Hiring a Criminal Lawyer: The Information You Need

If you're facing charges, it can be one of the most stressful things you will ever experience. But what you need right now is not a therapist but a good criminal lawyer. The system is in place to arrest, charge, and successfully prosecute people who have been caught in an investigation (or in the act). While there is plenty of lip service given to an individual's rights as the defendant, it is largely up to you to make sure those rights are protected. Without a good attorney by your side, this will be difficult to do. Here is the information you need to make a good choice.

Their Experience

There aren't many factors more important than experience when choosing a criminal lawyer. An attorney with the finest diploma from the most prestigious school can't hold a candle to another who has been plying his trade for the last fifteen years, day in and day out. If you have two attorneys with the same experience, there's nothing wrong with giving a slight edge to the one with the degree from Harvard. Even then, however, there are probably more important considerations that should go into your decision.

Availability

You can hire the best criminal lawyer in the country, but if they aren't there to answer your questions and take your calls, what good are they? You need someone who is willing to devote a significant amount of time to your case. If you get the impression that the attorney you're considering is too busy for your case, you may want to think about going elsewhere. People in the legal profession are going to be busy; unless their practice is failing, they aren't going to be at your beck and call 24/7. But that doesn't mean you should have to wait days for a call back. If you found it very difficult to get an initial consultation, that could be a sign that the firm is too busy for your case.

Reputation

A criminal lawyer lives and dies on his reputation. Find out as much as you can about that reputation before you make a decision about hiring one. Ask around. If you're currently locked up, you may want to ask some of the other inmates, if they are willing to talk. If you're out, try to see if there is anything online that can help guide you to a decision. You don't want to hire an attorney only to find out he is considered a joke in legal circles.

The Lawyers' Definitive Guide to Video Marketing

You've made the choice to jump right into video to market your legal services. The move is a good one. It will help you distinguish yourself from everyone else. Here now, never before released, is my definitive guide to video marketing for lawyers.

9 BENEFITS TO USING VIDEO:

1. Viewers get to see you
2. Viewers get to hear you
3. Viewers get to know you
4. Viewers begin to trust you before they ever walk in your door
5. You become the wise man at the top of the mountain
6. You are viewed as the legal expert
7. You are giving away information in order to gain an audience
8. Viewers see that you are a real human being
9. The image of a grumpy stuffy lawyer dissipates when a viewer sees you on video

CREATE AN EDUCATIONAL MESSAGE

What do I mean?

Do not use online video the same way lawyers have used TV commercials since 1973. A 30 second commercial on YouTube does nothing to help you get new clients in your door. The same is true for 60 second commercials too. Take advantage of the unlimited capacity for as much video as you can create. (There are some important caveats you need to know. More on that later.)

TIP #1: EXPLAIN

Explain the last case you successfully handled for a client. Tell your viewer why your client came into your office. Explain the legal issue in layman's terms; tell the viewer what you did to help your client solve their legal problem. Then, and here's the million dollar tip, explain to your viewer that if they have a similar problem, they should call you for more information.

TIP #2: GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE

Give the information away. It's free anyway (for most consumer-level attorney specialties). If you are a personal injury attorney, or workers compensation attorney or divorce attorney, explain how things work. Your potential clients will get this information from you when they come into your office anyway. Why not give it away and allow your viewer to become a better informed and educated consumer of legal services? The internet is the ideal place to give away your information. The more you give, the more calls you should get. (There's a lot of psychology involved in that reasoning that I will not go into here.)

TIP #3: BE CONCISE

When creating video, do not expect a viewer to watch you ramble endlessly. You must make your video long enough but also short enough. (How's that for a double-sided lawyerly answer?) You want to be concise, but you do not want a short commercial. You want to explain, but you don't want your viewer to lose attention and go elsewhere. What's the ideal length for a relevant video? Approximately 2-3 minutes. Yes, there are always exceptions, just as in law. Some will be shorter; some will be longer.

TIP #4: NO WEBCAMS NEED APPLY

"Can I use my webcam or little flip video camera to make these educational videos?" You could. But then you'd be wasting your time wondering why not many people are watching your videos. Your webcam is great for a quick hello to a friend or relative. The video quality is generally poor, as is the audio quality. The new generation of flip video cameras are great little hi-def video tools that were unheard of five years ago. The major drawback is that they do not work well in low-light situations and none of them have the ability to use an external microphone, which is an absolute must when creating quality video to post online.

TIP #5: CHOICES

You have two options to create attorney video:

(1) Do it yourself, or (2) Hire an experienced video company to do it for you.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, like me, you need tons of time and dedication to creating strategy, lighting, audio, video, calibrating your equipment, shooting video of you- yourself, uploading the video footage to the computer, learning how to edit, insert transitions between scenes, correct color, add stereo sound, add graphics, add intro and exit music along with any background music, shoot b-roll footage to insert into video, render the video to a quicktime or flash file, then compress that file to make it compatible to upload online. Then, you have to upload the edited video to video sharing sites, put it on your blog and website, and there's more! You now have to optimize the text so that your videos will be found in the search engines. You must give the videos 'tags' and 'keywords' for the search engines. But there's still more to do! Then you have to let the world know about what you've just created.

How? Simple. Use all of your available social media to do that. "Ugh," you think. "All that, just for one video?" That's right...if you want to do it properly. You've got to Tweet about it. You've got to put your video on Facebook and MySpace. You've got to tell your friends, relatives and acquaintances about it. "Is that all?" No. There's more! (I feel like this is an infomercial where they say, "Wait...there's more! For only $12.95 you get...")

Then it's time to start your next video...and the cycle continues. If you do not have the time or desire to learn the technical details of creating, editing and uploading your video, I strongly recommend that you skip option #1 and to directly to option #2: Hire a reputable video company to create your videos for you.

What should you look for when deciding to hire a video production company?

1. A firm with experience producing attorney videos. Do not use a video company that just finished a wedding shoot that weekend. I would also hesitate using those video companies that create video depositions. Why? Because they usually do not have experience knowing what an online viewer looking for an attorney wants in an attorney video.

2. Ask whether the video producer is a lawyer. Why is that important? A practicing lawyer has a pretty good insight into what consumers need to see, or want to see in an attorney video. A lawyer brings a particular type of experience when creating attorney video; especially an attorney video producer who has created hundreds of educational videos for use in their own marketing of their legal services.

How To Choose A Good Lawyer - 4 Necessary Steps To Pick Up A Good Lawyer

Choosing a lawyer is not an easy task at all there are different things that you must keep in mind to pick up an excellent lawyer. You need lawyers for different tasks such as taxes, divorcing, drinking under influence (dui lawyer) and a lot of other stuffs to. In the next steps I show you how to be sure to pick up a professional. People are spending thousands of dollars on low related subjects sow I want to teach you how to get value for your money.

Due diligence on the lawyer

Before you think to spend money you need to do research to find an excellent lawyer.
There are so many legal advice firms out there and the best way to get a good job done is by doing research. The first place where you can start is on the internet. These days most of the lawyers have their on website. In most cases you can read more about them and you must find the history of cases they have already handled. Two websites that can help you with these tasks are.

Also contact people in your neighbourhood who have used this lawyer before. Testimonials are a very good source to find more information.

Meet the lawyer face to face

It's important to meet the lawyer in real live first before you stat working with them.
Perhaps he can charge you a fee for this consultation but there are also a lot of lawyers who don't want to charge for this. Or perhaps if you hesitate to contact him/her in real life you could use the phone. I'm sure they will take some time to listening to your story because it's a very hard niche and finding clients for their business isn't easy at all.

Look for a specialist

Do you know why some business people fail and others are making a huge amount of money.
Simply because they working in a niche. If you want to pick up a lawyer you must pick up a lawyer that's a professional in his niche. For example if you need a tax lawyer stick to one who does only courts related to taxes. It's doesn't matter if he/she doesn't know anything about immigration law.

Know what to expect from your lawyer

Most people don't want to expect the firs time they contact a legal advisor.
But in fact there is one golden rule: If a lawyer gives you a guarantee that he can win the case don't work with this person. No one can guarantee you that he/she can win a court case.
Ask him/her as much questions as you wish.
On the other hand you have to be completely honest with your lawyer give him as much information as possible related to your case. And there are a lot of people who forget to give out their personal contact information. Be sure to give out personal phone number, e-mail address, post address and perhaps your cell phone number for emergency contact.

You have already made your first steps in your (future) court case by reading these four essential steps on how to pick up a good lawyer.

Assault Lawyer - General Information

An assault lawyer is one who mainly deals with assault cases. This law practitioner can either be a defense or a prosecuting lawyer. A defense lawyer tries to defend his client in the court of law and see to it that his client is set free or gets the least possible punishment like a modest fine and jail time or probation. A prosecuting lawyer is one who provides proof against the perpetrator and convinces the court of law to award the harshest punishment for his crimes.

This type of law practitioner can undertake criminal and/or civil assault cases. The lawyer defending someone charged with an assault is called a criminal assault lawyer (generally, called a criminal defense lawyer). The lawyer who represents the victim of an assault is called a civil assault lawyer (generally, called a personal injury lawyer). This legal adviser helps the victim get compensation for their injuries. In most cases, a lawyer is appointed by the court. The law states that any person accused of a crime is entitled to have a representative, no matter if he is guilty or not. If the accused cannot afford a lawyer, then the court provides him with a defense lawyer. In case the victim is accused of assault, the court appoints a lawyer specializing in assault cases, for his defense.

Similarly, the victim is also entitled to have a lawyer specializing in assault cases to prosecute the perpetrator in the criminal court of law. After the criminal court of law, the victim has the right to take the perpetrator to the civil court of law. In this type of court an experienced assault lawyer convinces the judge to provide compensation to the victim for medical bills, hospital bills, property damage and for the pain and suffering the victim has undergone. A good attorney can get compensation for his client, even though there were no injuries or property damage.

Assault lawyers can be found all over the country. An assault victim has to look up the telephone book yellow pages or search the internet for assault lawyers. After finding the list of assault lawyers, one has to do little research to find out who has won the most cases and set up an appointment with him.

If you are an assailant or a victim the first thing you do, when taken to the police station is, ask for your attorney to be present during questioning. If you're an assailant, the police can force a confession from you. If you are a victim, then the police may convince you to drop the charges. So, always remember to have your lawyer by your side, to know what do in the given situation.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Legal Information and You?

Facts you need to know regarding asbestos mesothelioma legal information? Asbestos is classified as a naturally sourced mineral. It's been utilised for many years for assorted reasons such as in building components, small appliances, insulating materials and vehicle components. It's used in shipyards, manufacturing plants, railroads, industrial facilities as well as in other places. It is known as extremely resistant against deterioration and is a great insulator next to high temperature.

However, asbestos has some properties that make it harmful to any person handling it. It has been known to cause of various cancers, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. The latter is a rare form of cancer, also known as asbestos cancer. The mesothelium is the lining of some cavities and organs. The mesothelia most affected by exposure to asbestos are those of the heart, lungs and intestines.

According to statistics, Mesothelioma kills about 3000 people annually. This kills 3% to 5% more males than ladies. This is mainly because men constitute a larger portion of the workforce than women. This cancer also has a latency period. It takes a long time to develop, sometimes even decades.

Individuals with Mesothelioma have numerous legitimate options to obtain settlement. Affected persons are encouraged to file lawsuits for compensation. There are two types of asbestos cancer lawsuits: personal injury and wrongful death. In the former, a person with mesothelioma cancer files a claim for damages, ranging from loss of wages, past and present medical expenses and pain and suffering. In the latter, survivors of a deceased victim of this cancer may file a wrongful death claim, for the premature death of their kin. The claim covers earnings, companionship, protection as well as treatment providers. In the US, regulations pertaining to these lawsuits differ from one state to another.

For many years, companies that used asbestos never educated their employees on the risks of dealing with this well-known carcinogen. Consequently, many employees contracted diseases due to overexposure, while companies got away with their negligent behavior. Today, however, things are different. Persons that worked in such companies can now file lawsuits seeking compensation, even though they no longer work there anymore. Compensations from such claims are large enough for the patient and their family as well.

In addition, the US government protects people with disabilities. Patients suffering from Mesothelioma cancer are eligible for disability compensation. They are able to secure compensation by submitting a social security disability lawsuit claim, seeking financial help. They may also pursue a similar disability claim privately with an insurance company, through their employer's insurance policy, or an existing life insurance policy. In some instances, health insurance should provide monetary compensation to help offset some of their medical costs. In the event the insurance company declines to do so, one may file a lawsuit for unmerited insurance practice.

It is advisable to seek the services of a lawyer for asbestos mesothelioma legal information who is well acquainted with similar lawsuits and who is able to work around the legal intricacies of such cases. Victims of this disease no longer need to suffer unnecessarily as there are many legal options available to them now.

Copyright (c) 2010 Daniel K Voyles

Legal Information for Dog Bite Victims

Anyone who has suffered a dog bite knows how terrifying the experience can be. Not only has this person experienced a painful injury, he or she may now have emotional damage due to the fear and anxiety that now presents itself when encountering any type of dog. If you or someone you know has been injured from a dog bite, you should know that you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries by filing a dog bite lawsuit.

A dog bite lawsuit can help victims recoup damages including those for medical bills, lost wages, lost time, and therapy or rehabilitation expenses. Victims may also be able to seek compensation for pain and suffering as well as emotional trauma. The best way to find out if you have a viable case is to contact a lawyer who specializes in the area of personal injuries.

The reason a lawyer is needed for these cases is because the laws can vary a great deal from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and they can be somewhat complicated. Dog bite lawsuits actually fall into several different legal categories. There are local, county, and state laws that combine to create the legal fabric that deal with dogs and personal injuries. Finding an attorney who is well versed in this area can make the process flow quite well, and will ensure all of the victim's rights are fully protected throughout the entire process.

Attorneys who specialize in personal injury laws that include dog bites have vast knowledge of general liability laws, local laws, state laws, and other legal cases that may be similar in nature to yours, in order to present your case in the best possible manner. By having this unique combination of skills, including an understanding for legal recourse and the limitations of that recourse, an attorney will be able to present the victim with all of the available opportunities in order to provide the most favorable settlement.

While the medical aspect and the cost of rehabilitation of a dog bite lawsuit can be quite high, the actual damage inflicted upon a victim goes way beyond the physical harm suffered. The total cost of a dog bite is quite high, which can make a legal battle a bit more complex. Many victims experience a loss of time from work, the inability to return to work, anxiety that does not ease with time, and other forms of emotional pain and suffering. Because of these issues, the victim's family may also be entitled to receive compensation in order to help support the victim through the recovery process.

Anyone who has suffered an injury due to a dog bite should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible following the attack. Even if knew the dog before the attack, you may still have a viable case. In fact, statistics show that the majority of dog bite injuries occur from dogs that the victim knew beforehand. Due to the fact that the victim's legal rights vary so much depending on the exact location of the attack, the process should always be started quite promptly. Certain jurisdictions place restrictions, guidelines, and require extra insurance to be carried on certain breeds, such as pit bulls or Rottweilers, so these issues need to be investigated immediately.

Most states have very precise laws governing ownership of dogs, along with specific dog bite statutes. Just about every state in the union requires the owner of a dog to be responsible for all bites that occur, regardless of the breed or previous behavior.

No matter where you reside exactly, most laws state that a victim is entitled to damages under the following situations:

The owner of the dog did not comply with leashing laws, and allowed their dog to run free, resulting in an attack;

The owner of a dog had prior knowledge as to the dog's aggressive tendencies, or past history of attacking people.

As previously stated, victims can seek damages for injuries, even when they knew the dog prior to the attack. That being said, victims may also be able to seek damages from people who may not initially appear to have much to do with the dog. For example, a landlord may be able to be held liable if he or she rented to a person who was known to have an aggressive dog. This is due to the fact that the landlord had prior knowledge and could have, and should have, required the tenant to remove the dog from the property.

In order to pursue a lawsuit in court, most jurisdictions require an experienced personal injury attorney to investigate the claim and file the paperwork. It is necessary that a clear case be established that leads to a particular person, people, or entity being able to be held liable for the bite by the dog. Some states simply require that this liability be established just by proving the owner had a dog that is considered to be dangerous, while other states need more concrete evidence any may even require proof that the owner chose not to keep the animal restrained.

You should not hesitate to contact a personal injury attorney just because your dog bite was inflicted by a breed that is not considered "vicious" or "dangerous". A dog attack is equally devastating regardless of the type of dog that caused the harm. There have been a variety of lawsuits that have been settled for significant amount of money due to injuries that occurred from dogs that are considered to be non-aggressive. There have even been large settlements relating to bites caused by docile animals such as horses.

No matter how the attack occurred, or what type of dog caused the bite, a personal injury attorney can be a very valuable asset. He or she will work hard on your side to help you recoup the damages you are entitled to receive. There is no need to be a victim twice; speaking with a professional today will help to ensure your future.

Finding Asbestos Mesothelioma Legal Information

There are many people who are concerned about this type of cancer caused by too much exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma legal information is very much needed in order for them to know the ways and means to combat this kind of disease legally. Looking for legal information can really give them a guide of what they will do next. This is in connection to health-related issues that is why knowing the legal information is quite important.

One good way to get that needed information is by consulting a lawyer. With their expertise in this issue, they can give you the exact legal information of your concern. Today there are many lawyers who are in need of cash and this type of problem is what they like most because there are many people involved who are willing to pay on whatever price so finding a good lawyer is very hard to do. You should research the history of a certain lawyer if he already solved a similar case before. Doing this can let you save time and effort in finding a good lawyer that can give you those legal information.

In libraries, there are many references that can be scanned to get asbestos mesothelioma legal information. You should also take a look at the publishing year of that book in order to get updated. This type of cancer is not new so there are many published books about this and as the years has passed there are new and existing laws and issues that are added so looking at the publishing year of the book is essential.

You can also find information online because there are many sites that deal with this issue. Just like offline, you should also be careful in giving out money because there are many scam sites that are ready to take your money away. There are many cases of this type of cancer and it is up to you to take whatever it is that you find helpful in order to have the information that you need.

3 Tips on Picking a Good Lawyer: Free Legal Information

Sooner or later, you may need a lawyer to defend you. It's easy to think that all you need to do is, go to a law firm, hire a lawyer and let him/her represent you. But it's certainly not that simple always! Lawyers are numerous, yet picking a good lawyer only constitutes to a small number. Compound this complication with the verity that the success of your case will greatly rely on how well you choose your legal representative. So, if you're faced with this very daunting task, you have to specifically know who you're really looking for.

You have to understand first that you're looking for someone with whom you can frankly discuss the legal aspects of your case. You're not looking for a friend, companion or a shoulder to cry on. You're aiming to have a lawyer. Therefore, do not expect personal advices and treatment to come from your lawyer. Everything is limited to business and professional relationship alone.

Now in picking a good lawyer, you must look for specific qualities and specialties. If you have marital issues and are planning to ending your relationship, a divorce attorney would be suitable for your case. If you have real estate problems, an intellectual property lawyer would be of great help. And if you have a criminal case, then you must definitely opt for a criminal defense lawyer. Know your lawyer's specialty and it will be easier for you to narrow down your choices.

Another great consideration is in terms of payment. Choosing a good lawyer would mean a hefty professional fee. Keep in mind that lawyers are paid on an hourly basis especially those handling criminal cases and those doing a regular legal work for you. However, if you don't have funds for these kinds of lawyers, you can always go for public defenders. Their availability may be limited, but you can still make the most out of these defenders without shedding a hefty price.

Finally, picking a good lawyer is possible by doing your own research. You can ask people you know who have been on a similar situation as yours. This way, it will be easier to find a good lawyer, and at the same time, ask more information about that specific lawyer. Also, you can be assured that you'll be dealing with a good one as referred to you by a colleague or a person close to you.