Why You Should Hire a Lawyer
In today’s world, everyone needs the advice of an attorney at some point. Not hiring a lawyer when you need one can be a very costly mistake; it can cost you dearly in money, time, frustration, stress, and new legal problems result from your failure to hire counsel to begin with.
We have found one adage that describes the situation:
HIRING an attorney is usually LESS expensive than NOT hiring one.
This is because ignoring problems by not dealing with them, usually creates bigger problems. A good attorney can save you time and money in the long run, by helping you avoid problems before they begin.
We believe that anyone in need of an attorney should be able to see one. At Affordable Legal Services, our primary goal is to make quality legal services more available, by making them more affordable. Please understand, this does not mean we will be the cheapest around, or work for free. However, we do offer a culture of affordability at our firm; we attempt to do things in the most efficient and cost effective manner when handling your case.
Why Not Hire a Lawyer?
Many times, people don’t get the legal help they need. Some people truly cannot afford an attorney, and that is why we have public defenders, legal aid, and various agencies that offer free or low cost services. However, we find that many of our clients are able to afford an attorney, when we are able to talk openly and honestly about fees. Some people assume the worst case scenario and don’t even try talking to an attorney. If they would just contact us, they would likely find they can afford our Cost Considerate Counsel ™. Some people simply ignore legal problems and hope the problems disappear. Other people try to handle it alone, based on what they heard from a friend, or what they saw on TV, or worst of all, what they read on the internet.
AVOIDING “LEGAL DOOM”:
INTERNET SELF HELP SITES
If you only remember one thing from your visit to our site, please let it be this: for most people, one of the WORST things you can do is go on the internet and try to do it yourself when it comes to the law. Reading what other people say (usually not attorneys), or filling out some template form or contract, without having any of the necessary background information, knowledge, or education, and without having someone there to explain the most common mistakes people make, can end very badly.
Almost as bad are the numerous online self-help sites, offering fancy radio and internet advertising, claiming their documents to be top-notch. In our experience, many of the documents you find on these sites have issues; and even if the documents were good, what if you are filling out the wrong one? What if there are other matters you should have considered?
We have reviewed, many documents over time from sites like this, and there is almost always some sort of problem. Either the person did not understand the form because there was no one to explain it to them; the form was not right for their situation; or there were provisions that should have been included, or there were provisions in the document that should NOT have been included.
LEGAL “DO-IT-YOURSELFERS” (DIY)
We have dealt with a lot of legal “do-it-yourselfers” over the years. Many think they are saving money, however, in the long run it will actually cost much, much more, because expensive mistakes are being made. The type of mistakes that no one will discover until it is too late — the mistake in a LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT that isn’t noticed until the person is gone, and renders the document useless; the incorrect contract clause that is discovered after the parties are already disagreeing; a mistake made in a custody or divorce document that causes the parties to have to sue one another down the line, because they did not get it right the first time.
By the time a mistake is discovered, it is simply too late to fix it. Or, in other cases, the problems can be fixed, by spending a lot of time and money to fix it.
Consulting a website, or finding your own legal form, does not create a relationship. If you have questions, who will you contact? In my experience, most people who “do-it-yourself” will still end up in a lawyer’s office one day anyway, because they will eventually lie awake at night doubting whether or not the situation was handled correctly to begin with.
If you could get quality legal services for a reasonable fee, wouldn’t that make more sense than trying to handle it yourself? Affordable Legal Services ® now allows you to do this. See the contact us page for details on how to get a hold of us.
CONTACT US TODAY
At Affordable Legal Services, LLC® we believe that everyone deserves quality legal services at fair prices. We believe that basic, straightforward cases should be handled at reasonable, flat rates. Please contact us by phone by clicking here, or email us in the box on the right hand side of this page.
Payment Plan Options Available
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express Accepted
* The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations. Certain cases may be referred, or may involve outside co-counsel arrangements, in which event you would be notified.
