Identifying Your Legal Needs in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, like other municipalities in California, is not immune to the variety of legal issues that affect its residents. One common area of concern is personal injury. Residents seek help in situations ranging from workplace or industrial accidents to vehicular collisions of all types. The legal landscape for these cases is complex and legislation is regularly updated, so it is crucial that those affected by a personal injury consult with experienced legal counsel. Family law is another area where residents frequently need assistance. Whether partitioning assets prior to a divorce, negotiating child support or custody arrangements, or tackling any number of other issues, residents often require the intervention of the courts to facilitate the resolution of family matters. Family law is often sensitive as it frequently involves the presence of children. As such, it must be handled with utmost care. Experienced attorneys can help residents navigate this difficult process and find relief. Criminal defense is another area where an attorney can prove vital. Whether accused of operating a vehicle under the influence , felony assault or battery or any number of other charges, Bakersfield residents should not go unrepresented when facing criminal charges. There are many avenues of challenge when it comes to charges. For instance, if the search that resulted in incriminating evidence was conducted illegally, that evidence cannot be presented in court. If a confession was coerced, that too can be challenged. These are just a few examples of how an attorney can provide significant assistance. Whenever a legal issue arises, whether in a business context or personally, Bakersfield residents should seek the help of a qualified attorney. Failure to secure representation can impact the outcome of potential litigation or deprivation of other rights. For example, seeking the professional guidance of a professional can help flesh out a strategy for a case that best utilizes the surrounding circumstances to achieve a desired result. Having an advisor on your side who understands the law and how to best apply it to your situation is invaluable.
Beginning Your Quest for Legal Assistance
So how do you start finding that help? Thanks to the internet and our hyper-connected society, it’s easier than ever to find the right attorney for your legal needs. Here are some strategies:
Online Resources
A good place to start is by searching the internet. Our website is a good resource for answering your questions on the subjects that we cover – estate planning, probate, trust administration, elder law, conservatorships and related topics. The California State Bar Association and the American Bar Association also have robust, informative websites with answers to many of your questions. Additionally, the websites Avvo.com and Findlaw.com are good resources as well. (Both offer legal information and attorney referrals.) When using these resources, we caution you to be careful. There’s a great deal of information available on the web and not all of it is accurate or safe. Most of all, don’t rely solely on what you read online. Meet with your potential attorney in person first to see if he or she is truly the right fit for you.
Local Bar Associations
The Kern County Bar Association is a resource that most people are not aware of. The bar association can refer you to a local lawyer based on the particular area of law in which you’re seeking assistance. You can read more about the Kern County Bar Association and its services on its website at: kcbayp.org.
Personal Referrals
There is nothing like personal referrals from close friends, family and trusted professionals (e.g. financial advisors, accountants, and colleagues). Personal referrals from people whose judgment you trust are invaluable in selecting the appropriate legal counsel. It is important that you speak to the attorney’s current and former clients. Ask the attorney for a list of clients you can contact, and don’t hesitate to call them. Be sure to ask the right questions, including:
· Were you happy with your results?
· How was the attorney’s communication skills?
· Was he or she able to answer your questions and concerns?
We also recommend that you ask to review the attorney’s qualifications and experience. Read the attorney’s website and official biography, and be sure to verify their credentials by looking them up on the State Bar Association website’s attorney search.
Whomever you consult, make sure that you’re comfortable with that person. You’ll be spending a lot of time with him or her so it’s important that you get along and that there is a mutual respect between you. Your attorney will be instrumental in helping you achieve your objectives, so it is of vital importance that he or she is the right person for you.
Traits of an Effective Attorney in Bakersfield
When searching for the right lawyer to handle your legal needs, there are several key qualities to keep in mind. The foremost quality you should look for is experience. You want a lawyer who has been practicing law for at least a few years and behind him or her is an extensive track record of having successfully helped clients with similar issues to yours. This experience is not limited to the lawyer’s number of years in practice, but also the frequency with which he or she has handled a case like yours. Specific experience handling bankruptcy filings, personal injury disputes, real estate lawsuits, and other areas of law is essential.
The next quality to seek out in a lawyer is specialization. For a particular legal issue, you do not want to choose a general practitioner who shuffles between different areas of the law each day. You want specialized legal representation from someone who only practices within your area of need. For example, there are lawyers who exclusively handle bankruptcy filings and then there are lawyers who only handle criminal cases. Counsel who specializes in a certain area of the law will stay apprised of all the latest adjustments, restrictions and developments in that specific area in order to be one step ahead at all times.
Another aspect to consider in a lawyer is what his or her style is like. While exactly what the style is like will vary from person to person, it essentially determines how well you and the lawyer get along. Some lawyers genuinely care about their clients and some are only there because it is a job. While some might be more interaction style lawyers, others are more reserved. To get some sense of what the lawyer would be like to work with, don’t just inquire about their style, but also seek out reviews from previous clients about their experiences with the lawyer. You should also seek out a lawyer who provides regular communication about your case and educational materials on your issue to help you become familiar with the subject matter.
The last aspect to consider about what makes a good lawyer is the lawyer’s track record. Again, you want to check out the reviews to determine how well he or she has done in past cases and how satisfied clients have been with the lawyer’s assistance.
The Leading Law Firms and Lawyers in Bakersfield
The residents of Bakersfield are fortunate to have access to a wide variety of top-notch law firms and attorneys. Law firms throughout the community maintain a focus on areas ranging from family law, criminal defense, and immigration, to personal injuries and bankruptcy. While other lawyers concentrate their practices in commercial litigation and business representation, as well as transportation industry and trucking law.
Among the community’s most visible law firms is Chain Cohn Stiles, widely recognized for its personal injury practice. The firm also maintains a focus on workers’ compensation, lead paint, asbestos and other toxic torts, Social Security disability, nursing home abuse and neglect, and elder abuse.
Another well-known law firm, since 2002, is The Arora Law Firm. This general practice firm includes multiple attorneys concentrating in workers’ compensation law, along with personal injury and civil rights.
Ranked by US News as one of the "Best Law Firms" in Bakersfield is Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP. Founded in 1978, this statewide and national law firm is known for its highly rated corporate and transactional law department, which concentrates on business bankruptcy, and bankruptcy litigation, real estate and construction law, class actions, environmental law, government regulatory law, employment and labor law, trade secret and intellectual property law, and mass tort and toxic tort law.
In addition to maintaining an active litigation practice, the firm also provides counseling, transactional and advisory legal services to businesses, individuals and government entities.
Above the Law rated the firm, Michael H. Merino & Associates, as fourth among Northern California law firms. The firm, which concentrates its practice on bankruptcy and personal injury, handles cases throughout California, as well as nationwide. Michael Merino, the firm’s senior partner, has represented clients in complex litigation and bankruptcy law cases in federal and state courts all across the country. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Certified Financial Litigators and Analysts (AACFLA) and among the top 5 percent of bankruptcy lawyers nationwide, as rated by The American Society of Legal Advocates.
Attorney Libby Powell, a partner at Banks & Associates, has gained national and local recognition as a consumer debt attorney, guiding her clients through the complex areas of debt settlement and bankruptcy. Powell focuses a large part of her practice on consumer bankruptcy law, leading clients through the process of successfully obtaining relief from overwhelming debts. She also focuses a substantial part of her practice on helping clients settle their debts with various creditors, including credit card debt, collection accounts, and medical debt. Banks & Associates also represents consumers in suits against creditors and debt buyers under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the California Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Other highly rated law firms include Porter | Scott. This firm concentrates its practice in business, labor, and real estate litigation. Other rated firms in the Top Tier include Wilkins Drolshagen & Zarzour, Evans Keane LLP, and Gonzalez|Yalden.
Deciphering Legal Fees and Expenses
As with many issues in life, there are costs associated with getting legal help in Bakersfield. Knowing what to expect is important because it allows you to manage your finances accordingly and select an attorney who meets both your needs and your budget.
Hourly Rates
When you are billed for attorney time, it will be given to you in the form of a coordinate breakdown of the hours worked and the rates of pay for the attorneys who spent time working on your case, as well as their paralegals. Most Bakersfield attorneys use different rates for different types of work, so a paralegal may be billing $50 per hour to conduct background research, but the attorney may bill at $350 per hour to meet with you to discuss case strategy. Overall, it’s a good rule of thumb to consider the rates of attorneys when hiring them, as there can be considerable variance based on their experience levels.
Contingency Fees
Most professionals, from locksmiths to financial advisors to attorneys, charge their clients upfront for the services that they provide. However, there is another popular model in the legal world: the contingency fee agreement. In this arrangement, an attorney agrees to work on your case without charge (other than expenses) unless you win your case or receive a settlement .
Contingency fees are generally calculated as a percentage of the amount you receive when winning your case. The calculation might be made up of adding together the fees for all attorneys working on your case and adding a percentage for the employer (for providing the office, staff, and resources necessary to pursue the case). For example, a client who wins a court settlement of $500,000 might pay one attorney an hourly rate of $300 for 40 hours of work, plus a percentage of the awarded amount (let’s say 25%).
Contingency fees are almost exclusively used in personal injury cases, for a number of factors. One important reason is because it allows clients whose injuries have rendered them disabled to seek legal help without worrying about money at a time when they are most vulnerable. Another practical reason is that if you hire an attorney on contingency but he or she is unsuccessful, you don’t owe anything.
Retainer Agreements
Some attorneys will require clients to sign a retainer agreement before accepting a case, though there are no California laws that require attorneys to do so. These agreements take different forms, but most retainer agreements place an up-front fee into an escrow account to cover the first several hours of the attorney’s work, and the attorney may then ask you to replenish your account when it begins to run low.
How to Prepare Yourself for a Consultation
Consultations are often the first encounter you’re going to have with a lawyer. It’s not imperative that you have any documents with you for the first meeting, but it can be helpful. This is especially true in cases where there has already been an ongoing dispute or litigation. If that’s the case, you’ll want to bring any relevant correspondence and legal documents. You should also provide your lawyer with contact information and addresses for everyone involved in the case, as well as the facts of the case and an overview of the situation. If the particular nature of your case has no bearing on the way in which you prepare, you might want to take a little time to review some things to prepare questions in advance, like court filings, letters and any evidence you have. Some things you’re going to want to know include: It’s not only the content of the meeting that matters; presentation matters, too. You want to make the best impression on the lawyer. This means dressing very business-like and being on time. A strong first impression will give your attorney confidence in your capabilities and cause you both to feel more at ease.
Legal Aid Resources in Bakersfield
For those who do not have the means to secure a private attorney, there are several legal aid options in the Kern County area. These include:
Law Help California – Created to help Californians who cannot pay for a private attorney find affordable solutions to their legal problems. In particular, Law Help California helps people locate the legal assistance they need in their community to solve their issues or find viable alternatives.
Kern County Public Law Library – Provides access to primary law, legal forms, explanations of the law, self-help guides and other legal materials to the public. Composed of a professional staff of librarians, the library also offers access to legal resources through the Internet for anyone to use.
University of California , Hastings College of the Law – The UC Hastings Civil Justice Clinic provides students with hands-on experience in real cases in partnership with local nonprofits and legal services organizations. Students in this program handle all aspects of a case under the supervision of their faculty supervisors.
Kern County Senior Legal Services – Offers services to seniors who are non-Medi-Cal eligible who are at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Staffed by senior staff attorneys and other legal professionals, the program also recruits and retains retired volunteer attorneys in its’ efforts to ensure the need for services is met.
Law Offices of Thomas E. Frank – Equally committed to ensuring that low- and moderate-income individuals have access to competent, efficient and affordable legal services, the Law Offices of Thomas E. Frank offers services at reduced fee rates. In general, hourly rates range from $75 to $150 per hour but the firm also engages in limited pro bono work.
