How to Hire a Criminal Lawyer: Conducting a Free Consultation

I offer free consultations with all of my clients. Many of these free consultations take place on the phone. Others occur in my office. Whether they are on the phone or in my office, my goal is to give my client or potential client as much information as I can to answer as many questions as I can.

How should a potential client - you - use a free consultation? First, you should use it to gain as much information about your situation as you can. A lawyer should be willing to spend as much time as you need to explain the general process - how a DWI or criminal case or federal case or state case - is handled in general.

In addition, you should be prepared to give the lawyer a few specific facts about your case so that lawyer can give you some sense of how your case may go. Obviously during an initial consultation, you can't expect a Raleigh lawyer to spend two hours discussing the facts of your case. This is simply too detailed. However, the lawyer you speak with should be able to give you some specific advice about your specific situation.

I am very surprised when I receive a call and the person has talked to two or three lawyers, but still doesn't understand very much about the process.

I will usually spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour explaining how cases move through the system in North Carolina, and pointing out the good parts and bad parts of my clients' case.

If you call a lawyer, and the lawyer promises you a result, run, do not walk, from that lawyer. Not only is it unethical to promise a result, it is simply bad lawyering. While a lawyer can sometimes say "I can probably do this for you" a lawyer who says "I guarantee a result" is setting up for failure. That's because nothing is guaranteed in criminal law.

Finally, the lawyer you reach should be happy to talk with you regardless of the time or day. That's because people don't just get arrested Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. People have trouble with the police whether it's in the late night, weekends, or on holidays. A criminal lawyer who is not interested in talking to you on the weekends, on weeknights, or on holidays probably won't be that responsive should you call for an emergency call on a weekend when police are knocking on your door.

A free consultation with a Raleigh criminal lawyer is an excellent opportunity for you to evaluate the lawyer's tone, approach, knowledge, and demeanor. Make the most of that opportunity.

Raleigh Criminal Lawyer Damon Chetson helps people charged with serious felonies, misdemeanors, and DWI or Driving While Impaired charges in state and federal courts in North Carolina.

Find Cheap Bankruptcy Lawyer & Get a Free Consultation - Why Pay For Something You Can Get For Free?

When faced with desperate times, people take desperate measures to survive. And in times like these, people are so pressured and so depressed that they tend to make rash decisions in order to do something immediately. This is true with most financial situations with a lot of consumers making immediate decisions as they believe it will work out in the end this way.

Although this may work out in some cases, this way of decision-making isn't necessarily right whenever a person has to pay for bankruptcy consultation since attorneys, especially a cheap bankruptcy lawyer, would normally offer free consultation for their first-time clients. If you're in need of a bankruptcy lawyer who you can talk to about your plans for declaring bankruptcy, it's high time that you took that first step into finding the right one with the free consultation service.

But the thing is a lot of people who want to declare bankruptcy and who are looking for a cheap bankruptcy lawyer don't realize that these attorneys do offer free consultations. It's expected really what with the country being financially tight. If there's a cost for a particular service, people tend to steer clear away from them, especially if the service involves an attorney.

And because of their lack of knowledge about them, these people would prefer filing for insolvency protection without the help of a legal professional. Though this may work at first, it's a very risky move since there are usually a lot of rules and regulations when filing for insolvency, rules that you yourself might not know, understand, and aren't aware of.

Once a particular rule has been trekked over, the person can have his bankruptcy petition denied, pay for fines, and even worse go to jail for it. This is why many would still prefer visiting a bankruptcy lawyer than doing this on their own.

Aside from the consequences of not seeking bankruptcy legal advice regarding the rules and regulations for making a bankruptcy claim, another negative possibility of filing without the help of a cheap bankruptcy lawyer is not being able to receive all of the relief that is needed.

This is why it is important to sit down face to face with a bankruptcy attorney because during his free consultation he will be able to tell you straight on what is at stake. He or she will tell you what properties you can still keep, how much of your belongings will be taken, how much of the money you owe will be liquidated, so on and so forth. Clarity is present during free consultations on bankruptcy so find bankruptcy lawyer that will be able to put things into perspective for you.

In the end, you will realize that it is still a good idea to seek the professional advice of a cheap bankruptcy lawyer than filing for insolvency on your own. The competition for cheap bankruptcy attorneys is actually very intense nowadays, so you will most definitely find a bankruptcy attorney who can give you a free consultation session at the first meeting.

There's no reason for anyone with financial problems not to find an attorney who can sit down with them and discuss possible options since these free consultations are available anywhere. The internet is already the gateway to all of these lawyers and attorneys, and the best part about all this is that not a single one of their first-time consultation sessions will cost you a penny. So start taking hold of your finances and making the right decisions by finding a cheap bankruptcy lawyer with experience and knowledge in their free consultation session.

When considering bankruptcy you want to know that you are making the right choice. Before you pay for bankruptcy lawyer fees, get a FREE Confidential Bankruptcy Evaluation.

What to Ask an Attorney at a Debt Settlement Consultation

When you are interested in settling some of your debts for less than what you owe, consulting with a debt settlement attorney is one of the first thing that you'll want to do. Most attorneys offer a free consultation prior to accepting you as a debt settlement client. At a debt settlement consultation, there are a number of subject areas that you will want to cover. Some of the important questions that you should ask an attorney at your debt settlement consultation are below. How Fast Will The Settlement Occur? Although the debt settlement attorney will not be able to give you an exact answer about the specific time frame until later, he can usually offer you some general expectations in this area. The attorney will need to know how much you plan on saving or holding back for the settlement on a monthly basis. The attorney can then estimate how much the creditor may eventually settle for, and figure out how long it will take for you to save up that amount of money. This can help you know what to expect when trying to plan out the process. What Fees Do You Charge? When working with your attorney, you should also ask how much he charges for the services that he offers. Every debt settlement attorney charges a different amount. In many cases, it is based on a percentage of the total amount that is saved. This gives the attorney an incentive to save you as much money as possible on your debt. In other cases, the attorney will simply charge a flat fee for this service. What Kind of Experience Do You Have? It is also usually a good idea to find out what kind of experience the settlement attorney brings to the table. If the attorney generally works in other areas of the law, it may be a good idea to find an attorney that specializes in debt settlement. When choosing an attorney, it is essential to find somebody who knows how to negotiate with creditors. You can look at the attorney's track record to see how much he actually saves his clients. Your attorney will have a direct impact on the amount of money that you are able to cut off of your debt. Because of this, you need someone who has hands on experience in this area, and doesn't just dabble in it occasionally. Is Debt Settlement Right For Me? In most cases, a settlement attorney will be able to give you his opinion about whether you should pursue debt settlement or not. While settlement is a great option to use, it is not for everyone. In some cases, your debt may be simply too much and of an unsecured nature and cannot be settled in the traditional manner. You may not have the resources that it will take to pay off your debt in a reasonable amount of time. Your attorney will look at your financial records, can help you determine if a settlement is actually the right course of action to take. Sometimes, bankruptcy might be a better option, depending on how much debt you have, and what your income is. With this information, you can make an educated decision about how to handle your debt problems. A debt settlement attorney uses the protections found in state and federal consumer laws and extensive experience in consumer law in the credit and debt industries to offer a wide variety of affordable debt relief solutions and other consumer financial legal problems. Those with insurmountable debt should consult an attorney to see if a credit card debt settlement is a viable option for them.

Criminal Attorney - How to Get Ready for Your First Consultation

If you are planning to get a free consultation from a local criminal attorney, you should try to plan ahead. The more prepared you are for the meeting, the more you will get out of it. These are some tips to help you plan to meet with a lawyer. You should first find out where the meeting will be held. Most lawyers simply invite you to their office during business hours. However, some offer to host the consultation elsewhere if that makes you feel more comfortable. You can meet with your criminal attorney at your home, or somewhere public. In fact, many attorneys are willing to meet new clients at jail, since after all, this may be where you will be stuck until you hire a lawyer. You should first decide which location is best for the meeting, and then choose a day and time that suits your schedule. Consider how flexible the lawyer is during this time, as this should give you an idea of how he or she will be throughout the case. You want someone who is willing to meet when and where you can, making the process easy on you. You should then gather up any documents that relate to your case. This could include any related police reports or statements made on paper by witnesses. If you have photographic evidence that could clear your name, bring it as well. The same goes for a video or some other proof you have that could help your criminal attorney help you. This may make the case go faster, and can help your legal professional formulate a defense immediately. The sooner this occurs, the sooner you have a chance of going free, so bring anything that will help. You should also bring a list of questions. You probably have a few things you want to find out so you can make sure you are choosing the right lawyer. Even if you are confident that you want to hire the person you are meeting with, it is wise to bring a list of questions about your case. You should know approximately how long it should take to close the case, how much you will be paying, and whether your criminal attorney recommends you settle or go to trial. These are just some details you might want to know when you start the case before it begins. If you are in trouble with the law, you need to hire a criminal attorney quickly. You should get a free initial consultation first, and take advantage of the time you have to talk to your new lawyer before moving forward with your case.