Guide to Finding Consumer Lawyer

How do I find a Consumer Lawyer?

Consumer law helps to protect everyday consumers from unfair and harmful actions of suppliers and sellers of products. The following are examples of just some of the areas that consumer lawyers help clients with every day:

- Unfair price gouging or unfounded raises in prices during emergencies.

- Taking advantage of consumers who are unexperienced in purchasing certain good and services.

- Failure to provide promised goods or services, including contractors who provide building, construction, or remodeling that is improper or even dangerous.

If you feel a commercial seller or service provider has acted inappropriately or unethically, you should contact a consumer lawyer to help protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve.

What to tell your attorney

You must be able to identify the specific instances of consumer offenses. There must be some sort of unfair or fraudulent acts by the seller or service provider. Make sure to tell the lawyer what you bought, where you bought it, and from who you agreed to purchase the goods or services. You must be able to prove that your rights were infringed and this will typically vary from state to state depending on the local consumer protection laws.

Where to look for an attorney

Consumer lawyers can be found in most areas and will sometimes advertise their services or be listed in the local lawyer listings. You should not rely on advertising when selecting your consumer lawyer and instead try to focus on finding out a little about the lawyer's background and experiences. Advertising may be a poor indicator of the overall experience a lawyer may have in consumer protection.

This website provides a search on the top of the page that can help you find and compare lawyers in your area. You can also ask questions and receive important information to help guide you through the process of finding a quality consumer lawyer.

Do I need a specialist?

Consumer law requires specialized knowledge of state and federal consumer protection laws. Often, a consumer must go through a special government agency such as the state attorney generals office in order to file consumer complaints. An experienced consumer lawyer will know where to file such complaints and how to go through the process in order to protect your legal rights.

Preparing for an appointment

Gather all information to bring to your lawyer. Any documents such as receipts, contracts, and bank statements may be necessary in order to supply your lawyer with adequate background information. You will also need to be prepared to discuss all of the facts and circumstances with your lawyer. Knowing specific dates, times, places, and prices will help you and your lawyer quickly proceed with your consumer complaint. The appointment provides a great time for you to help your case along. By bringing every bit of information possible to the table with the lawyer, you will lessen the time a lawyer needs in order to evaluate and file your case.

You should be prepared to ask questions of your lawyer. Write down any questions prior to meeting with your lawyer, as this can help to ensure any issues you need answered will get answered.

Evaluating Experience & Education

While all lawyers must graduate from an accredited law school, meet character and ethic requirements, and finally pass their state's bar examination, you should only seek the help of well qualified and experienced consumer lawyers. Examine any potential lawyer's credentials while also asking about previous cases.

Do not rely solely on advertisements, as they will only make promises that you must check are accurate and reasonable.

Personality & Values

Experienced consumer lawyers will have worked directly with consumer protection issues and have experience representing clients like you. They will have made appearances in front of the proper government consumer affairs agencies and know where and how to file specific complaints. They will also be ready to answer all of your questions and help you overcome any concerns. Organizational skills are very important, as you do not want a consumer lawyer that does not file legal documents on time, loses important materials, and does not keep appointments.

Always be aware of the fees and expenses that will result from hiring a consumer lawyer. If a fee seems unreasonable or your lawyer is acting in an unethical manner, confront your lawyer about this and try to come to a resolution. If your lawyer is acting in a significantly unethical manner, make sure that you report these actions to the state bar association to protect yourself and other clients from unscrupulous characters.

Rates, Fees & Retainers

Different fees and expenses may be charged for the services of a consumer lawyer. Often, these lawyers will work on an hourly or flat fee basis, in which their services are billed at a specific hourly rate or they will charge a one time fee for a specific legal action to be completed.

A contingency fee is a fee structure in which a lawyer only collect payment upon successfully obtaining awards or settlements for their client. Typically, they will take 33% to 40% of the total amount.

A referral fee is sometimes charged by a lawyer who refers you to another lawyer. This fee is split between the lawyer and usually does not affect the client. Referrals occur for a number of reasons, usually because the referring lawyer does not have the special skills needed to represent the client or the lawyer has too many cases to take a new one.

Interviewing your attorney

Think about asking the following questions when meeting with your consumer lawyer:

What fees and expenses will I incur?
What are the chances of success?
How long will the process take?
How can I contact you?
When will I be updated about the case?
What will I need to do to help resolve the case?

Consumer Protection Lawyer

A consumer protection lawyer works with clients to help them file consumer complaints and receive compensation for violations of consumer protection laws. Often, these issues arise when a seller or service provider fails to supply what they promised. Consumer protection lawyers often work with people who contracted for construction or remodeling of their homes. These cases often involve work that is not satisfactory or used materials that are inferior to the proper type that should have been used.

Consumer protection lawyers often work closely with state agencies to help their clients. Some states even have specific government agencies that will work with consumers of specific industries. For example, some states have telecommunication agencies, utility commissions, and the federal government has the Federal Trade Commission, which aims to protect people from corporations and businesses that operate throughout the United States.

Consumers in the United States face legal issues that are more complicated by the day, as fraudulent businesses use new technologies and the U.S. government enacts complex regulations about consumer protections. If you have been defrauded by a business, you may require the services of a consumer lawyer.

The BBB, the FTC, and Consumer Lawyers

When a consumer has a complaint about a company that appears to be conducting itself in a fraudulent manner, one of the first place many people turn to is the Better Business Bureau. While the Better Business Bureau maintains listings and ratings of companies, it is not a government regulatory body and has no ability to punish companies that break the law or compensate consumers who have been defrauded by an untrustworthy business. Simply put, the BBB can say a company has received complaints, but they can't help you recover your money.

The federal government does have a new regulatory body that exists to help protect consumers. The new Bureau of Consumer Protection, a part of the Federal Trade Commission, will help consumers fight some deceptive trade practices and fraudulent schemes. However, while some consumer lawyers work for the FTC and state regulatory bodies, these government agencies move slowly, and for people who have immediate needs, a private consumer lawyer may be the better choice.

Most consumer lawyers work in private firms to help consumers hold companies accountable for deceptive or fraudulent practices. A consumer lawyer can help you start a lawsuit about consumer fraud, identity theft, or a vehicle that has turned out to be a lemon. When you hire a consumer lawyer, your case will have the force of law—if the court awards you damages, the company will be forced to pay.

Consumer Lawyers Stop Debt Collection Harassment

One unfortunate consequence of the recent recession is that people have been having difficulty paying their regularly scheduled payments and fall prey to debt collectors. Many of these debt collectors are operating not only unethically but illegally, harassing debtors and violating their consumer protection rights. A consumer lawyer can help you understand your rights as a debtor and help stop harassing phone calls or letters.

Creditors are required to respect your privacy, and that means not telling other parties about your debt (except your spouse and your attorney). If a creditor leaves messages on your voicemail or answering machine, or contacts a family member about your debt, you may need the advice of a consumer lawyer. While the messages left by harassing creditors may be threatening and embarrassing, it is important that you save the messages and bring them when you meet with your consumer lawyer. Documenting specific instances of unethical behavior can increase your chance of collecting damages.

Consumer lawyers may be able to not only help you stop threatening or intimidating calls from creditors, they can help you collect damages from the harassers. Consulting with a consumer lawyer about your creditors' harassment can help you to understand what your rights are and how they may have been violated.

Foreclosure Defense Consumer Lawyers

If your house is being foreclosed upon, consumer lawyers who specialize in foreclosure defense may be your biggest allies. A consumer lawyer in this specialty will scrutinize all the documents pertaining to your foreclosure, investigating whether all the correct procedures have been followed by your mortgage lender. In many cases, banks did not follow correct procedures when initiating foreclosure proceedings, and a consumer lawyer can help to keep you in your home by finding errors or fraudulent signatures on documents from your lender.

Consumer lawyers can help you to understand your rights as a homeowner and how to best fight a foreclosure. If you are being foreclosed upon, consulting with a consumer lawyer might make the difference between keeping your house or being ordered to leave.

Defective Products and Consumer Lawyers

Other consumer lawyers specialize in cases about defective products. If you have been injured by a product that didn't work the way it was intended or the way the warning label said, you may have a case to take to a consumer lawyer that deals with defective products and product liability.

Recovering Damages From Fraudulent Businesses

Businesses engaging in deceptive or fraudulent practices make millions of dollars from unsuspecting American consumers every year. If you have been a fraud victim, you can fight back by consulting a consumer lawyer. These lawyers can advise you about your rights and whether you have a good case to pursue against a business that has defrauded you.

Complaining to a state attorney general may lead to sanctions for a company, but there are too many complaints for most attorneys general to pursue individually. Because of this, you may need a consumer lawyer to best represent your interests. If a company has engaged in deceptive advertising about its products or defrauded you, a consumer lawyer can help you sort out the legal issues involved and give you advice about proceeding with a lawsuit or a complaint.

Consumer Lawyers and Contingency Fees

In some cases, consumer lawyers may not require you to pay any fees upfront for their services. If a consumer lawyer believes that your case has merit, he or she may agree to represent you “on contingency,” which means that you pay only a portion of the damages you recover in your lawsuit. If your consumer lawyer takes your case on contingency and does not win, you owe them nothing. Typically, a contingency fee arrangement will mean that your consumer lawyer will take approximately one third of your award as a fee.

If your case is not suitable for representation on a contingency basis, you can ask the consumer lawyers you consult with about their fee structure. If a firm seems reluctant to discuss their fees, you may want to find a consumer lawyer firm with greater transparency.

Most consumer lawyers will allow you to make an appointment for a free consultation. You should make sure to bring all documents pertaining to your case, and feel free to ask questions about the background and experience level of the consumer lawyers at the firm you choose, as well as any other questions that may be weighing on your mind about the case. A consumer lawyer can advise you as to your legal options and help you to better understand your rights as a consumer.