Need a Lawyer?Online ServicesSpeed the Search
By PAUL DAVIES
A slew of new services is making it easier to find a decent lawyer.
Traditionally, consumers were left in the dark when seeking an attorney to handle the basics -- say, buying a house, fighting a traffic ticket or bulletproofing a will.
LEGAL AID
Here's three sites that can help with your legal needs:
• Nolo.com provides a guide to finding a lawyer by state and practice area.
• LawyerRatingz.com rates attorneys on a scale of 1 to 5.
• Costhelper.com gives information on the cost of legal services.
Now, however, online services like Nolo.com and Lawyers.com make it easier to be an informed consumer. At the same time, states have passed rules designed to curb some of the more outrageous attorney advertisements, though free-speech groups (and some law firms) oppose the movement.
Just last month, avvo.com launched a service ranking thousands of attorneys by a score of 1 to 10. It covers only a handful of big states so far, but plans to expand. Days after its launch, it was sued in federal court in Seattle by a lawyer who claims the information is inaccurate and misleading. Avvo co-founder Paul Bloom says the suit is "an attempt to bomb" consumers "back to the stone ages."
While all of this is causing a stir in the industry, it's making it increasingly possible for consumers to do due diligence on lawyers and even get basic price comparisons.
The first step is to decide if you even need an attorney. Some services, such as preparing a will, can be done by a paralegal or by yourself. A basic will prepared by an attorney can cost anywhere from $150 to more than $600.
For do-it-yourselfers, Quicken's WillMaker Plus computer software lists for $79.99, but you can find it for less. LegalDocs.com's legal forms go for $6.95 to $349. The American Bar Association at abanet.org has a free online guide to wills and estates.
If you decide to go the lawyer route, state and local bar associations provide referral services that match clients with lawyers, though in some cases, lawyers pay a fee to participate in the referrals.
Most bar association Web sites also allow searches of individual attorneys to see if he or she is in good standing, or has faced disciplinary action.
The ABA at abanet.org/barserv/stlobar.html provides links to state associations.
The Martindale Hubbell Law Directory has been the reference bible for locating lawyers.
Martindale.com provides peer-review ratings of individual attorneys -- in other words, lawyers rated by lawyers -- based on their legal ability and professional ethics.
Nolo.com provides a basic guide to finding a lawyer by state or city and specialty practice, along with in-depth profiles and verification the attorney is in good standing.
LawyerRatingz.com rates attorneys on a scale of 1 to 5 on categories including "knowledge," "tenacity" and "work quality." The reviews also contain written comments by consumers.
Once a lawyer is found, the other key is making sure you get a fair price. Legal costs can vary widely. Costhelper.com provides guideposts to ensure you are in the ballpark. For example, an uncontested divorce can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, according to Costhelper.com, depending on the complexities.
