Illinois Lawyer Referrals and Legal Guidance

Many people think they can’t afford an attorney, when the truth is that they can’t afford not to hire an attorney.

We’ll admit this is an oversimplified statement. We recognize that not everyone needs a lawyer for every situation. And there are some organizations and attorneys who will handle cases for free (pro bono).

But a lot of the time, we’re going to recommend that you hire an attorney. Unfortunately, that’s the way our legal system works. Attorneys know the ropes, know how to negotiate, know the judges, and generally have the experience to help you more than you can help yourself.

However, an attorney doesn’t always cost an arm and a leg. Fees may be negotiable, and more reasonable than you think. There are also some things you can do to keep those hourly legal fees down.

Here are some tips:

Hire a local attorney – not just because it can help your case but because you won’t be charged for their travel time if they have to come meet with you or travel to a distant courthouse.

Do your research. You can’t believe everything you read on the internet, but some basic research will help you understand your case. If your attorney doesn’t have to explain the basics, your meeting with them will be shorter, more efficient, and less costly.

Speaking of meetings, skip the small talk. Get right to the point. Make a list of questions ahead of time so you don’t get off topic. You are paying for face time with your attorney, so make the most of it. Same goes for phone calls or emails.

Use the support staff as much as possible. Sometimes, you want to talk to your attorney. But if you have a scheduling question, or a procedural question, or if you want a basic update on the progress of your case, you can ask the administrative assistant or a paralegal to help you. You may be charged for their time, but the rate is going to be much less.

Finally, ask for itemized monthly bills and review them. Ask questions and know where your money is going.

To learn more visit, http://www.findgreatlawyers.com/HireLawyer.htm

Since 2001, findgreatlawyers.com has been the leading resource for Illinois attorney referrals and legal guidance. If you would like our help please contact one of our lawyers via our on-line form or call (800) 517-1614. We are based in Chicago, but help people find attorneys for legal matters throughout Illinois.  All inquiries are free and confidential.

In Illinois, when someone dies with a will, the person in possession of the will is supposed to file it with the local court within 30 days of death. We get questions from people who were not in possession of the will but want to look at it. All you have to do is go down to the courthouse and ask. Once filed, a will becomes a public document.

The Illinois probate law sets this rule, which actually says that the will must be filed “immediately.” The courts have interpreted this to mean within 30 days. The place to file the will is with the local probate court clerk. Once on file, anyone can view it and even make a copy. You just have to know which county courthouse to go to. It should be the county where the deceased person resided at the time of death.

People fail to file wills for many reasons. Sometimes, it’s not in their best interest, so they want to keep the will secret. In Illinois, it’s a crime to conceal a will after the 30 days. If you believe someone is concealing a will you can go to court and try to force them to turn it over.

If the time has passed for filing a will, and no will was found or nothing has been filed, the family members can proceed as if no will exists. Dying without a will is called dying intestate. The law then takes over and states who gets which property. A spouse and children will inherit everything; if there is no spouse or no children, it gets more complicated, but the law generally attempts to give property and assets to the closest living relatives.

In Illinois, this process is called probate and can take at least six months. It’s not uncommon for it to take a year or more in some cases.

Since 2001, findgreatlawyers.com has been the leading resource for Illinois attorney referrals and legal guidance. If you would like our help please contact one of our lawyers via our on-line form or call (800) 517-1614. We are based in Chicago, but help people find attorneys for legal matters throughout Illinois.  All inquiries are free and confidential.

Hiring an attorney can be overwhelming, confusing, frustrating and scary. How do you know you’re hiring the right one? How do you know they’re going to work hard on your case? How do you know they’re being completely honest with you?

You don’t. I’ve said it before – hiring an attorney is often a leap of faith. You can only do so much research, reference checking and interviewing. At some point you’ll just have to follow your gut and hire someone.

However, there are some red flags, in our opinion, that should alert you to a possible problem.

An injury attorney who charges upfront. Most established personal injury attorneys and firms don’t charge their clients anything up front. The deal is that if they win the case for you, then you pay them a portion of the recovery. If you lose, you pay nothing. Charging fees upfront – for medical bills, administrative work, etc. – makes us suspect that they don’t have the resources to pursue your case, especially if it means going to trial.

A prior suspension of their law license. You should always look up a potential attorney and check the history of their law license. If you see a disciplinary action against them, you should be worried. Ask them about it, but if they try to brush it off like it’s no big deal, you may want a second opinion.

A fee much lower than the competition. It can be a good idea to interview several attorneys before hiring someone. And one thing you should ask about is how much they charge. But don’t take shopping around to mean that you’re always looking for the lowest price. If you find an attorney who charges much less than the other attorneys practicing in the same area, then you should think twice.

An attorney who never calls you back. This is a very common complaint. Many attorneys don’t realize how important customer service is. A lack of communication can be a red flag. Maybe they’re too busy to properly handle your case. Maybe they haven’t done any work and are avoiding your calls. Get to the bottom of it, and remember that you have the right to switch attorneys if the problem can’t be resolved.

Since 2001, findgreatlawyers.com has been the leading resource for Illinois attorney referrals and legal guidance. If you would like our help please contact one of our lawyers via our on-line form or call (800) 517-1614. We are based in Chicago, but help people find attorneys for legal matters throughout Illinois.  All inquiries are free and confidential.