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Studies show that lots of people are caught up every year in matters that might lead to a court case. However, because most people do not possess a prepaid legal plan or other prepaid legal service contracts they will not benefit from legal assistance. In a legal situation your initial consideration ought to be "What are my legal rights?" Unless you understand your legal rights, you could lose income, time, or your property.

There are various occasions in our life when we need to hire an attorney. Before even examining the questions you might put to any legal| professional and before contracting for their assistance there will be one question that you must ask yourself first, "Do I require a lawyer?"

It is possible that whatever problem you happen to be experiencing could be taken care of without the need for a lawyer and the sensible use of communication and good judgment can solve the majority of differences when your first instinct would be to open the phone book and hunt for a lawyer.

For instance, a problem with your neighbor concerning a boundary fence, excessive noise or the myriad of issues that arise every now and then with neighbors may be more effectively resolved by talking to your neighbor directly or through a third party like a mediator.

Other cases that you can deal with yourself include the small claims procedure in your state which is set up to allow ordinary people to handle their disputes without the need for hefty legal fees. Court staffs are usually quite helpful in answering any questions that you might have and will give you the right forms to fill out and the appropriate procedure to follow.

An important factor to also consider prior to hiring a lawyer is this: the lay litigant, who is an ordinary person without legal representation, as I see it, always gets a good deal from the court and the main reason for this is the ideals on which our legal system was constructed.

As you think of laws and justice, a symbol you will always envision are the scales of justice. They represent a leveling out of the rights of every person in any legal dispute on which a judge will rule. Judges are very conscious of the need to make sure that when faced with a choice that they are keeping those scales balanced. When a judge is faced with a lay litigant on the one hand and an experienced attorney on the other side of the argument the judge will almost always make certain that the scales are well balanced by being very helpful and courteous towards the lay litigant to make sure that his rights aren't trampled on by a polished, experienced lawyer.

For that reason you may think about representing yourself in less serious disputes and where the price of hiring a lawyer is exorbitant or where you may truly be totally strapped for cash. However it is best to think long and hard before representing yourself as it can prove very costly in the long run.