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The following are frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the iLawyer.com lawyer referral process. If you have a specific question about the process that is not listed below, please feel free to submit your question to Customer Service.
Q: How
much does it cost?
The cost of the service is dependent on the Bar Association
which is scheduling the appointment for you. The range is from
$20 to $35 for a 30 minute consultation with an attorney. In
some cases, as with injury cases and low fee referrals, there
is no charge for the first meeting with the attorney.
View our fees info for more information.
Q: How
long will it take to get an appointment?
An appointment can usually be scheduled for you by Bar Association
staff with one of their experienced attorneys within one business
day.
Q: Are
these lawyers experienced?
The Bar Associations screen their attorneys in most areas of
law. The screening process is thorough and many attorneys fail
to meet their experience requirements when they try to join.
The attorneys of the Bar Association of San Francisco Lawyer
Referral Service, for example, have been practicing, on average,
for 14 years.
Q: Who
screens the lawyers to be part of the Lawyer Referral Service?
The attorney's application is screened by Bar Association staff
and the attorney's performance is regularly monitored through
a review of all client feedback questionnaires. If there is
any question about an attorney's qualifications or ability to
serve clients adequately, a committee of attorneys which oversees
the Lawyer Referral Service examines the attorney's record and
takes appropriate action.
Q: How
is a lawyer picked for me?
Based on your description of the legal problem, Bar Association
staff determines the appropriate area of law and considers their
list of attorneys experienced in that area of law. From that
list, the Bar Association contacts attorneys until they find
an experienced attorney who can help. If you provided optional
information pertaining to appointment location, for example,
Bar Association staff would take that into consideration when
selecting experienced attorneys.
Q: Do
I have to meet with the lawyer picked for me?
An appointment with an attorney will be set for you, but if
you are unable to make the appointment, please contact the attorney
to cancel or reschedule the appointment.
Q: What
do I do if I have a complaint about a lawyer which I received
through your service?
If you have a complaint against an attorney you received through
iLawyer.com, please contact the Bar Association, by telephone
or email, which scheduled the appointment for you. If you are
not sure of the Bar Association that scheduled the appointment,
click here to view our directory of Bar Associations.
Q: If
the lawyer doesn't take my case, can I get another referral?
Yes, you may get a second referral if the Bar Association determines
that it has the resources to assist you further. To receive
a second referral, simply select the county where you need the
attorney from the menu above and click "Go."
Q: Who
sees my credit card information?
Your credit card information is protected by the SSL encryption
protocol and is viewable only
by
the bank processing the transaction. No Bar Association staff
and no attorneys ever gain access to your credit card information
unless you give it to them personally.
Q: Will
I be charged if they cannot schedule an appointment for me?
There is no charge to you unless an appointment with an attorney
has been actually scheduled for you.
Q: If I am unhappy with the attorney, can I get another referral?
Yes. Another referral can be made to you. If you are not satisfied,
a consultation with another lawyer will be provided at no charge.
Q: If I pay by check, will this delay my referral to an attorney?
Yes. Because the check must arrive before the consultation is arranged by the Bar Association, a short delay is inevitable while the check is in transit. Once the check is received, trained Bar Association staff will arrange the consultation for you as quickly as possible, usually within one business day.
Q: Can I get an appointment via e-mail, on the telephone or in the
attorney's office?
Yes. The attorneys from the participating bar associations
will make every effort to meet with you in the manner most convenient
to you.
Q: How
many attorneys can I meet with?
It depends on the type of legal problem that you have and on
the county where you need the lawyer to be located. Some counties
will only make one referral at a time, but will schedule as
many appointments as you like. Others will schedule 2 or 3 appointments
concurrently. If your legal problem is unusual, it may
be difficult for a Bar Association to arrange multiple consultations.
Q: Most
sites are free. Why do you charge a consultation fee?
It is true that there are sites on the Internet providing listings of attorneys which clients can view for no charge. Those listings are paid for by the attorneys, not unlike Yellow Page advertising. We recognize that the lawyer listings may be useful for finding a current address or telephone number of a specific lawyer, but it is important not to rely on the advertising claims of lawyers in the Yellow Pages or on the Internet. While most State Bar Associations impose limits on what lawyers can say in advertisements, and while we believe that most lawyers would not intentionally mislead in their advertising, still it is the case that statements made about a lawyer in an ad or on a web page sometimes can create a sense that the lawyer is more experienced and more successful than he or she really is.
The consultation fee is charged because an appointment is actually being set up for you by a participating Bar Association. This fee is intended to pay for the first meeting. From the Bar Association's database of screened, experienced and insured attorneys, they find an attorney for you. This attorney knows your legal problem in advance of the appointment and is interested in meeting with you about it. For up to 30 minutes, you have his or her undivided attention.
Q: Do
you have free or sliding-scale services?
If your matter involves your own personal injury (for example,
an auto accident or slip and fall), there is no charge for the
first half-hour consultation with an attorney. In addition,
for clients who are at income levels near the federal poverty
guidelines, many counties have attorneys or non-profit organizations
willing to provide free or reduced-fee services. At the home
page, enter the county in which you reside and then follow the
instructions to see if you are eligible.
Q: If I like the attorney with whom I meet, can I hire him/her
to handle my case?
Yes. Ask the attorney if he or she is interested in handling
your case. Be sure to discuss the fee arrangement in
advance of hiring the lawyer.
Q: Can
the attorney work on other matters for me or just the one I
describe in your questionnaire?
If you like the attorney and have confidence in his or her abilities,
you may certainly hire the attorney for your other legal issues.
However, if your other legal matters involve a different area
of law entirely, you may consider seeking a consultation with
an attorney experienced in the new area of law. If your
other legal issues are in jurisdictions where your attorney
is not licensed to practice law (for example, in another state),
you will need to find counsel who is licensed in that jurisdiction.
Q: Are
there some cases you cannot handle?
Occasionally some cases are beyond the scope of the bar association
arranging the consultation. Issues such as the size and location
of your legal matter can affect the bar association's ability
to find a lawyer can assist you. If you are unsure whether your
legal problem is of this type, submit your request to the appropriate
bar association. You will not be charged if an appointment cannot
be scheduled for you.
Q: Do
the lawyers pay you to get cases?
No. We do not enter into any fee arrangement with the lawyer. Nor do we accept any money from the attorneys for the appointment we schedule for you.
Q: I do not live in the United States, can you help me?
If your legal problem is located in an area where we have a
participating bar association, the trained staff of that bar
association will do everything they can to find a lawyer who
can assist you. For your convenience, this appointment can be
by phone or email.
Q: Am
I obligated to hire the attorney whom I meet with?
No. The bar association which arranges the consultation for
you gives you the opportunity to meet and obtain advice from
an experienced attorney. Should you want to hire them, you can,
but there is no obligation to do so.
Q: I cannot find my county on your list, can you still help me?
Yes, possibly. Select the county closest to where your legal
problem is located and the bar association for that county will
do its best to find an experienced attorney who will consult
with you.
Q: How
will you contact me with my appointment information?
You will receive an email with your appointment information.
Soon after your appointment has taken place, you will receive
a second email requesting that you complete an informational
client feedback questionnaire.
Q: If
I do not have e-mail, can I still get an appointment?
You may also request an appointment by telephone. To do this just call the phone number listed for that bar association. Usually the number is on the first page after you click on the button for that bar association.The fastest way to contact you with appointment information is by email. Please visit one of the many sites which offers free email and set up an account prior to submitting your referral request. If you prefer, you may also give the email address of a trusted friend.
Q: Can
I choose when I meet with the attorney?
Yes. You can choose up to three preferred appointment times
when you complete the Bar Association's brief questionnaire.
Generally speaking, attorneys prefer to meet during normal business
hours. However, on occasion, bar association staff have successfully
arranged consultations with experienced attorneys after hours
or on weekends, when necessary.
Q: Can I decide where to meet the attorney?
Typically, the first consultation with the attorney is arranged
to take place either in the attorney's office, over the telephone,
or by email. Should you hire the attorney, subsequent meetings
can be made at whatever location you and the attorney agree
upon. There are exceptions, depending on the special needs of
the client. For example, if the client requires a home visit
or hospital visit, the bar association does its best to locate
an experienced attorney who can accommodate the individual's
request.
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