Do I Need A Pro Bono Attorney? Do They Really Offer Free Legal Help? How Do I Find A Free Attorney?

It's a fact that the average person will face 4 to 6 legal situations every year. In fact, 50% of all households have a pressing legal situation right now (and the fact that you're reading this probably means you've got a legal situation). Of course, a legal situation is just being in trouble with the law, but rather a legal situation is any situation in which the advice of a competent attorney would be beneficial to your situation. It's also a fact that the national average And while we live in a country founded upon the premise of "Equal Justice Under Law," for most people actually getting the legal help they need is often times a matter of choosing between legal help and eating or having a roof over one's head. The average attorney charges around $300 per hour, usually with a retainer fee, which is an up-front fee of a certain number of hours pre-paid in advance (so 5 hours at $300 per hour would yield a $1,500 retainer fee), with any additional time paid as it accrues. Given this, it's no wonder why most people find it cheaper to just get ripped off rather than go to an attorney! If you are in a situation where you need or may need legal counsel, what options do you have?

Pro Bono: What It Is... And What It Isn't

The term pro bono comes from the Latin pro bono publico, or "for the public good." The concept being that, since many people cannot afford legal help (I've even met lawyers who admitted that they couldn't afford their own law firms rates!), legal help should be given to those who need it most (and are least able to pay for it). Most people are aware of the idea of a pro bono attorney because they've heard of them on television or in the movies. A "free attorney" is a powerful idea, and so the concept sticks in the mind.

In the United States, the American Bar Association (ABA) recommends attorneys give 50 hours of free service per year. However, various state and city regulations can and do amend that, some recommending as few as 20 hours. The biggest point to note is that these are not required of the attorneys, generally; and across the board, most law firms do not come close to their required hours.

The ABA does have a list of pro bono attorney groups and law firms available on their website. Most of those listed, however, are for specific cases or issue types (e.g., for legal issues dealing with the Arts or the Humanities, etc.). If you need an attorney for a personal issue, you may have a hard time finding an attorney in your area who specializes in the field you need and who can accept your case (assuming, of course, that you even qualify). So if you can't find a pro bono attorney, what other options do you have?

Option 1: Legal Aid

Legal Aid is available in some form in all 50 states. It is a pro bono service (i.e., there to serve the public good), but it is not always a free service. Legal Aid attorneys are sometimes public defenders, and often paid for wholly or partially by state or local subsidies. Legal Aid sprung in part out of the necessity of needing to provide legal help for those who could not find a pro-bono attorney. Many attorneys who offer their service through Legal Aid will work on a reduced fee system, and some will work for free. However, income qualifications and issue qualifications must be met, and there is often a waiting list ranging from months to years for certain issues and in certain municipalities.

If Legal Aid isn't an option, there is one other option which most people are unaware of but which can greatly benefit most people.

Option 2: Insurance Type Legal Services

Legal Insurance and insurance type products have been available in the United States for about 40 years, although they are common in some European nations (with as many as 80% of some nations having a plan of this type). Legal insurance and pre-paid legal service plans work much like medical insurance, with a small premium granting access to a range of various legal services, from consultation, letters and phone calls, document review, and representation in court. The benefit of legal insurance plans is that they are very affordable for most budgets, often costing less than the cost of one standard hour of attorney time for an entire years worth of coverage. These plans cannot, however, cover 100% of all legal expenses, so some legal issues might incur additional costs (generally things like bankruptcy, child custody and divorce, as well as criminal charges). Such costs are often defrayed by percentage discounts off of the hourly rate of the attorney or attorneys providing the service.

Justin West has a BA in Philosophy and History, and has put them to use by working in the legal field for 8 years. He's in his early 30s, married with three children, and he runs a website, http://www.legalsolutions911.com/, which has information about legal insurance style plans. He also helps others build legal businesses of their own through his alternate site: http://www.yourbrightestfuture.com/.

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How To Qualify For An Offer In Compromise

An offer in compromise is an official agreement that is made between a taxpayer and the government, when a taxpayer needs tax help. This offer, if accepted, allows the taxpayer to pay only a portion of what is owed in taxes. Tax attorneys may be able to help you submit this offer, but form 656, which is the required form for offer submission, is readily available with instructions at IRS.gov. The form is 28 pages long, which is mostly made up of instructions and qualifications.

According to this form, tax help could be a few steps away. There are a few simple qualifications that must be met before an offer in compromise can be accepted. First, All tax returns must be filed and up to date, and all estimated tax payments must be made for the current year. If you own a business, all federal tax deposits for the current quarter need to be up to date as well. If you are currently involved in an open bankruptcy case, the prepared Offer in Compromise will not be accepted.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you decide to submit an offer in compromise, or if you have your tax lawyer submit one for you. Interest will still build up on your account. If the tax period isn't over, i.e. Taxes aren't due to be filed yet, or those taxes that are filed have not yet been assessed, you cannot submit an offer for that period. If you have already had a lien placed on an item of yours, the item will still be held until the offer is approved; however, no new liens should be placed during the application process.

The Offer in Compromise does carry a fee of $150, which will be waived for those who fall under low income certification guidelines. After your offer is accepted, you will be able to choose from 2 different payment plan options. If you can pay one the shorter plan, the government will often accept a lesser amount. Tax lawyers may be able to help you submit the best compromise, and increase the likelihood of being accepted. If your offer in compromise is not accepted, a reputable tax lawyer may be needed to help you explore other options. You do have thirty days to dispute the rejection.

Tax attorneys often know what options are out there, and they may be able to help you meet the qualifications for this offer, or they may have more detailed information on repayment options. The most important thing to remember is to maintain contact with the IRS, and make payments that you can afford as often as possible. If you are putting forth every effort to make payments, the IRS will be more willing to work with you, and less likely to garnish bank accounts or place liens on your property.

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Do All States Offer Arrest Records?

Not all states allow the public to have access to arrest records. These are states that are less strict such as the state of Oklahoma. There laws are less strict when it comes to criminal history, background search and arrests. The Oklahoma State Open Records Act has made provision for members of the public to view and have access and inspect all government records. In spite of this law citizens are protected by the law and in most instances permission is required to view such records.

When searching for records while conducting a background and criminal check there is data for sale on websites. How is data obtained from websites? Brokers and providers buy their arrest records and criminal information from the various states. However, there are still certain states that will not sell their information to these websites for background searches and some states will only allow some of this information to be sold and will not release the all the arrest files or conviction data.

When it comes to state procedures, the records can be processed by fingerprint submissions or name based submissions. You can search through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation if you have a name based submission. When requesting records you need to submit the person's date of birth as well as their full name. Such records can also be referred to as record of arrest and prosecution sheets.

One can request arrest records in different ways such as via email requesting the arrest records or by visiting the Oklahoma SBI, or requesting that the records be faxed to you or you can go online and do a search directly. However, when searching online you will be requested to pay around $15 for each name submitted. Another alternative is to visit the sheriff or local police office for these types of records.

From state to state these criminal and arrest records available are not standard, which means the accuracy of these records may not be quality. Before signing up with an agency make certain what information they are able to access. A background check can be multi-state or national.

Also bear in mind that the quality as well as the cost and delivery time will differ from one agency to another. These checks are usually name based and one can only gain access to the person's convictions and not their arrest records in most instances.

For more information on arrest records, please visit arrest records site now.

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