even with the best preparation, misunderstandings and disagreements can develop between clients and lawyers. If you don't understand something your lawyer has done, or you feel that he or she has not acted in your best interests, you should talk about this with him or her as soon as possible.