Guide to Finding Salem Lawyer

A Short Introduction to Salem Lawyers

Salem is the capitol of Oregon, and it is home to a bustling population that has been steadily growing consistently since the city’s inception. In a culture as litigative as America’s, many of those people will need lawyers at some point in their lives, and thankfully there’s no shortage of Salem lawyers to choose from. That doesn’t mean that finding the right Salem lawyer for you is easy. Rather, it requires knowing a significant amount about when to contact the different Salem lawyers out their, how to contact them, and your own financial abilities.

Statutes of Limitation

Legal experts all agree that you should contact a Salem lawyer as soon as you realize that you want to pursue legal action. For criminal cases or bankruptcy, this is obvious because you have either a coming hearing set or creditors threatening repossession, and you need as much time as possible to prepare your case. However, even with other cases swiftness is necessary, particularly in tort law where strict statutes of limitation are in place.

This means that the state government limits the amount of time an individual has to place a complaint. That time can range anywhere from one year in cases of unlawful trade practices to six years for contracts and ten years for judgments. In personal injury actions, an individual has two years from the date of the injury to press charges, while in product liability, an individual has two years from the date of the discovery of product failure, as is the case with negligence causing personal injury. However, with medical malpractice it is two years from the date of injury, just like with personal injuries. If you have questions about which categories apply to you, you should contact a Salem lawyer right away.

Finding a Salem Lawyer

Given the popular state of Salem, Oregon today, it can be somewhat intimidating finding the right Salem lawyer for you. There are so many options available that it can be hard to know the right places to look. Thankfully, some of the best are the simplest. One favorite is simply asking around for a personal recommendation. If a coworker or family member has had a great experience with a Salem lawyer in the past, working on a case similar to yours, you should make an appointment right away to see if you too can benefit from that attorney’s intelligence.

Another great method that many people aren’t aware of is legal referral services. For these, you talk about your legal needs with a trained professional who will then recommend a Salem lawyer in your area. These services cost some money, but the first first consultation is free. Many users find these services worthwhile because they know that no matter the Salem lawyer the service recommends, they’ve been double checked by the referral service so that there’s no question of the capability of their legal qualifications.

Finally, don’t forget that you should always research any attorney you find, especially if you find them without a recommendation, as through a directly or an online search engine. They could still be wonderful lawyers, but check to see first that they’re registered Bar Association members with no disciplinary history via the Oregon State Bar’s website, here. Afterwards, see if they’ve been reviewed anywhere recently and if they’ve ever appeared in a newspaper.

Salem Lawyers for Low and Moderate Income Individuals

Many of the people who most need the services of Salem lawyers can’t obtain them because they charge legal fees that are prohibitively high for many incomes. Thankfully, many Salem lawyers provide volunteer or low-cost services for qualifying individuals. For example, Legal Aid Services are nonprofit organizations that provide council in non-criminal legal matters. The regular branch for Marion County is located at 1655 State Street in Salem and can be reached at (503) 581-5265, though keep in mind that applications for services are only heard on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Some individuals may have too much wealth to qualify for Legal Aid Services, but still not enough to afford regular Salem lawyers. That’s why the Modest Means Program exists, which gets individuals from moderate incomes Salem lawyers at a reduced rate. They handle criminal law cases, family law, and landlord/tenant and foreclosure issues. If you are interested, complete the following form and you will be notified one day after its return whether or not you qualify.

Reporting Problems with Your Salem Lawyer

Salem lawyers are required by law to uphold strict ethical and professional standards in their jobs, and they can be held accountable if they do not. However, remember that most attorney-client disputes are insignificant and blow over within a few days. If you believe that your Salem lawyer has done something wrong, take a day or two to think about the situation and see if its importance doesn’t slip somewhat in your eyes.

However, if after reflection you still believe that your Salem lawyer has committed an ethical breach, then you should report it to the Oregon State Bar Association. An investigation will be launched which may end in your Salem lawyer being disbarred. If financial losses occurred because of legal malpractice, you may be able to find resources there to help you file a tort action against your Salem lawyer to help you recover costs. Remember, ethical violations include things like repeated negligence or the revealing of confidential information; simply using your case isn’t enough to file a complaint. To learn more, visit the State Bar’s website here.

You also shouldn’t file a complaint if your argument with your Salem lawyer concerns his legal fees. If that is the case, then you can still find help in the Bar’s Fee Arbitration program. This allows Salem lawyers and their clients to discuss the fee dispute and work towards a resolution in a respectful manner while operating in a formal environment called arbitration that is binding but less strict than an actual court. For more information, call (503) 431-6334.