Guide to Finding Providence Lawyer

A Short Guide to Providence Lawyers

Whether it is to fight criminal charges, place a civil complaint, file for divorce or pursue personal bankruptcy, individuals all over Rhode Island require the services of Providence lawyers everyday to help deliver them from legal strife. There’s a wide selection of Providence lawyers with the qualifications and readiness to take on your case and win big, but with so many to choose from, how do residents find great Providence lawyers?

Statutes of Limitation

Most experts recommend that you locate a Providence lawyer as soon as you know that you want to pursue legal action, since the government of Rhode Island has instituted strict statutes of limitation which shorten the amount of time a person has to press charges in many different types of cases. The strictest is the limit for the time a person has to press charges of libel: only one year. Personal injury lawsuits may be begun no later than three years after the discovery of the injury, as is the case with medical and legal malpractice. Wrongful death suits also have a three year statute of limitation, but from the date of death, not from the date of injury. Some of the longest statutes are for complaints regarding contracts. For complaints related to written contracts, there is a fifteen year statute of limitation, and for contracts under seal, a twenty year statute. Visit a Providence lawyer to learn more about these statutes and which one is relevant to your case.

Finding Providence Lawyers

There are many different ways to look for Providence lawyers, and some may garner great results for some and discouraging results for others. But don’t give up! There are more than enough good Providence lawyers to help even those with the most difficult cases find justice. Here are a few popular ways for residents to get in contact with Providence lawyers:

1. Ask the people around you for a suggestion. Legal strife is so common that the chances are very high that a friend, family member or coworker has had similar legal problems to yours. If so, they may have dealt with a Providence lawyer who helped them win their case, and may be able help yours too. Even if the Providence lawyer in question is too busy to take on your case, or they deal in a separate area of law than is relevant for you, they may be able to refer you to just the Providence lawyer you are looking for.

2. Use a referral service. Referral services are excellent resources because they correct all the problems of the personal suggestion system. Rather than depending on your particular relationships, these services are available to anyone, and they always recommend lawyers relevant to your needs. The way a referral service works is you speak to a trained legal professional about where you live and what the case is that you are looking to take to court. You are then directed to a Providence lawyer with the past experience to help you win big. These services cost a small amount, but the first consultation is free. Plus, the referral service does question and certify all of the lawyers they refer, so you know you’re getting a professional. Many private services are available, but the Rhode Island Bar Association also runs a service that can be contacted online through this site.

3. Don’t disregard ads. Sometimes legal ads look cheesy, so we don’t trust them. However, the most important fact to remember about such ads is that they exist at all. Most Providence lawyers can’t afford to advertise on television or in newspapers, so those that do must have had very successful practices to afford their ads. That past success is a fairly good indication of more success still to come.

4. Always research. If you’ve used another search method such as the Yellow Pages or Google, or even if you’ve used one of the methods above, it still pays to take a little extra time out to research the Providence lawyer you are considering hiring. Check to see if they’ve appeared on the news recently or if they’re written any legal articles related to the laws in your case. Make sure to investigate if there is any evidence of disciplinary action having been taken against them in the past.

Reporting Problems with Your Providence Lawyer

No one hires a Providence lawyer because their life is so smooth and stress-free that they need to press legal action. Instead, we needs Providence lawyers to help us pay for medical bills, maintain the right to use our home, or defend our name in a criminal court. It is simply unavoidable that such tense times would result in arguments and disagreements with your Providence lawyer, and most of these should blow over quickly given a little patience and calm.

If, after a period of reflecting on the circumstances that led to your dispute, you believe that your Providence has committed an ethics violation, then you should report them to the Disciplinary Board of the Rhode Island Judiciary. This will launch an investigation into your Providence lawyer’s actions that may result in their debarment. Examples of ethics violations include your attorney neglecting to do important paper work which resulted in irreparable harm to your case, or your Providence lawyer revealed confidential information about your case without your permission. To contact the Disciplinary Board, call (401) 222-3270.

You should not contact the Disciplinary Board if you have a concern regarding your Providence lawyer’s fees. If you are in a disagreement concerning their fees, then you may be able to take advantage of the Fee Arbitration Committee of the Rhode Island Bar Association. Arbitration is a hearing that’s less formal than a trial, where Providence lawyers and their clients can work towards finding a resolution to their dispute in a non-partial environment with a supervising Committee judge or judges. To register for Fee Arbitration, simply fill out the form available at the Bar Association’s website and return it to them. The form can be found here.