Monthly Archives: October 2009

Quick Tips For Finding a Lawyer

Posted by on October 31, 2009 No comments

Almost everything we do is affected by laws. There are so many laws that it would take a person with an average reading skill over a thousand years just to read the law book. As if we have nothing else to do with our lives but read laws. So what do we do when a legal situation arises? Do we handle it ourselves or do we call a lawyer who’s been trained in the legal field? For many people, the thought of calling a lawyer may be frightening. Sometimes they might not even know if they need a lawyer or how to even choose one, so they might avoid contacting a lawyer even when it is in their best interests to do so. However, do your homework before you hire a lawyer for yourself and/or your business. At the time when you are faced with serious legal or medical problems, you still need to make a good, informed decision about who will represent you. And it doesn’t have to be as hard or as costly as you may think to find a good lawyer. Provided below are some quick tips that can take the stress out of finding a lawyer.

Can I represent myself?

You have the right to represent yourself. However, the law is extremely complex and changes frequently. Unless you dedicate 100% of your time into educating yourself with all of the laws and legal procedures relevant to your case, you stand a good chance of losing. You may very easily overlook a legal aspect affecting your case that may sometimes bring unanticipated legal consequences that can be difficult and expensive to undo. So, you need to weigh the risks and benefits of representing yourself vs. hiring a lawyer to represent your case.

When do I contact a lawyer?

When faced with a problem that you think it needs legal attention, you may wish to consult with a lawyer about your legal rights and responsibilities as soon as possible. Many states have deadlines for filing lawsuits especially for personal injuries. These so called “statute of limitations” laws are designed to encourage people to promptly come forward and present their case. But this doesn’t mean that you have to simply pick the first lawyer you bump into because you’re in a hurry, as you will learn from these tips.

How do I choose the “right” lawyer for me?

From a personal aspect, selecting a lawyer is always a personal matter. But, as with any service providers, the lawyer is just providing his/her service to his/her client. So, the lawyer-client relationship needs be based on trust and open and honest communication so the lawyer could provide the best of his/her service. It requires a mutual commitment from both the client and the lawyer. If the client is not cooperating fully, the lawyer could not provide the best of his/her service. At the same time, if the lawyer is not easily accessible and prompt in responding to your phone calls, emails, and requests, you’re going to get nothing but frustration. Hence, when choosing the “right” lawyer for your case you need to feel 100% comfortable when talking to that lawyer and feel confident in his or her abilities. If there’s even a single doubt, you need to keep looking. Your case is too important to entrust to someone who does not inspire your confidence.

From a professional aspect, people often believe that simply any lawyer could handle any case. This misleading confidence frequently works to the client’s disadvantage. No lawyer is skilled in every area of the law. So, to find the “right” lawyer for your case you need not to be shy about asking your prospective lawyer questions until you gain full confidence in his or her ability. Only then would you select that lawyer. Actually, while asking the questions, you’ll be able to observe the lawyer’s responsiveness and readiness to cooperate with you. Some of the most important questions you need to ask your prospective lawyer when going through the selection process are:

- What amount of experience do you have in this area of the law (the area of your legal need)?

- Will you or one of your associates handle my case? – if an associate handles your case, that’s the person you need to interview.

- How many cases like mine have you handled? – ask for specifics for each of the cases.

- Could you provide me with references from some or each of the cases? – make sure you call each of the clients to learn about their experience.

A responsible and a caring lawyer would have no problems providing you with answers. If the lawyer is giving you runarounds for each of the questions and not providing you with specific answers, you need to keep looking. Also, always check with your State Bar Association if that lawyer has been the subject of an ethical complaint or inquiry.

Where do I find a lawyer?

No matter where you look for a lawyer, always keep in mind the above tip for choosing the right lawyer for you. Nevertheless, here are a few places to look for a lawyer:

- Yellow Pages and Advertisements – When you open your local yellow pages doesn’t it seem like the doctors and the lawyers cover the half of the book with advertisements? It almost looks as if they’re the only ones having the money for full blown ad pages. Speaking of ads, unless you have a marketing/sales knowledge and experience, you would never know how advertisements work. The advertisements are developed to psychologically trigger your emotional senses and make you respond to the call of action of the ad. It’s a science of its own. So, you as an average consumer would have no idea which advertisement is telling the truth and which has the truth blown out of proportion. But, this is a very good place to at least get some names and phone numbers from local lawyers and start your selection process.

- Your Society Circle – Your family, friends, people you work with, people you talk to, people you know of … start asking around. This is one of your most reliable sources. You will have a chance to get the first hand experience. Someone who has been in a same or a similar situation could tell you about their experience (good or bad) with their lawyer. If their experience has been nothing but good, you have a half of your work done. And even if no one in your society circle could refer you to a lawyer, they might know of someone else from their society circle who might have been in a similar situation. Some of the most reliable referrals come from people you trust – fellow business owners, friends and family – who have used lawyers recently. Word of mouth from a satisfied customer generally is very reliable.

- Bar Associations – This is another reliable source. Your local attorney bar association may maintain an attorney referral service, which is a list of their members by specialty who will consult with you for free or at a special rate set by the bar association for the first conference. The Bar Association could also tell you if a lawyer has been a subject of an ethical complaint or inquiry from past clients.

- The Internet – Indeed the Internet. But, this is your least reliable source because everything could be put on the ‘net. However, just like with advertisements, you could use the Internet to at least get you a list of local lawyers practicing in your problem area so you could start the selection process. On the Internet, search for lawyer directories, such as Martindale.com; lawyer referral services, such as LegalMatch.com; people/business finding services, such as Anywho.com; and simply your favorite search engine.

Disclaimer: The author and publisher of this article have done their best to give you useful, informative and accurate information. This article does not represent nor replace the legal advice you need to get from a lawyer, or other professional if the content of the article involves an issue you are facing. Laws vary from state-to-state and change from time-to-time. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions about the issues described in this article. Thank you.

How to Get Your Rightful BP Claims Paid

Posted by on October 31, 2009 No comments

The horrendous oil spill catastrophe that hit the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding areas has changed the outlook of the oil and gas industry instantly. British Petroleum (BP), the oil and gas giant has been forced to admit its mistake in causing the tragedy, and must now take responsibility for this catastrophic event. The oil spill damages have extended not only to the living, but also to properties and facilities that are existent along the coastline. Thousands of creatures and plants that consider the sea as their home have been destroyed during this horrific episode, and the effects are felt even up till today. Countless homes and roads have been damages as well, and countless people have lost income and revenues from their businesses that are based by the coastline.

If you are one of those that have been affected by the spillage, know that it is within your rights to get your BP claims paid as it is stated under the Oil Pollution Act (1990) that the company that causes an oil spill will be held responsible and liable for all forms of damage that is caused by the event. Nevertheless, you should also be aware of how you can successfully obtain the oil spill claims from BP by following the right steps in applying for your compensation.

Considering the size of the oil spill that occurred, more than a hundred thousand claims are expected to be submitted to BP for compensation purposes. Under the Act, you can file for compensation claims if you have experienced any of the below:

1) Loss of operating profits and revenue to your business activities
2) Damage to your property (regardless of home or commercial building)
3) Loss of government revenue
4) Cleaning and removal costs, inclusive of the need to perform renovations/ modifications
5) An increase in cost of public service
6) Damages to the environment, including natural resources

Thus you should determine the type of compensation that you want to apply for (it could be a combination of a few types as well), and apply for your BP claim. Gather all your paperwork carefully before you submit your application. To file your property, income or health compensation claims, contact BP’s team that handles this issue by calling the team at 1-800-440-0858. You could also visit the team’s website and submit your claims through it. Alternatively you could pay a visit to one of the physical field offices that has been set up by BP in the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and others. The team consists of more than a thousand personnel, and BP had taken measures to ensure that your claims are analyzed and processed in the fastest and most effective way possible.

Nevertheless you should also be able to successfully provide proof to BP of how the oil spill have affected your well-being, regardless of it being of commercial or personal interest. If BP decides to contest your claim for compensation, you should then proceed to bring in your own lawyer to contest the case. For the record, claiming for compensation from BP is a free process, thus if any company requests for a fee to handle your processing, you should know that it is without doubt a scam! All the best in getting your claims paid!