How much does a lawyer cost? Well that all depends what you need a lawyer to do for you.
According to Lawyers.com the national average is $284 per hour. Then depending on they type of lawyer you need and the area of the United States, that $284 per hour can quickly turn into over $1,000 per hour.
Note, I said per hour. Court appearances, filing fee, and research can put a person in the poor house before going to court. That does not say you are going to win your case.
Now, I am going to misquote a fairly known saying. “He who has himself as a lawyer is a fool.” I have made the quote the say, there are times you just need to bit the bullet and hire a good lawyer. However, there are time where you can save a lot of money. Today, I am going to share three of those ways.
LegalZoom.com was founded by three young men along with Robert Shapiro. Their approach is that there are some routine things the average person can do themselves; like wills, basic divorces, and LLC incorporations.
At LegalZoom.com for a small fee you can get the paper work and instruction and save a few hundred dollars.
Self Help Legal – Through out the country there is a large amount of lawyers who for little or no money can help with legal issues. Because each state is a little different in its laws, it is best to do a Google search. I found one self help legal website for you folks in California.
Prepaid Legal – Then there is Prepaid Legal. This is for people who they will need a lawyer from time to time and don’t want to be constantly putting out $500 to $,1000 a year for a retainer.
The way Prepaid Legal works is that you pay Prepaid Legal $312 per year. In that year you get access to legal advice and help. This is the kind of plan I would recommend for the landlord and the business person who don’t have a good friend who is a lawyer.
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