Guide to Finding San Diego Lawyer

A Brief Introduction to San Diego Lawyers

San Diego is an ever-growing metropolis that can boast of not only having a booming economy and the best weather in America but also one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Despite how wonderful it is to live in San Diego, many of its residents find themselves in need of a good San Diego lawyer at some point in their life. Whether it is to clear your name in a criminal court, press a medical malpractice complaint, file for bankruptcy or fight for more child support, there are many worthwhile uses for San Diego lawyers. Hiring one may not be your happiest moment, but it could be the best decision you ever make.

Specializations for San Diego Lawyers

Law schools are three year programs with intensive studies in all areas of law, and before any student can become a lawyer, then have to pass an all-encompassing Bar examination. The point of such rigorous educational requirements is to ensure that all San Diego lawyers can practice all types of law. Yet even if San Diego lawyers are all perfectly qualified to take your case, that doesn’t mean they all have the same experience level. If you want a San Diego lawyer who is intimately familiar with the terms and concepts related to your case, you may want to look for a Specialist.

Legal Specializations are a legal designation created the the State Bar of California to signify attorneys who are particularly adept and able in one field of law. A San Diego lawyer is only awarded a Specialization if they meet several stringent requirements. These vary from legal field to legal field, but they usually include five years of field work, additional education, testing, and a peer review. Here is a summary of the Specialization being offered by the State Bar:

• Admiralty and Maritime Law

• Appellate Law

• Bankruptcy Law

• Criminal Law

• Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law

• Family Law

• Franchise and Distribution Law

• Immigration and Nationality Law

• Legal Malpractice Law

• Taxation Law

• Workers' Compensation Law

A few additional areas of law have Specializations given to them by outside organizations, but the California State Bar recognizes the certifications. Those areas are:

• Business Bankruptcy Law

• Consumer Bankruptcy Law

• Creditors' Rights Law

• Civil Trial Advocacy

• Criminal Trial Advocacy

• Family Law Trial Advocacy

• Social Security Disability Law

• Medical Malpractice

• Elder Law

• Juvenile Law (Child Welfare)

Only look for a Specialist if one of those fields applies to your case, as to do otherwise would be to negate the entire purpose of the Specialization Program. You also shouldn’t disregard any San Diego lawyer without a Specialization. They’re rare and given out only to a few highly qualified attorneys; the San Diego lawyer who can do the best job for your case may not have a Specialization. However, in times when experience and sophisticated legal understanding are called for, the Specialization distinction recommends itself.

Statutes of Limitation

Most San Diego lawyers recommend that you contact them as soon as possible after you know you need legal assistance. This should be obvious in criminal cases, since a timetable of hearings has already been set, and you need to be as prepared for them as you can be. It’s also a no-brainer if you are filing for bankruptcy, since you are being dogged by creditors and risk losing your property if you don’t act quickly.

Yet with tort actions, where you are simply registering a civil complaint against an other entity, it is also important. This is because the state of California has in place strict statutes of limitation which cap the amount of time an individual has to file a civil complaint. For cases of legal malpractice or defamation, an individual only has one year to file a complaint, while for written contracts and domestic judgments the time limit is four and six years, respectively. For product liability and personal injury claims, there is a two year statute of limitations in place, but for cases of medical malpractice and injury to personal property it is a three year limit from the date of the injury.

Exceptions and technical jargon do apply, so make sure to contact a San Diego lawyer as soon as possible to discuss which statute applies to you and whether you are able to file a civil action.

Reporting Problems with San Diego Lawyers

The vast majority of San Diego lawyers do excellent jobs for their clients and fight for their rights. Occasionally arguments develop between San Diego lawyers and their clients, and this doesn’t necessarily indicate wrongdoing on either side. After all, it makes sense that with such pressure on both of you to do well, passions may boil over and disputes result. Most of these can be solved with nothing more than a day’s reflection and some calm words and understanding the next day.

On the other hand, you may believe that your San Diego lawyer has committed an ethics violation. This is a very serious claim, more than just that they’re a bad lawyer. It means they’ve violated the essential rules for being a lawyer. That could mean something very specific, such as telling opposing council something about your case that should have been protected under attorney-client privilege. It could also mean several instances of neglect, such as failing to appear in court and failing to file the proper paper work on time, that led to harm being done to your case. These instances should be reported to the State Bar of California, which can be reached at (800) 843-9053. You may also want to contact a legal malpractice lawyer to see about suing your San Diego lawyer for damages.

Neither of these routes are likely open to you if your disagreement with your San Diego lawyer is based on their fee system. What you should do if that is the case is contact the Fee Arbitration Program with the San Diego County Bar Association. Arbitration is an impartial and efficient conflict resolution process where both parties will state their side of the story and a trained arbitrator will assist them in configuring a compromise.