Seeking Legal Advice?

17-Oct-08

Below are tips on how to keep your legal fees down when seeking advice from lawyers in Perth, Western Australia

Be Informed
See a lawyer early in the dispute.
Your chances of settling are better if the dispute is not drawn out.
Knowing your legal rights can help you make informed decisions. It is better to know early on if you are flogging a dead horse, rather than finding out after 6 months of stress, argument and expense.
Protect yourself and your legal rights.
It is easy to inadvertently make admissions or other damaging statements in correspondence you write yourself, admissions that may have a huge effect on your case in the future.
Strict time limits for commencing legal action can apply in certain circumstances.

Be Prepared
Have relevant documents with you at the interview
If it is a contract dispute, bring the contract with you and any correspondence exchanged with the other party.
If it is a family law property matter, have your financial records to hand including superannuation details, marriage and/or divorce certificates.
If it is a complex matter, a chronology of the events is very useful to give a concise overview of the matter and will assist your lawyer to provide accurate advice. 

Be Prompt
Reply to enquiries promptly so your lawyer does not have to call you up chasing answers, or send out unnecessary follow up letters.
Strict time limits can apply to the filing of documents, provide them asap when asked. 

Be Pro-active
Organise your documents into some kind of order.
The more preparation you do, the less your lawyer will have to do at an hourly rate.
Keep your lawyer up to date on any developments.
If new documents or information come to light forward them to your lawyer immediately, even if they are not favourable to your case!

Be Patient
Remember that your lawyer charges for their time.
Keep emails and phone calls to a minimum.
When contacting your lawyer, work out what you need to say or ask, and stick to it.
Check previous correspondence first in case your question has already been answered.
Can your query be dealt with by administrative staff and not your lawyer?
Be clear in your instructions.
Carefully consider your decision before giving instructions for your lawyer to act.
If you change your mind you will still bear the cost of your lawyer’s time.