Should you schedule a free legal consultation?

By Jessica Suotmaa 0

Open any directory, or type in “lawyer near me” in any search engine and you’ll be bombarded with ads and offers for a “free legal consultation” with a qualified legal professional.  These advertisements often offer free-of-charge consultations for a specific time frame (“30 minutes”) or specific issue (“work place injury”).  They do not become your attorney just from the visit, but are willing to meet face-to-face to see if your case is worth pursuing.

In this article, we will discuss a few of the benefits and draw-backs of free consultations, their purpose, and whether you should schedule one today.

Why You Want a Free Legal Consultation

1. It’s free.

Everyone loves to receive something at no cost. The word “free” is irresistible to many of us, so it’s no wonder even legal professions will use it to attract new customers.  The problem is that many of those who offer free legal consultations are not lawyers. Those who are, may pressure you to retain them, put down a deposit, or obtain personal information from you.  They’re offering you their time, and they will play hard to make it worthwhile for them.

2. It gives value.

Speaking of worthwhile, free consultations can be worth your while.  Depending on your situation, you may not know if you have a “case”.  Perhaps you don’t have enough grounds to sue the other party, or you don’t meet the qualifications for an immigration application.

An attorney can tell you what you need to start petitioning for a relative, or how much time compensation you may be able to receive from an insurance company.  From this free consultation, you can then decide if you are ready to pursue your case, thus saving you time.

3. Free advice.

No doubt an attorney can provide good advice at a free consultation. However, if that consultation is limited in time, scope, or focus, will it be the best advice? Did you show the attorney all of your documents?  Did you bring everything you needed to bring? Are you familiar with the forms already?

Is the attorney familiar with your type of case? With free consultations, because the attorney is already offering his or her time for free, it is unlikely that the attorney will invest extra time on researching your issue before your appointment.  Most likely, your visit will be limited to general advice that you may be able to obtain over the phone.

4. Passionate help.

A face-to-face meeting with your potential attorney can be an excellent method for gauging whether the person is willing to help you.  Is the attorney passionate about the topic? Is this his or her preferred industry? Does the attorney’s face light up with excitement when asking you questions? Or does the attorney’s voice boom with anger for your injustice? Only by meeting with the attorney can you decide whether he or she will be an advocate for you.

However,  certain law firms operate like an assembly line. They will have an attorney who specifically “baits” clients,  charming you into signing a retainer with the firm, and then turning you over to another attorney.  They may not even have a single attorney for you, but rather a team of representatives and legal assistants who work on your case.  If you want a specific person to work with you, it’s important to make that request at the meeting and to only sign paperwork that reflects your request.

5. Many options.

Here in San Gabriel Valley, we have an abundance of attorneys who can help you, many of whom do offer free consultations.  This is great news for you, as long as you select one or two attorneys to consult with, rather than a whole list.

We have encountered potential clients who will pull out a phone book and call every single law office listed and ask the same questions.  This exercise is not only a waste of your time, but it is a waste of the attorney’s time.  There is a limit to price hunting and asking for second opinions, and you should know that the time spent on calling, scheduling, and meeting with multiple attorneys and paralegals could be better spent on a single attorney working on your case.

What is the Verdict?

Overall, a free legal consultation can be of value if used appropriately. Know the limitations of a free consultation and don’t waste too much time looking for the perfect offer.  Most cases need to be handled immediately, requiring the attorney to drop everything to work on your case.  As a result, you want an attorney who isn’t busy scheduling free consultations and providing free advice over the phone to clients shopping for free consultations.  Food for thought.

 

Man ready to meet you

By Lum Law Group 0

Over the years, we have had clients who come in worried about everything. They bring in too many documents and overwhelm the attorneys with boxes and boxes of records.  We have also had the opposite: clients who come in with nothing but what’s in their wallets.  Sometimes they don’t bring documents because they don’t have them, and sometimes they were just unprepared.

The attorney will be able to review your case on the spot, instead of having to contact you later to answer the questions specific to your situation. Especially in immigration cases, every client has their own circumstances which need to be taken into account before an attorney can give advice.

To get the best out of your initial consultation with your attorney, follow our handy checklist and come prepared!

 

Checklist - What to Bring to Initial Consultation

To download our Immigration First Meeting Checklist, click here!

Choose someone professional

By Justin Lum 3

IMMIGRATION – ASYLUM APPEAL
Recently I appeared before the Ninth Circuit for oral argument on a immigration appeal where my client was originally granted asylum, but the case was reopened on a motion by the government and subsequently the trial court found he had filed a frivolous asylum application but still granted him withholding of removal. After appeals by both my client and the government, the Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed the frivolous asylum filing but overturned the withholding of removal grant, which led us to the Ninth Circuit. Right now it is uncertain how the Ninth Circuit will rule. But the main lessons from this case? Use a competent immigration attorney to prepare your immigration documents and know what is in your document before you sign it.

In the situation above, the problem was that when my client first decided to apply for asylum, he didn’t know anyone, so he was referred to a “service” that helped prepare asylum applications. My client provided a statement, but the company decided to alter it and then told him he had to abide by the altered statement or else. My client, a new immigrant, was terrified and didn’t know to whom to turn, and thus, from fear, did what he was told to do.

In the end, the principals of that “service” went to jail for a some years, and my client…faces a lifetime ban on living in the United States with his U.S. citizen wife and U.S. born child. All this because he relied on a “service” that skirted the laws and didn’t really care about the effects on those it was supposedly there to help.

And that is why for any immigration issues you need to use a competent immigration attorney. The attorney has his own license and reputation to worry about. Because of that he is going to honest and open with you and do what is necessary for your case, without putting you in a position where they can lose everything, as happened in this.

In the end the victim of persecution has become a victim of those who are supposed to be helping him, possibly preventing him from even finding any legal alternative to obtaining lawful status in the United States.

在第九巡回法庭展开一场关于移民诉讼的辩论，我的一名客户原本获得了庇护，但政府和预审法庭后来发现他填写的庇护申请过于草率时请求重新审理案件，但依然给予了暂缓递解。后来客户和政府进行了多轮申诉。移民委员会上诉证实了草率庇护，取消了暂缓递解。因此我们只能寻求第九巡回法庭。现在不确定第九巡回法庭会如何判定。但我们可以从这个案件中认识到，找一个有能力的移民律师来帮助准备你的移民文件，让你在签下这些文件前知道这些文件是干什么的。

在上面的情况中，问题出在当客户决定申请庇护时，他不认识任何人可以估这件事，因此他找了一个可以帮助他准备庇护申请的服务机构。客户提供材料，但这家服务公司决定篡改材料，然后告诉他必须承受篡改文件的后果。我的客户是一名新移民，听到这些就吓坏了，也不知道可以向谁寻求帮助，别人叫他做什么他就做什么。

最后，这家服务机构的负责人坐牢去了，同时我的客户面临着在美国终身监禁，他和他的美国妻子已经生了孩子。所有这些都是因为他找到的这家服务机构在跟法律打擦边球，而且不真的关心那些可能会产生什么后果。

这就是为什么任何移民都应该找一个有能力的移民律师。并且应该关心律师是否有自己的执照和声誉。因这样的律师才会诚实做事，全力帮助你做你关心的事，不会将你置于他们可能会失败的情况中。

最后这名受迫害的人已经成了他曾寻求帮助的人的受害者，可能阻碍他在美国寻求法律途径获得合法身份。