An attorney is a legal professional who provides advice and representation. In some countries, they are also known as legal counsel or barristers.
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Legal advice involves a lawyer’s professional opinion on the law about specific facts and an individual’s legal situation. This differs from legal information, which is a general reiteration of statutes without reference to an individual’s situation. Legal advice may be obtained from an attorney or from other sources such as a court or government agency. In some cases, a person may be able to obtain legal advice for free or at a reduced cost. For example, ABA Free Legal Answers allows people to ask brief questions about a civil legal matter to volunteer lawyers who provide their services pro bono.
Legal counsel can be obtained at every stage of a legal issue, from initial consultations to drafting documents and preparing for trial. The role of the attorney changes as the phase of the case advances, but the attorney’s involvement is essential to navigating the complex legal system.
Lawyers are able to give legal advice because they have knowledge of the legal system and the nuances of each state’s particular laws. They are also trained in a specialized way to conduct legal research to ensure they can accurately answer the clients’ questions and guide them through each step of their case.
The social value of legal advice is rooted in the positive impact it has on adherence to the law. This applies to both ex ante legal advice – obtained when individuals are contemplating an action – and ex post legal advice – secured after a party has acted and someone has been harmed.
Providing legal advice requires extensive training and education, and it is an integral part of practicing law. Non-lawyer intermediaries, such as paralegals working under the supervision of an attorney and professionals in other fields who assist their customers with legal issues, may provide guidance on legal matters, but they cannot give legal advice. This is because only an attorney can legally advise a client on their specific situation and recommend a course of action based on the applicable law. The provision of legal advice is a practice area that is regulated in many states.
Representation
The word representation comes from the Latin repraesentare, which means “bring before, exhibit.” That’s exactly what an attorney does when she represents her client — she shows them how to handle their legal situation. Representation is also used in a more political sense, as in elected officials who serve as representatives of their constituents. The USCIS offers a list of Recognized Organizations and Accredited Representatives, which you can use to find a person to represent you in immigration matters. You can also contact a lawyer or a law firm in your area to see about representation. You can also seek out a pro bono lawyer or an agency that provides legal assistance.
Fees
Attorney fees are monies billed to a client for the legal services rendered on his or her behalf. They can be hourly, contingent or flat fees. A contingent fee means that the attorney only gets paid if money is recovered for the client. Some states prohibit contingent fees in certain types of cases, such as family law or criminal cases.
Generally, attorneys charge by the hour for their work. However, some lawyers offer a flat rate for routine legal matters, such as filing a bankruptcy petition or preparing a living trust. Others may charge a set fee for a particular type of legal case, such as a divorce or a car accident case. A lawyer should explain his or her fee structure to the client at the first meeting and sign a written agreement.
In some cases, a client might need to pay additional fees, such as court costs or the fees charged by expert witnesses or private investigators. The lawyer might include these additional fees in the overall attorney fees or bill them separately. Some attorneys require that a client front these expenses and get reimbursed if the case wins, while others might include them in the overall attorney fees at the end of the trial.
Lawyers sometimes ask for a deposit or retainer, which is money that a client puts into an account from which the lawyer withdraws funds as the legal matter progresses. The amount of the retainer or deposit will vary from one lawyer to another, but it should be discussed at the initial conference and agreed upon in writing.
In addition to attorney fees, clients might have to pay for other expenses related to the legal matter, such as copies, telephone calls and travel expenses. The lawyer might also be required to pay for experts such as accountants or financial consultants. A lawyer should explain all expenses, including those that will be incurred as the case progresses, to the client.
The legal issues that come before a court are often complex and time consuming, but if you have a problem that affects the rights of other people, you can seek help from an organization like the American Civil Liberties Union or the New York Bar Association to resolve your matter for free. These organizations have attorneys with extensive experience handling cases involving allegations of violations of constitutional rights, such as freedom of speech and protections against discrimination.
Reputation
The reputation of an attorney is a crucial factor in whether clients choose to work with them. If an attorney has a bad reputation, they may lose potential clients to their competitors. A good way to determine an attorney’s reputation is to check their online reviews. There are several websites that collect reviews from clients and collate them into databases. In addition, clients should ask friends and family about the reputation of their attorneys.
Reputation is an important concept in social sciences, business, and management. It is a complex phenomenon that involves multiple aspects of individuals and society at large. It is also subject to frequent change, and has a tendency to evolve in a nonlinear fashion.
Lawyers’ reputations are influenced by many factors, including ethical standards, the strength of their client relationships, and the success of their cases. In order to maintain a positive reputation, lawyers should be empathetic and attentive to their clients’ needs. They should also be aware of any ethical rules or regulations that pertain to their practice area.
Attorneys’ reputations are also affected by their performance in court, and this is especially true when it comes to malpractice claims. These claims can range from typographical errors in contracts to conflicts of interest and mismanagement of escrow accounts. Attorneys must be prepared to address these claims quickly and thoroughly.
While an attorney’s reputation is not entirely controllable, they can use a variety of tools to manage it. For example, they can fill out profiles on review sites such as Avvo, Justia, and HG. This will help drown out negative content and improve their online visibility. Lawyers can also create original content on their own websites to promote their services.
Aside from these strategies, attorneys should stay up to date on the latest trends in digital marketing and SEO. They should also monitor their online presence regularly, and use services that alert them when new results are posted, such as Talkwalker and Google Alerts. It is also important for attorneys to understand their audience’s preferences and the culture of the platform they are using. For example, Instagram users prefer more casual and lighthearted content than LinkedIn users.