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.
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.
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