Important: This article is intended to provide general information and is not legal advice. The facts of every legal matter are different, and the law itself can change. For advice about your specific legal question or situation, MNLRIS recommends consulting with a licensed Minnesota attorney who can apply current Minnesota law to the facts of your case.
Minnesota Lawyer Referral helps puts your search for a qualified, private attorney in good hands.
When you call or reach out to our service, our trained referral counselors will:
- Review your legal issue
- Gather information an attorney needs to assess a case
- Conduct a “conflict check”
- Connect you to an experienced, quality attorney, specific to your legal issue.
- Send you convenient text message and email confirmations with the attorney’s contact details so that you can schedule an initial consult with the attorney directly.
Appointments can often be scheduled within 2 business days.
A referral counselor can’t give you legal advice, but they can help you understand what type of lawyer you need. When they review your legal issue, their goal will be to:
- Understand your legal situation
- Determine which type of lawyer would be best to represent you
If you’re not sure what type of lawyer you need, you’re not alone. Most people are too busy with work, school, parenting, or daily life to know all the ins and outs of legal practice areas.
Our referral counselors can refer you to one of hundreds of local attorneys who have a broad array of legal experience. Some of those attorneys may focus their practice on cases like yours. A referral counselor can help identify the lawyers that are available and most familiar with your legal issue.
What is a Conflict Check?
Conflicts most often arise in civil proceedings, especially when business or family is involved. If a lawyer at one time represented the other party in your case or has some kind of existing working relationship with the opposition, professional conduct rules may preclude them from taking your case.
If your case is criminal in nature, conflict checks generally won’t be an issue. These conflicts are more likely in family, bankruptcy, or business litigation, especially when there are a limited number of local attorneys with thorough knowledge about an obscure aspect of civil law.
Is Minnesota Lawyer Referral a Free Service?
Minnesota Lawyer Referral connects clients with qualified private attorneys in over 40 areas of expertise. Our service charges a $30 administrative fee in most cases before you are connected with an attorney.
All Minnesota Lawyer Referral attorneys charge fees for future legal services. Every attorney has shown that they are qualified in a particular area of law practice and have met many qualifications standards om order to accept those type of cases from us We refer clients to an attorney in just about every area of law practice in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties (with limited availability in Greater Minnesota). Note, you are under no obligation to hire the attorney for future legal work. If you do decide to hire them for legal services, fees are arranged between you and the attorney.
The MNLRIS administrative fee is waived for people who are seeking legal representation for:
- Personal injury
- Product liability
- Medical or legal malpractice
- Social Security Disability
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Workers’ compensation
Other users will be charged a $30 administrative fee. If you need an additional referral for the same issue, you can get up to three referrals without being charged a second administrative fee. There is no additional charge by the attorney for the initial consultation, regardless of the type of case.
What Can I Expect During My Attorney Consultation?
During your free initial consultation, the attorney to which you’ve been referred will:
- Listen to your specific situation
- Explain your options from a legal standpoint in language the average non-lawyer can understand
- Help you understand your rights under the law
- Provide a brief explanation of the potential resolutions for your legal problem
- Estimate the time and cost required to reach a resolution in your case
There are a few important things to keep in mind whenever you speak with an attorney during an initial consultation:
- You are in the driver’s seat – you are looking for someone who is the right fit to work with you
- You do not have to work with the first attorney you consult with
- If you’re unhappy with the attorney or you just don’t think they would be a good fit for you and your case, you can call Minnesota Lawyer Referral again for a second consultation (the $30 fee will be waived)
- Do a bit of research ahead of time and write down some questions
- Future communications with the lawyer may be billable, so get the most out of your initial 30 minute consultation
Don’t be afraid to ask for additional details or more easily understandable answers to your questions, if needed. Lawyers, like doctors, might forget that that the average person isn’t immersed in legal language and the specifics of obscure statutes or case law. Asking for clarification is always better than leaving confused.
Get Your Lawyer Referral Today
Referral counselors at Minnesota Lawyer Referral are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. You can call us at (612) 752-6699 to request assistance finding a lawyer in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area or fill out the assistance request form on our website.
The post What Can I Expect During the Referral Processes of Finding a Lawyer? first appeared on Minnesota Lawyer Referral and Information Service.
