What is Legal Information?
Anyone who is well-versed in the law can provide legal information. It is simply a statement on the law, without any application to a specific situation. The recipient can then make the final decision about how to proceed.
A person should be aware of when they require legal advice and when they just need information due to the cost of hiring one.
Should I seek legal information or advice?
Individuals who are facing a legal problem should seek out legal advice. This could mean being sued or filing a suit.
Additionally, an individual may wish to seek legal advice if they find themselves in a contract they don’t understand.
Legal advice is information that is extremely detailed and specific to a particular issue. You can use legal information in many other situations.
An individual may ask whether an act is legal in general, or if it applies to their particular situation. A legal situation will probably suffice. Most legal information is generic and doesn’t address any specific problem.
What do I have to pay for legal advice?
A person will not have to pay for legal services in every instance. They may be eligible for legal assistance from a court-appointed lawyer or public defender, if they have been charged with a crime and are facing going to jail.
A person may also be eligible for legal aid free of charge if they are determined to be indigent by the court. Indigent representation means that an individual may eventually have to partially reimburse the court for legal services they received.
You may also be eligible to receive free legal assistance depending on your area of law. There are websites that will connect you with an attorney who can answer simple questions for you for free.
Individuals can also seek legal advice by arranging a consultation. Many attorneys offer complimentary initial consultations.
A consultation will be used by an attorney to assess the client’s legal and professional competence. An initial consultation does NOT mean that the attorney will represent a potential client.
A written representation agreement must be signed by the client and attorney in order to legalize the representation.