Finding Legal Assistance

Finding a Lawyer
What to Expect from your Lawyer
Problems With Your Lawyer

When talking with the other party does not prove effective, you may need to seek legal assistance in order to protect your rights. Depending on your particular situation, you may qualify for free or low cost legal assistance from one of several legal service providers. You might also choose to seek the assistance of a for-fee attorney or possibly represent yourself in an attempt at resolving the matter.

Finding a Lawyer

Once you decide that legal advice is appropriate, your immediate task is choosing a lawyer. If you have a lawyer, contact that person. Although he or she may not choose to take your case, your lawyer can recommend another attorney who specializes in consumer problems. If you do not have a lawyer, you might seek the recommendations of friends, business associates, or a counselor.

If you do not know the name of a lawyer, you should call the Lawyer Referral Service of the Maryland Bar Association in your county or Baltimore City. You will be given the name of an attorney who can you help with your particular problem. For a small fee, you are entitled to one consultation with the recommended lawyer. After the first interview, the attorney will charge according to his or her regular fee schedule.

You may qualify for free legal assistance at the Legal Aid Bureau if your income fits within certain minimum amounts. To determine whether you qualify for such assistance, you should call the agency in your county or Baltimore City. The Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, Inc., 410- 547-6537 or 1-800-510-0050 may also assist you in finding a lawyer to provide free or reduced fee representation if you are financially eligible.

Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.
Main Office – Baltimore City
500 East Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-951-7777

Types of Problems Handled

The Legal Aid Bureau handles a full range of case types including housing and income maintenance matters and public assistance concerns. Legal services range from providing advice and referrals to litigation and pro se training. You can get legal information on basic consumer rights, bankruptcy, child support concerns and other consumer issues by consulting some of LAB’s Consumer Information Pamphlets.

Eligibility

To determine whether you are eligible for free legal assistance you should consult the Legal Aid Bureau to obtain specific details. Generally, there are case limitations and financial guidelines that must be met in order to be accepted. The general income eligibility guidelines, which vary in some circumstances, are as follows:

Family Members		Income Level per year
One Person		$12,763 or less
Two Persons		$17,113 or less
Three Persons		$21,463 or less

Click here to get the contact information for your local LAB branch office location.

Online Lawyer Directories

Search the West Publishing Company's Legal Directory
This site provides you with access to a directory of over one million lawyers. You can use this free searchable directory to locate a lawyer in your area with the experience to help your with your consumer problem.

Search the Martindale-Hubble List of Lawyers
This site is a directory of lawyers and also contains a comprehensive bank of information for all sorts of legal issues, including how to hire an attorney, learning about the law and lots of legal links.

Basic Considerations in Choosing a Lawyer

AARP’s - Tips for Consumers
There are a variety of things you need to consider when choosing an attorney; thankfully you are not on you own. Take a few minutes to check out this useful list of “Things to Consider” provided by AARP, which includes questions such as the lawyer’s standing with the local bar and whether the lawyer’s rates are competitive.

What to Expect From Your Lawyer
Before you meet with your attorney, you should make a list including the following information:

The date and place of birth of you and your spouse;

The date and place of your marriage and whether a religious or civil ceremony was performed;
The date and place of any previous marriages of either spouse as well as the date, place and circumstances under which such marriages were terminated;
The name and date place of birth of each child born or adopted during the marriage;
An estimate of the income, expenses, assets and liabilities of both spouses;
A brief indication of what you want the attorney to do—e.g., offer advice about alternative courses of action, obtain a limited divorce, or file for an absolute divorce; and,
If you know what grounds you have for the action, a brief description of the grounds and available evidence.

To properly represent your interests, your lawyer must know the facts – All the facts! Your reluctance to discuss the details of your private life with a stranger is understandable, but remember an attorney-client relationship is strictly confidential.

Your lawyer must be in a position to review objectively both your bargaining leverage and that of your spouse. Do not conceal any misconduct on your part that the other side may use against you, otherwise, your lawyer will not be prepared to protect you.

It is important to choose a lawyer that you trust as a professional. Your lawyer should be able to answer your questions in terms that you understand. You should also be assured that your lawyer will communicate with you when appropriate and be responsive to your concerns.

Fees & Expenses
At your first meeting with your lawyer, do not hesitate to talk about money. Find out how much you can expect your case to cost in terms of attorney's fees, the expense of a private detective (if your lawyer thinks an investigator is necessary), and court costs. Determine also whether you or your spouse will be liable for payment.

A lawyer may charge a flat sum, an hourly rate, or a contingency fee. A contingency fee is a percentage fee based on an amount you expect to recover or win in your case.

If the charge is by an hourly rate, costs may increase with the complexity of the case. The attorney will likely charge you for the following time spent:

Meeting or speaking with you, either in person or on the telephone;
Researching the law as it applies to your particular circumstances;
Negotiating with the other side and his attorney;
Drafting and filing the necessary documents (court documents, formal complaints); and,
Appearing in court.

You can expect to be asked for an advance payment (a retainer fee) when the lawyer agrees to take your case. Often, the entire fee is to be paid prior to the courtroom appearance.

Problems With Your Lawyer
If your lawyer is not fulfilling their obligations to you, and you have attempted to resolve the situation with your attorney without any resolution, you can call the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland at 1-800- 492-1660.

You have the right to expect your lawyer to:

Represent you in a diligent, prompt and competent manner;
Keeps you reasonably informed about the status of your matter and promptly responds to reasonable requests for information;
Charges a reasonable fee;
Keeps your information confidential, except when necessary to adequately represent your interests; and,
Avoids representing clients that are in direct conflict to you.

Bar Associations
Maryland State Bar Association
Anne Arundel Bar Association
Baltimore County Bar Association
DC Bar Association
Howard County Bar Association
Montgomery County Bar Association
Prince George’s County Bar Association

Last Legal Update 01/11/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)