“The good lawyer is not the man who has an eye to every side and angle of contingency, and qualifies all his qualifications, but who throws himself on your part so heartily, that he can get you out of a scrape.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I recently was asked some questions from readers about legal matters, especially when it comes to trying to deal with legal matters while living on a budget. As these things are a bit beyond my level of expertise, I turned to a friend, Andrew Flusche, a lawyer in Virginia who has done some excellent work for me in some of my online ventures. In addition to being a good lawyer, he’s a great guy, and someone I trust, and intelligent to boot.
I asked him for some frugal tips for people dealing with legal matters, and what follows are some of his suggestions and thoughts, in his words.
1. Do you need a lawyer?
Before you do anything, ask yourself this question: Is a lawyer necessary? The best way to save money on legal expenses might be to keep lawyers out of the equation. This definitely isn’t right for every legal matter, but it could be right for yours.
If there is very little money at stake, hiring a lawyer may not be cost effective. You might be better off trying to resolve the matter yourself. Sometimes a polite phone call or letter can go a long way.
Even if the issue is significant, helping yourself might be an option. A variety of good do-it-yourself legal handbooks exist, such as those by Nolo Press. Your local library will probably have similar books ready to check out.
2. Go to small claims court.
Small claims court exists for a reason. It helps people have their day in court to resolve small disputes. The precise rules and requirements vary by jurisdiction, but it can be a cheap option to litigate a monetary claim.
You can generally pursue amounts up to a few thousand dollars in small claims court. The filing fees are usually a small amount. You typically do not hire a lawyer in these cases; you pursue the case on your own.
3. Buy unbundled services.
Perhaps you need a lawyer for part of a matter, but you can handle some things on your own. Unbundled legal services could be the frugal solution. This innovation breaks down legal services into discrete parts, letting clients purchase only what they need.
Under this model, you could hire an attorney to just give advice on a certain situation. Or you could hire someone to review contracts for you.
Unbundled services can be a win-win deal for clients and lawyers. The client gets exactly the needed services and only has to pay a minimum amount. And the lawyer can work on discrete matters for a variety of interesting clients.
4. Educate yourself.
Regardless of the legal option you choose, you need to educate yourself. Even if you hire an attorney for all your legal needs, you should make sure you understand what’s going on.
One simple thing you can learn is legal terminology. Your attorney should be able to speak to you in plain English, but there are still legal terms involved. If you take the time to find definitions for things, you save your attorney’s time in explaining them to you. In most arrangements, saving time for your attorney saves you money.
5. Provide all the details.
After you have decided to hire a lawyer, you have to communicate with him. To help your lawyer work as efficiently (and cheaply) as possibly, get all your details together. If you’re prepared to answer the lawyer’s questions, you can make the most of any meetings you have.
In today’s computer age, it’s easy to keep records and documents handy. You could just create a Google Doc of information about your case. When something happens or a memory resurfaces, make a note of it. You could share this Doc with your attorney through Google or just email it to him.
6. Group your questions.
If your attorney is billing by the hour, you want to minimize the time he has to spend on your matter. Most attorneys bill in six-minute increments, so even a quick phone call to your attorney will cost 1/10th of an hour (possibly $25).
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contact your attorney. But you should be efficient in that contact.
Don’t call your attorney five times during the day. Make a list of things you’d like to talk about and call once. The same applies to email.
7. Ask for alternative billing.
Lawyers don’t have to bill by the hour all the time. In fact, many lawyers are using different billing methods precisely to lower the cost of legal services. If you want to lower your attorney’s fees, ask about alternate billing arrangements.
Contingency fees are a popular method of billing in cases like personal injuries. You pay your attorney a percentage of the amount you recover.
Attorneys use flat rate billing when the amount and nature of work is predictable. If you have a routine traffic court matter, a flat rate might make your cost easy to foresee. Flat rates can also help you get a simple will drafted and signed.
8. Stay focused on the goal.
A wise business attorney told me that the client is truly in trouble when they’re fighting “for the principle of the matter.” If you’re fighting for prinicples, your costs will likely skyrocket. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stand up for your beliefs, but sometimes fighting in the legal arena can be a bad business decision.
The same rationale applies to people who want to harass people through the courts. An unscrupulous attorney might help you, but it will likely be expensive. Do you think an attorney who will simply harass your adversary will turn around and bill you fairly?
Always keep your focus on the end goal, and make sure your attorney knows that goal as well. Ask yourself how certain decisions might affect reaching that goal. If you get off course, talk it over with your attorney and get back on track. You’ll save money in the end.
译文:
解决法律问题的8个有效建议
“一个好的律师并不是那种能分析洞察清楚任何事情的各个方面的人，他不是那种符合他自己所有身份的人，而是那种可以全身心站在你这边，帮你摆脱困境的人。“-爱默生
最近我被好多读者问道关于法律事件的问题，特别是当它涉及到怎样处理可以节省开支时.由于它超出了我的专项知识的水平，所以我向我的朋友Andrew Flusche求助。他是一位弗吉尼亚的律师，帮助我解决了许多网上商业冒险事业的困难。除了是为好的律师以外，他还是个我非常信任的聪明的好人。
我问他有没有一些简单的好的建议关于怎样处理法律事件，他就给了我以下的一些建议和想法。
1.你需要一位律师吗？
当你做一件事情之前，先问问你自己这个问题：要律师有必要吗？节省法律开支解决问题的最好办法就是远离律师。这绝对不是解决法律事件的最好办法，但是这个办法绝对适合你的法律案件。
如果在紧急关头你手头的钱不多，雇佣一位律师是不划算的。如果你很富有的话，那么你可以自己试图解决问题。有时一个礼貌的电话能有很大的帮助。
即使是一件重大的案件，自己去解决可能是一个不错的选择。如Nolo Press出版的那些。你们所在的当地的图书馆可能有类似的书供你去参考。
2.上法庭。
法庭的存在是有原因的。它能帮助人们为小纠纷有申诉的机会。确切的规章条例因司法权而有所不同，但是这会是个很好的选择去法庭争得金钱赔偿。
一般地你需要花多达几千美元去法庭申诉。但是费用一般都是很少量的一部分。一般地你都没有必要去雇佣律师，你可以自己解决。
3.使用分类交易。
可能在案件的某一环节你需要律师的帮助，但是你乐意用自己的方式解决问题。分类交易可以是个非常不错的解决事情的办法。这一创新使法律服务分解成离散的部分，让委托方购买你所需要的。
在这种形式下，你可以雇佣一位律师对特定的情形给出意见。或者你可以雇佣人为你审视合约。
分类交易对于委托方和律师们来说是个双赢的交易。委托人只需花少量的费用就可以获得所需的服务。律师可以为许多有趣的委托方处理离散的事件。
4.自己教育。
不管你选择怎样的法律方案，你都得自学。即使你雇佣了一位律师处理所有的案件，你也应该知道事情只怎么样的。
熟悉法律术语是件简单的你必须做的事情。你的律师可以用简单的英语跟你解释，但是有时一些法律术语仍然会涉及到。如果你自己试图去了解一些事情的定义，那么你就可以节省你的律师为你讲解的时间了。在大多数情况下，节省时间就是节省金钱。
5.提供所有的细节。
当你已经决定了要雇佣一位律师后，你就必须与他交流。尽可能地有效的帮助你的律师，提供所有的细节。如果你已经准备好了回答律师的所有问题，那么见你就可以充分的利用你说有的时间了。
在今天的网络时代，保存好记录和文件是件很容易的事情。你可以创造一个储存你案件的数据库。当一些意外发生或者金钱重入水面，好好的做好记录。你可以通过GOOGLE或者发邮件的方式与你的律师交流。
6.把你的问题分类。
如果你的律师是以小时计算的，那么你就得最小化你所雇佣的律师花在你的案件上的时间了。大多数律师以6分钟为时间段增加付费，一个简短的电话可能会花掉一小时的十分之一（可能是25美元）。
这并不意味着你应该与你的律师协商。但是你的合约必须是高效率的。
一天不要给你的律师打5次电话。把你所要说的事情列在一张纸上，只需打一次电话你的律师就可以了。发邮件也行。
7.询问可供选择的记账方式。
律师们没有必要总是以小时记账。事实上，律师们使用不同的记账方式精确的降低法律服务的花费。如果你要降低律师的费用，就询问可供选择的记账方式。
意外费用是个非常流行的记账方式例如个人损伤。你付你所赔偿费用的百分比。
当工作的总量是可以预算的话，律师们就用比例税率的记账方式。如果你遇上了交通法庭，比例税率可以使你的花费显而易见。比例税率可以帮助你得到意志稿件和签署。
8.集中于你的目标。
一个睿智的商业律师告诉我当他们”为案件的原则“争论时这时委托人就是真正的遇上困难了。如果你正在为案件的原则争论，你的花费将会猛涨。这并不意味着你不应该坚守你的信仰，但是有时候在法律竞技场上争吵将会是个很坏的商业决定。
当人们想通过法庭困扰别人时同样的基本原理就可以运用。一个肆无忌惮的律师可能帮助你，但是花费可能会很贵。你认为一个纯粹的困扰你的对手的律师会转身正确的收取你的费用吗？
经常的集中于你的最终目标，同样的也要让你的律师知道。问问你自己怎样的明确的决定会影响你达到那个目标。如果你不再航线上，同你的律师谈论下并且重新回到轨道上。最终你会节省开支的。