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A Service of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association
You are in the right place, visit the BournePages.com Lawyer Listing Service. Back to top.
You should look for a lawyer who has experience dealing with the kind of legal problem you have. You will need a real estate lawyer if you are buying or selling a house; a family law lawyer if you are separating or getting a divorce; a litigation lawyer if you are suing someone whom you feel is responsible for an accident in which you were injured; or a criminal law lawyer if you have been charged with a criminal offence. Some lawyers have a general practice and work in several areas of law. Back to top.
Call a few lawyers and ask them if they will take your case. How much will they charge? Most lawyers will spend time talking to you so that you can get to know each other. If you are not satisfied, you may want to look for another lawyer. Back to top.
The Maryland Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland can help if you are looking for information about a member's practicing status or discipline history. See http://www.courts.state.md.us/cpf/attylist.html Back to top.
At your first meeting you need to tell your lawyer what has happened. You will want to find out how the law applies to your situation and what kind of legal options you have. You should also find out how much it will cost to hire the lawyer to work for you.
Your goal is to decide if you want to hire the lawyer. If you do, your first meeting is the beginning of a working relationship.
Please note: It is a good idea to ask the lawyer whether you will be charged for your first meeting or consultation. However, the consultation does not include legal work. If you ask the lawyer to do any legal work (even during the consultation period), there may be a charge involved. Back to top.
- Gather together all the documents that you have about your case.
- Think about what you want to say. Be ready to tell your lawyer your story in a clear and logical order. You might want to write down dates and important points you want to tell your lawyer.
- Make a list of questions you want to ask. See Questions to ask your lawyer when you meet.
- Be prepared to talk about fees. Your lawyer will need some money - a retainer - so that he or she can begin working for you right away. Back to top.
Your lawyer's role is to listen to you and take time to explain the law and your options to you. Your role is to listen carefully to your lawyer's advice before you make any decisions. A good working relationship with your lawyer is a good investment. Back to top.
- Be prepared for your conversations and meetings with your lawyer. Bring any documents your lawyer requests to see. If you have questions, write them down so you are ready to ask them.
- Read the letters and documents that your lawyer sends to you. Make a note of your questions. Decide if you must speak to your lawyer or if a secretary or law clerk can help you.
- Keep all the letters and documents about your case in one place - a file folder or box - so that you can find them easily when you need them.
- Respect the pressures that lawyers usually work under. Come to your appointments on time. Call if you will be late or cannot make it. Understand that your lawyer may be in court or tied up with an emergency and may not be able to answer your telephone calls right away.
- Get to know the other staff in your lawyer's office. They may be able to help you. Call your lawyer only when it is necessary.
- Have reasonable expectations. You may not be able to get everything you want. The justice system is not perfect. There may be delays and disappointments. Back to top.
Every legal problem is different, so we cannot tell you how much it will cost you to hire a lawyer. You and your lawyer need to talk about fees the first time you meet.
Lawyers have different ways of calculating their fees. They may charge a fixed fee for doing a specific task, like writing a will. Or, they may set their fees according to the amount of money or value of the property involved in your case.
In other cases, lawyers will keep track of all the time they spend working for you and charge you for it using an hourly rate.
You will also have to pay for things like the cost of photocopies of documents, long distance telephone calls, courier service, getting copies of court documents, filing documents in court and hiring an expert to work on some part of your case. These expenses are called disbursements.
You may also be asked to sign a Retainer Agreement, which is a document that sets out costs and other terms.
Your lawyer should be able to give you an estimate of the fee and how much disbursements are likely to cost. You can ask your lawyer to put this estimate in writing and you can ask your lawyer to get in touch with you if something happens to change the estimate. Back to top.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sharon Christmas-Deberry
President
Derron R. Parks
President-Elect
Bridgett A. Greer
Treasurer
Mia L. Woodard
Recording Secretary
Nakia V. Gray
Corresponding Secretary
Hon. Hassan Ali El-Amin
Immediate Past President
Holly D. Reed
Executive Officer
Abigale Bruce-Watson
Executive Officer