- To know more about your legal problems. .
- To seek on the Web. .
findfrenchlawyers.com : Search for lawyers in your city or the department in the sector and the practice which you need (divorce, employment, penal, minors…)
To subject a request in your own words. We will present a lawyer list to you who will be available to treat your business.
Use simple key words describing your legal problems and the place where you are located, like « Divorce Lawyers Paris. »
- To consult your “lawyer of family” or a lawyer recommended by your close relations. Many lawyers tend to specialize and the goods have usually a reputation established in all the community.
Once you have a list of names, to use the following checklist for a first choice :
- To look at biographical information. Are they specialized in the sector of the law which you need? Do they have information on their Web sites which is useful for you?
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- To discover which kind of customers the lawyer represents, its profile and its list of customer, if it makes it available. If it represents mainly companies, it can not represent private individuals.
- To use the search engines to scan for the name of lawyer and his law firm. To seek articles, the FAQ relating to it… To ask others if they heard of the fellow-members and what they think of them.
- To check the Yellow pages. Is the lawyer there ?
Considérer tous les besoins spéciaux que vous avez. Par exemple, pourriez-vous tirer bénéfice d'un avocat qui parle une langue autre que le français ?
To consider all the special needs which you have. For example, could you draw benefit from a lawyer who speaks a language other than French?
Now, you should have “a restricted list” of two or three names. Contact the law firm and take appointment. Some will invoice a consultation to meet you, so count between 75 € and 250 € for a first consultation.
Don’t be astonished if the lawyer cannot meet you immediately. On the one hand, waiting for more than one week is a sign that the lawyer can be too occupied to devote himself to a new case such as yours and to give time and the attention that it requires.
The consultation with lawyer is the most important factor in your decision.
Evaluate the lawyer on what follows :
- Does he listen well ?
- Does he understand your problem or will he have to make some research to answer your questions ?
- Can he explain the law in a comprehensible way and how does he apply it to your case?
- Does he give you the impression that he can solve your legal problems in a profitable way ?
- Whatever you choose, it will delegate much responsibility to his personnel. Thus evaluate how the personnel of the lawyer treats you, since they are the reflection in the way in which the lawyer works. At least, the lawyer and his personnel should treat you politely and professionally.
- To ask references. You should speak to people who could comment on competences and the fidelity of lawyer. The best reference is one of the customers’ current or former lawyer. You can also check near other lawyers.
What are the principles governing the occupation of lawyer?
Any lawyer profits from certain prerogatives and is held with certain particular duties intended to safeguard the independence and the dignity of the profession. Thus, he is held with the professional secrecy: what he could learn in the exercise from his function should never be revealed.
The lawyer profits from certain immunities: immunity of the word and the writings (the words pronounced with the bar and the writings in connection with defence do not fall under the blow from the criminal law which represses the insult, slandering or the insults); inviolability relating to the cabinet (strictly framed searching); inviolability of the correspondence exchanged between lawyer and his customer. (Articles 1st of the law n°71-1130 of December 31st, 1971 modified by the law n°9061259 of December 31st, 1990), 226-13 of the Penal code, 41 of the law of July 29th, 181).
When and how can one choose his lawyer ?
Any person is entitled to the advice of a lawyer, either chosen, or made office.
The visit of lawyer is allowed at the beginning of the police custody, but the lawyer does not have the right yet to take note of the file. Moreover, the visit of lawyer can take place only at the conclusion of the thirty-sixth hour or sixty-twelfth hour in certain very precise cases. The person placed under police custody can appoint a lawyer of his/her choice or ask fora court-appointed lawyer.
Thereafter, during the procedure, if the defendant wishes that the court-appointed lawyer who assisted him be made available again, he must get along with him and the latter will write to the Barristers president. If the defendant wishes to appoint a lawyer of his choice, designation is carried out by simple letter addressed to the examining magistrate. The choice contained in the letter of designation must be confirmed to the judge within fifteen days, by a letter indicating “Me X… will ensure the defence of my interests”. If another lawyer were appointed beforehand, it should be specified if the second will intervene with the first or if he replaces him. During this time, the lawyer can visit the held person and has the right to communicate the file.
With the audience even, failing to choose a lawyer, the defendant can see himself allotting to office a lawyer chosen in the room by the president.
If, after having asked for an officially appointed lawyer, the defendant wants to appoint a paying lawyer, he will have to then remunerate his first lawyer: the latter, is not indeed remunerated by the State that in condition of having carried out its mission in the long term (Articles 63-4, 115 and 145 of the Criminal procedure code).
Should a specialized lawyer be taken ?
In all the fields of the law, it is to better choose a lawyer who has a certain practice and thus certain experience of the procedure and audiences. Such a lawyer is able to take care of the regularity of the procedure. It is in theory more able to appreciate the relevance or not of the clues weighing on the setting in examination and to define a line of defence. Nevertheless, choosing a specialised lawyer inevitably does not mean to choose a “media” personality, which, if it justifies of an experiment, a notoriety and an effectiveness, is not inevitably available: a less famous lawyer can also constitute a wise choice.
How much does a lawyer cost ?
If he cannot profit from the jurisdictional assistance, the defendant will have to regulate the expenses and fees of a lawyer. The fees are negotiated and fixed freely by convention between the customer and lawyer. According to article 11 of the rules of procedure of the Bar of Paris, the lawyer must inform his customer of the methods of determination of his fees. The commitments entered into by lawyer within the framework of the convention of fees whose terms must be fixed before its intervention, are placed under the control of the Council about the Bar to which it belongs. In the event of non respect by lawyer of his engagements or a dispute of his fees, the customer can seize the Barristers president about the lawyers, who will make a decision arbitration, itself likely of a recourse before the Court of Appeal.
Does the lawyer continue to intervene in favour of his customer after a penal judgment?
The lawyer does not have the obligation to follow his customer at the end of the legal phase. But he keeps the possibility of supervising the execution of the sentence and of intervening in the event of failures with the rights of its customer or to support his requests (request for transfer, failures to the right of correspondence, etc). The lawyer (chosen or court-appointed) will be able to also assist his customer at the time of the debates preceding in room by the Council any decision by the judge by the application by the sorrows, relating to the execution of the sentence and with the disciplinary commissions of the penal establishments (Article 722 of the Criminal procedure code).
In conclusion, trust your intuition to choose your lawyer. Your relationship can last several years and will imply good relationships of work and confidence. You wish to meet a lawyer who can help you in this field?
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