Litigation is expensive. Some costs are absolute! Court fees are non-negotiable. Third party fees such as court reporters, depositions, process servers and others continue to rise. Attorney fees are expensive. What do you do if you need to file a lawsuit against a person or business?
1. Be prepared before you first meet with a litigation attorney.
a. Have your documents, if any, in order. Prepare a timeline of events.
b. Have the proper names, addresses and contact information, if available, for the person or entity you want to sue.
c. Be prepared to explain what damages you have suffered, and if there is a monetary value, be prepared to discuss how you arrived at that amount. If there is other relief you are seeking in your litigation, such as an injunction/restraining order, then explain precisely what you are seeking.
2. After you have retained a litigation attorney.
a. Communications with your litigation attorney should be organized. Collect your questions and/or information to cover the issues in an email or telephone conference. Sending numerous emails and/or picking up the telephone each time you think of something, may cost you money for the attorney’s time.
b. Always be factually accurate and truthful. Remember your attorney needs to know the “good, the bad and the ugly” related to your matter to effectively represent you.
c. Listen to your attorney’s advice related to proceeding with your matter. You are paying the attorney to provide you with legal advice related to legal relief that is possible, legal strategy and other related recommendations. You do not have to agree, but you need to listen. However, if the attorney advises you that something is legally not possible or illegal, if you do not follow that advice, the attorney may need to withdraw.
d. Review your invoices. Generally, the attorney does not prepare the invoice and errors can occur. If you have a question about your invoice, ask the question immediately.
These are but a few examples of you, a legal client, can control your litigation expenses. For additional information on controlling legal fees, contact Liam Perry, at The Loftin Firm, P.C.