Answers to Your Frequently Asked Legal Questions
If you feel like the law is a mystery, you are not alone. Many do not understand the law or the legal system.
1) Does the law firm charge a fee for initial consultations?
Answer: Initial consultations are free up to one hour, excluding family law cases. There is no time limit for personal injury actions. There is a minimum fee of $200 for any legal document review (example: divorce decrees, wills, trusts, contracts, etc.)
2) Are payment plans available through the law firm?
Answer: The firm may agree—in special circumstances—to a payment plan. This is decided case-by-case and is based on individual situations.
3) Is the law firm open after hours?
Answer: The law firm is open after hours and on weekends by appointment only. In most cases, after-hours appointments may be charged at a higher hourly rate.
4) How do I reach the law firm on the evenings or weekends?
Answer: Evening and weekend contact is a privilege only made available to current clients. Initial contact must be made during working hours. However, in emergency situations, you may leave a message or send an e-mail. If the situation warrants, you will be contacted immediately after the message is received.
5) Are credit cards accepted for payment of legal fees?
Answer: No. However, cash-advance checks from your credit card company are accepted.
6) I do not have any cash available, but I have property. Will you accept property as payment for attorney fees?
Answer: In some limited situations, the law firm will accept property as payment for attorney fees. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.
7) I do not have ANY way of hiring an attorney. What should I do?
Answer: Call the law firm to discuss your situation. In special cases, our law firm may provide legal services free of charge (pro bono).
B. Legal Questions
1. Personal Injury
a. I was just in a car accident. What should I do?
Answer: Call 911. Make sure the police are called to the scene, even if it is a fender bender. If you are hurt, be careful to move from your car unless staying in the vehicle could put you in further danger. Take photographs of the entire scene with a disposable camera or even your smartphone. Take as many as you can. Record the person who hit you if you have a recorder. Make sure you inform medical personnel and the officers about your injury and specify EVERY place you feel pain. Do this again at the emergency room and at your doctor’s office. If you do not, the insurance company WILL use it against you. Call us immediately. We can meet with you AND get you to a health care facility that will see you immediately.
b. What type of automobile coverages should I have in order to protect myself?
Answer: In short, you should carry as much as you can afford. However, the most important coverage is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage. What this coverage does is provide you with the ability to receive a settlement for your medical bills, future medical bills, disfigurement, injury, lost wages, and your pain and suffering should you be injured in an automobile accident caused by an uninsured driver or someone who does not have enough insurance to cover your damages. Otherwise, if someone without insurance were to hit you and they were at fault, you would receive NOTHING for your injuries! Call your insurance carrier today and add this coverage immediately.
2. Civil Law
a. I have just been served a summons and petition. What should I do?
Answer: Oklahoma law requires you to file a pleading called an Answer within 20 days of the date you received the summons and petition. If you do not, the person suing you will win the case by default. You do have the ability to file an “Entry of Appearance and Reservation of Time to Answer” that will extend your filing date by 20 days. However, you should immediately contact an attorney before taking any type of action.
b. I own my own business and make agreements, purchases, transactions, and deals every day. Do I really need an attorney?
Answer: Yes. An attorney can draft a contract for any agreement, purchase, transaction, or deal your business is pursuing. In contracts, the cost to have an attorney review or do the drafting is a fraction when compared to the costs of litigation if a breach occurs. Even worse, the absence of a solid contract may prohibit you from pursuing the person/entity in breach (i.e., the party in the wrong may get away with it).
c. People, including other attorneys, family, and friends, have informed me that I do not have a case for the injuries I have sustained. Should I call your firm anyways?
Answer: Yes. People, including attorneys, are wrong from time to time. Also, certain situations exist when you can receive a recovery from a person or entity that you (or your previous advisors) did not consider or know about. The old saying “nothing in life is free” is incorrect. The call and consultation with our attorney are free.
Contact us today to make an appointment for a free initial consultation with our attorney.
We proudly serve clients in Edmond, Ohio, and the surrounding area.