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 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.
Japanese patent translation
