Paralegals play a very important role in the firm. Even though we are not able to provide legal advice, we still take on many tasks to support the firm. A paralegal is able to pass all your questions to the lawyer to provide you with the information you need. This is beneficial for the client because paralegals are more profitable than a lawyer. We are often able to answer you faster than the lawyer. The line between “legal advice” and “legal information” is often blurred. In general, a single lawyer can give actual legal advice, while any non-lawyer can recite legal information. In addition, it is generally illegal for a non-lawyer or unlicensed lawyer to offer legal advice or represent someone other than himself in court. Legal information, on the other hand, can be given by anyone who is familiar with the law.
It is simply a statement about what the law is, without applying it to your particular situation, and leaves it up to you to decide how to proceed. Given the cost of hiring a lawyer, it`s good to know when you need legal advice and when you simply need legal information. Printed legal documents such as instructions and instructions are generally not considered legal advice. Therefore, instructions to comply with court requirements for filing forms and other court documents do not constitute legal advice. [1] For example, a non-lawyer may sell legal forms, give general instructions on how to complete the forms, and provide drafting services for entering information into the forms, unless legal advice is given. [3] [11] Brandon is a super lawyer from® Texas, which means he`s among the top 2.5% of lawyers in his state. He designed his practice to provide a unique ecosystem of legal support services to businesses and entrepreneurs, stemming from his experience as a Federal District articling student, published biochemist and industry speaker. Brandon is fluent in Spanish, is an Eagle Scout and is actively involved with young people in his community. He enjoys advocating on behalf of his clients and thinks he may never decide to retire.
Richard is a magician who tackles bureaucracies and gets the job done. His clients appreciate his simple advice and his ability to attract first-class legal staff for efficient and effective results. Richard is a professional engineer, law professor and has been ranked among the top 2.5% of lawyers in Texas by Super Lawyers®. When he`s not getting results for his clients, Richard can be found with his small herd on his Texas property. Not all legal advice requires payment. For example, you may be entitled to a free lawyer from a court-appointed lawyer or a public defense lawyer if you have been charged with a crime and need to go to jail. You may also be eligible for free legal aid if you are considered “destitute” as determined by a judge. In the case of penniless representation, you may have to partially reimburse the court for the costs of the legal services provided to you. Depending on your area of law, you can also benefit from free legal aid.
Some websites may put you in touch with a lawyer immediately to answer some basic questions for free, but they often require payment for more in-depth advice or answers to more complex questions. If you use public benefits such as social assistance, food stamps, Social Security, or Medicaid, you may be able to find legal aid from organizations and individuals who volunteer to provide their services. The difference between legal information and legal advice is so important that many law firms and individual lawyers have a disclaimer on their website. This disclaimer may indicate that the content of its website does not constitute legal advice and that appropriate advice must be planned or that an attorney-client relationship must be established in order to receive legal advice. Legal information is displayed in many other situations. If you have a question about whether a particular action is legal or not in the abstract, regardless of your specific situation, legal information will probably suffice. Legal information is usually general and does not apply to a specific problem. [4] Questions that go beyond purely legal issues may also fall within the scope of another profession. Family matters may involve problems within the professional competence of psychiatry, clinical psychology or social work; Business issues may involve matters within the competence of the accounting profession or financial specialists. If consulting with a professional in another field is itself something that a competent lawyer would recommend, the lawyer should make such a recommendation. At the same time, the advice of a lawyer in his best form is often to recommend a plan of action in the face of contradictory recommendations from experts. Some cities offer free legal advice to certain people depending on the legal issue.
For example, San Francisco tenants can get free legal advice from various legal aid services regarding landlord-tenant matters. Legal advice should be sought if you have a legal problem and are not sure how to proceed.