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.
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