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FREE Find a Lawyer Near Me Referral Service Online since 1996.

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HOW DO I FIND A LAWYER NEAR ME THAT

I CAN AFFORD TO HIRE FOR MY LEGAL CASE?

 

The Cost of a Good Lawyer is Always Less  Than the Cost of a Bad OneHow to Find, Hire or Retain

a Better Lawyer in Canada.

How to Save Money on Legal Fees.

Most lawyers will negotiate fees and offer payment plans.

What You Need to Ask Before You Retain Any Lawyer.

Many lawyers will negotiate fees and offer payment plans.

What You Need to Ask Before You Retain Any Lawyer.

How to negotiate fees, retain, hire and pay a lawyer in Canada. how to save money on legal fees. What you need to ask before you retain a lawyer

How CanLaw Helps You Find a lawyer.

The Cost of a Good Lawyer is Always Less

 Than the Cost of a Bad One.

Shop carefully before you hire a lawyer.  Lawyers are not cheap. An average rate runs around $350 an hour. A family law case can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars.

You shop for a house, or a car, so shop for a lawyer. You are about to spend a very large amount of money.

TIPS ON HIRING A LAWYER.

MAKE A SHORT LIST

 OF TWO OR THREE LAWYERS.

Now, make appointments and go to see each of the lawyers personally.

Interview them as if you were hiring them to work for your company.

Ask them for relevant references.

Make the calls and check the references out. See if they were happy with the work, the lawyers, the results and the bill.

Ask if they would use that lawyer again. You will save money in the end.

TALK TO A FEW LAWYERS

TAKE YOUR TIME.

Check out at least half a dozen and interview three or four before making a choice. Remember, you are about to hire someone who could change your life forever. Take your time.

Contact lawyers by phone or email first. Have a written list of questions and brief outline of your case handy

See if the initial contact looks like this is a lawyer you would like to consider. If not, thank them for their time and move on to the next lawyer on your list.

Start by requesting that CanLaw find you a lawyer.

We will refer your case to several lawyers in your area who handle your type of case.

Interested lawyers who are qualified for your matter will contact you.

You are under no obligation to deal with any of them.

NOW YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE.

 

So in picking a lawyer, eliminate the obvious non starters, sort through the rest using your common sense, gut feel and judgment.

If the lawyer seems after all this to be someone you can trust and work with, sign on the dotted line.

CAN YOU WORK WITH THE LAWYER?

Get a feel for the chemistry between you. You are going to be working together on a matter that is probably vital to you. Possibly for years to come.

If you do not like each other, you are going to have problems down the road.

ONCE A LAWYER KNOWS WHAT YOUR CASE IS ABOUT, CONSIDER:

 

  •  whether you'll be comfortable working closely with the firm,
  • whether you believe the lawyer has the experience and skill to handle your case,
  • whether you understand his/her explanation of what the case involves, and
  • whether the fee arrangements seem reasonable.

MEETING WITH

PROSPECTIVE LAWYERS.

Bring all available documentation and make notes about your problem before meeting with your prospective lawyer for the first time.

It will allow you to present your problem in the clearest and most organized manner possible. You can then evaluate the lawyer's response to your case and questions.

ASK EACH LAWYER

THESE QUESTIONS.

  • How long have you been in practice?
  •     Do you have a specialist designation?
  •     How many cases like this have you had?
  •     Do you go to trial or are most cases settled out of court?
  •     How many have you won?
  •     How much would this case cost me?
  •     What payment plans will you accept?
  •     Who will actually do the work on this file?
  •     How long will this type of case take to see to a settlement or the end?

 

These are loaded questions, but any lawyer can provide answers to every one of them without difficulty. The answers will help you weed out some lawyers. Lawyers will also appreciate this since it saves both you and them from wasted time and effort.

Do not be shy about asking about costs. You will save money in the end.

 

CHANGING OR

FIRING YOUR LAWYER.

Changing lawyers is a last resort to be avoided at all costs.

If you are on Legal Aid, you MUST get their permission before changing lawyers and they may use this as an excuse to cancel your Legal Aid Certificate.

The best way to avoid these problems is to choose the right lawyer in the first place

SOLICITOR'S LIEN  -  - WARNING

If there is a bill dispute, a lawyer can keep all documents until you pay the bill in full, whether it is fair or not. This is called a Solicitor's Lien and is automatically created when you retain any lawyer anywhere in Canada. BEWARE of this trap

Keep copies of all documents you give to the lawyer.

Insist on getting copies of all correspondence promptly, sent and received by your lawyer.

PAYING A LAWYER.

Never pay more then about 25% of the total estimate in advance. If the lawyer balks, find another lawyer.

 

Work out a payment plan based on the progress of the file. If you keep control of the money, you have leverage.

Litigation almost always is a long slow dreadful process and a lawyer needs an incentive to push the case forward. If he cannot get paid until your case reaches the next stage, s/he will be motivated to work harder.

LETTER OF AGREEMENT.

Now finally, when you are both agreed, draw up a letter of agreement. The lawyer will have a standard letter of agreement. Do not sign it without reading every word carefully. If you do not understand something ask for an explanation.

 Ask for changes to things you do not like.

This letter need not be a fancy contract. Just outline the work and results you expect, the price and the payment terms and a timetable. This is something you can do yourself, or if your new lawyer does it, make sure s/he doe not charge you for it.

START YOUR SEARCH

 FOR A LAWYER HERE.

CanLaw's Free Referral Service is the best place to start your own search.

HOW DO I PAY MY LAWYER?

Most Lawyers Offer

Free Half Hour Consultations.

  • Lawyer's fees are often negotiable.
  • Some accept pro bono cases.
  • Most accept payment plans you can afford.
  • Flat fees or Hourly fees
  • Some offer contingency basis
  • Some offer no win, no pay
  • Some offer unbundled services
  • Need Legal Aid Services?
  • Need Legal Advice?
  • Need to talk to a good lawyer?
  • Request a referral here.
  • Lawyers will respond to you within a few hours.

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WE WILL ATTEMPT TO DEMYSTIFY WORKING WITH LAWYERS. This will make the world a better place for you and for all the lawyers out there who are honest, hardworking reliable and deserving of your trust

And that, is why we are offering you a better service and

we hope that you will use it.

 

How to hire a lawyer and save money Many lawyers offer 30 minutes free consultations and some take free legal aid. A few may offer pro bono services, but pro bono lawyers do not take on any case

 without special reasons.

CANLAW EXISTS TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES in locating the right lawyer for their specific need. We have been doing this on the Internet since 1996 and have found lawyers for thousands of people and businesses.

Nothing Is More Expensive

Than A Cheap Lawyer.

CanLaw helps people just like you find a lawyer

with the right solutions for real legal problems

  Do you think you have a case?  How much is your case worth?

Know Your Rights.

FIND LAWYERS or PARALEGALS BY TYPE OF LAW PRACTICE

How do I hire a good lawyer near me I can afford for my legal case? How to negotiate fees, retain, hire and pay a lawyer in Canada. How to save money on legal fees. What you need to ask before you retain any lawyer. Many offer free half hour consultations and will negotiate fees and payment plans.

Explains the types of law, your rights in plain English

CanLaw: Your Canadian Lawyer Referral Service

Canadian Lawyer Index

WHAT IS CANLAW? CanLaw is Canada's first, largest, free Nationwide Lawyer Referral Service for anyone, or any business, anywhere in the world, needing to Find a lawyer, law firm, or legal or related services and assistance for any reason whatsoever, anywhere in Canada.