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As you know, obtaining good qualified Legal Counsel can be a little rough on the old pocket book! So what are some of your options and how can you "Stretch" those dollars when it comes to Attorney fees and court costs? And where do you go to find good legal advice? Most people never think about these things until they are in some kind of legal trouble. Then they do what most people do … they ask friends and family for a name of an Attorney. Generally this works well, however, they could be missing some very important information that friends and family just may not know exists.

There are basically two ways to go about handling Legal issues, you can do it yourself, or you can have someone do it for you, usually for a fee. For you do-it-yourselfers, there's Self-Representation, Arbitration, and Mediation. It's not always totally free but you can cut you costs considerably. For those of you who would rather have someone else do the talking (like me), and your income is low enough (not like me), you might be able to get a Legal Aid or a Legal Clinic to take you case, or a Law Firm might take it Pro-Bono.

For the majority of people who would not qualify for the freebies (that's about 80% of us), we have two more choices, find and pay for an Attorney the old fashion way, or get a Pre-Paid Legal Plan started. These plans are modeled after HMO's. You're able to put an entire Law Firm on retaining for a small monthly fee, with 25% discounts on fees not covered under the basic plan. This is a new trend in the industry that is just starting to gain wide spread acceptance and it's saving people tons of money on legal fees, yet still remains unknown to most people.

I'll briefly explain each choice that I mentioned above with links to some very good reference sites at the end of this article to get you started on more in depth research in to the areas that best suit your needs. OK, so you probably already have heard that there are many programs in which people can obtain legal services for free, or at reduced rates. I am referring to Pro-Bono Programs, Legal Aid and Legal Clinics. The key to receiving these services is being able to qualify. In order to qualify for a free lawyer, you would have to show that you are unable to hire a lawyer because of a lack of finances and/or that your income falls at or below a certain percentage of the federal poverty guidelines:

Income Guidelines for Free Legal Service
Family Members	Income Level per year
One Person	$ 8,050 or less
Two Persons	$10,850 or less
Three Persons	$13,650 or less

For those brave souls who can't qualify for one of the above programs (That's about 80% of us), but still want to really stretch the old legal dollar, you may want to consider self representation as an alternative to hiring a lawyer. You may be able to resolve some legal problems yourself, through letter writing or by filing in small claims court. You can find lots of information on how to represent yourself "pro se" ("on one's own behalf"), by using self-help legal resources, government agencies or consumer assistance organizations found on the Web or through your local library.

Next is the Alternative Dispute Resolution process, which is also referred to as ADR. ADR is really a variety of methods for resolving disputes between parties without traditional legal representation or litigation. In general, ADR involves a neutral third party that works with both sides to come to a resolution. Each party tells their side of their story in a setting that is usually less formal than a court proceeding. There can also be greater flexibility with aspects of the proceedings such as the site at which the hearing takes place. Two common methods that are used are Arbitration and Mediation.

Arbitration is much like a "private trial" and requires both parties to submit the dispute to one or more impartial persons, with the goal of a final and binding decision. Where as Mediation involves a neutral person helping two or more parties to reach a voluntary settlement. The Mediator's role is to advise the parties and offer suggestions on how to resolve the differences. Both parties involved have an active role and ultimately decide the final outcome of the dispute with the assistance of the Mediator.

A little known but up and coming new trend in obtaining Legal Counsel is called the "Pre-Paid Legal Services Plan". This type of arrangement offers coverage of legal services by a licensed attorney to members on a prepaid basis. A prepaid legal service plan works much like a prepaid health care plan. In exchange for a membership fee, premium, or other prepayment, members receive specified legal services at no additional cost, plus other services provided by a lawyer at rates reduced by as much as 25%.

You might ask… When would I ever use Prepaid Legal Services? Here are just a few situations that come to mind where a "Pre-Paid Legal Services Plan" could really come in handy:

When picking a Legal Services Plan shop around and look for a plan where the vast majority of the Provider firms are "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating possible. Martindale-Hubbell has maintained ratings for the legal community for over a century. According to Martindale-Hubbell, "… its ratings reflect the confidential opinions of bar members and the judiciary, and attest to the individual lawyer's legal ability and adherence to professional standards of ethics."

Next look for a plan that provides coverage for all immediate family members included in the same low monthly fee and one that covers you and you family nation wide. Also look for long term stability in the plan provider, preferably one that is an industry leader with a solid track record and sound balance sheet.

For a single monthly fee, a good family plan should provide a family unlimited phone consultations with a lawyer (not a paralegal), letters written on your behalf by the attorney, document reviews, will preparation with an annual review, representation on traffic tickets, civil lawsuits as well as IRS Audits. Any other legal services not covered directly by the plan should be offered at a discount, which should run about 25% off the normal hourly billing rate.

Look for providers that offer special plans that might match your particular occupation, such as a Peace Officer, Commercial Driver. Teacher, Home Based Business or full fledged Business Owner. You might be able to get greater savings, more coverage and a tax write-off to boot!

" Americans have come to view legal assistance as a necessity…the best way for the majority of Americans to be able to assure themselves of legal assistance when they need it…is through a prepaid legal plan" - American Bar Association
"As more Americans find themselves priced out of the system, the struggle goes on to fulfill the promise of Equal Justice For All" - ABA Journal, August 1994
"According to the National Resources Center for Consumers of Legal Services, the average person faces legal issues four to six times a year. These are instances where the legal advice could be helpful, but most people are hesitant to talk to a lawyer because they don't feel it would be cost effective." - Black Enterprise Magazine, July 1997
"Only Clients with Money Get True Legal Advice" - F. Lee Bailey

Ben Oldenkamp is an Associate of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. For more information on "Pre-Paid Legal Services Plans"call at 1-888-689-8106 or email ejustice4all2000@home.com.

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