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02 Apr, 2018 by Angela
I recently hired Mr. Burns to represent me in my child support/custody case . I had consulted with other local attorneys in the area before meeting with Erik . While they seemed disinterested in what I had to say , Erik immediately said he would take my case. From the very beginning , I could tell how passionate he is about what he does ! He treated me like more than just another client . He treated me like a friend or a family member. I could really tell he cared . Erik kept me informed through every step of the process and was always there to answer any questions I had . He and his secretary were always available for me whenever I called or emailed them ! Erik was extremely diligent in researching every aspect of my case to ensure he got me the best possible results . Erik fought for me and my daughter every step of the way , without fail ! Erik not only won my case for me but he got me even more than I had initially expected . If you are looking for an attorney that will fight for you and your family like he would fight for his own then Erik Burns is the attorney for you ! I promise you that you will not be disappointed !!!!
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01 Feb, 2018 by Megan
Erik is great at what he does! He is incredibly professional and thorough and always responds in a timely manner. He has helped our family through more than he will ever know. If you ever need an attorney, he is your guy!
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28 Nov, 2017 by Nicole tassin pourciau
I wanted to take an opportunity to write a review for Erik Burns. He represented me in 2012 for a child custody hearing. Erik fought zealously for my rights as a parent and for my daughter, researching and working beyond the scope of his engagement. He was able to get excellent information on record, as well. I am fortunate to have had Erik as my attorney and proud to call him my friend. Now that I am a Tulane graduate in General Legal Studies and a competent paralegal, I can intelligently comment and praise Erik in his professionalism and efforts. He wrote an amazing motion and was very thorough in his details covering the facts and enumerating the legal issues at hand before the court. Even though we lost, it wasn't because Erik wasn't awesome, didn't do his job or because he dropped the ball. It was because we had a prejudiced judge, plain and simple. And sadly, that happens, but losing does NOT deter me from confidently recommending Erik or from praising his valiant efforts. A non-biased judge would have made a different call.
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13 Dec, 2022 by Crafted in the woods
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02 Oct, 2022 by Danielle monteleone
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16 Aug, 2022 by Jordan gonzales
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02 Jul, 2024 by Larry clark
Professional, Courteous, and Accurate Service. Excellent attention to detail. Easy to do business with. Recommended
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05 May, 2024 by Rs-lawn care llc
Great service
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16 Apr, 2024 by Tosha misner
Closed many of my clients real estate purchases here as well as my own home! Dylan and Brandy are the best!!!
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19 Mar, 2021 by Grayson
I hired her and she was great working on my case. I would recommend hiring this lawyer.
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02 Sep, 2019 by Randy thomas
DIVORCED
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12 Aug, 2024 by Chesity boutte
I highly recommend Mr Brad he's a good lawyer
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02 Apr, 2024 by Dwayne fisher
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28 Mar, 2024 by Lah jigg
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12 Aug, 2024 by Chesity boutte
I highly recommend Mr Brad he's a good lawyer
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02 Apr, 2024 by Dwayne fisher
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28 Mar, 2024 by Lah jigg
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18 Sep, 2024 by Amanda rickards
Professional Title has always been so helpful! The attorney and staff have always been helpful and responsive in a very timely manner. I highly recommend doing business with them!
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16 Jul, 2024 by Alys richardson
The attorney was very helpful and kind. My grandson and his wife were closing on their first house. The attorney explained the documents in an understandable way.
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14 Apr, 2024 by Marshall porter
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18 Sep, 2024 by Amanda rickards
Professional Title has always been so helpful! The attorney and staff have always been helpful and responsive in a very timely manner. I highly recommend doing business with them!
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16 Jul, 2024 by Alys richardson
The attorney was very helpful and kind. My grandson and his wife were closing on their first house. The attorney explained the documents in an understandable way.
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14 Apr, 2024 by Marshall porter
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16 Jul, 2024 by Judy jan tuma
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15 Feb, 2024 by Tammy mangipano
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20 Jan, 2024 by Tarrbaby316 tarr
He is officer of the court before he is a lawyer to his clients. People need to remember. Lawyers our loyal to the court first before their loyal to their clients...
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16 Jul, 2024 by Judy jan tuma
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15 Feb, 2024 by Tammy mangipano
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20 Jan, 2024 by Tarrbaby316 tarr
He is officer of the court before he is a lawyer to his clients. People need to remember. Lawyers our loyal to the court first before their loyal to their clients...
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21 Sep, 2022 by Anonymous
I was in a Car Wreck & even though it took so long to get a settlement because of Covid...He did an amazing job..At the end i was satisfied
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08 Jun, 2022 by Drew clarke
Ashley is the best there is in helping navigate through the stresses of needing an attorney.
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18 Feb, 2022 by Raegan hebert
Robb is a life saver!! He explained everything thoroughly & in a way I could understand. It was a long process but I was very well taken care of & never worried. His office staff is so pleasant & never seemed bothered when I had a question. My case was settled with no complications! Thank you for being there for me during a terrible time!
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23 Feb, 2023 by Curtis melcher
Ms. Mary and her team was very knowledgeable and professional also had quick response times when I had questions to ask along with a great attitude. Thanks to her and her team I now have a little more peace of mind!
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04 Sep, 2022 by Paul dufreche
Never called me back
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18 Jan, 2016 by Anonymous
Ms. Barrios is a great attorney. We had a law suit many years ago against an apartment complex owner that refused to pay his bill for our construction work. She won the suit for us. Of course we were very pleased. We call her our tiger, because she will GO GET 'EM!!
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02 Sep, 2024 by Anonymous
She is very unprofessional, and she’s more interested in impressing and fraternizing with court staffers, rather than preparing for a case to begin in a matter of minutes (such as meeting with her only witness for the first time, ever). She neglected to inform me that there had been a prior pre-trial hearing, I knew nothing about, and further neglected to tell me the defense was presenting witnesses. I had no idea about these witnesses in the courtroom, who they were or to what they would even be testifying. How could we properly prepare for court without knowing this critical information? She didn’t even know who the witnesses were at court, and had to ask me! But, I didn’t know! That’s when I first saw the pre-trial hearing orders (she pulled out) with witness names. It was too late to prepare. I’d had no chance to submit interrogatories on what these witnesses would be testifying about, and certainly no present rebuttal witnesses. This was court day! Additionally, Ponthieu never introduced herself to my one witness, and they had NEVER spoken before. What kind of preparation is that? The witness sat, just two empty rows behind her counsel chair, and we had over a half-hour of waiting (in an empty courtroom) because the minute clerk was at home. She didn’t know there was a hearing that day. So, on the stand, would be the first time Ponthieu had ever communicated with my witness. DeVonna Ponthieu chooses to believe she won my case when, in fact, we only won HALF of my case. (I should also note, one of my court orders received in the mail from Ponthieu’s office, had toddler scribble on it. When I inquired, Ponthieu didn’t know about this scribble, and said her secretary had her children at the office, recently, so that must be how that happened. When I think about it, it reminds me of the first day I met Ponthieu. I had an appointment at her office and as I was walking from the parking area, I stumbled upon a large FedEx envelope lying on the ground, in the rain. I brought it inside. I sat in the empty reception area, waiting for someone to acknowledge me, all the while, I could hear someone begin scrubbing a toilet with a toilet brush. I sat and waited, but it didn’t appear anyone was coming. After about 10 minutes, I stuck my head around the corner into Ponthieu’s office. She thought she was waiting on me, when I was the one waiting. Poor hearing? The front door was only a few feet from her open office door, and I certainly didn’t sneak in. There was no receptionist present. Ponthieu was alone, scrubbing a toilet.)
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22 Apr, 2015 by Laura
She was great and provided a lot of detail.
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11 Feb, 2015 by Lee
I was referred to Ms Ponthieu through a trusted friend. She has always been courteous, and patient with explaining answers and legal terms that I can understand. She made my divorce and civil matters painless and easy. I have and continue to refer her to my personal friends as well as acquaintances on numerous occasions. If you want a lawyer who genuinely cares about your issues as much as you do, please look no further.
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17 Jul, 2020 by Lawanna luke
It wasn't the firm I was looking for.
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20 Jan, 2019 by Belinda
Ms. Burkett was professional and personable at the same time. She helped us through a very difficult time when having to settle our mothers estate. She was amazing and I would recommend her to everyone.
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11 Jan, 2019 by Anonymous
I consulted her on several occasions regarding legal issues and she was able to help me decide if I need legal representation.
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14 Jun, 2024 by Ashton molieri
My husband and I used Allison Costanza. She initially told us what the max cost should be, and we paid the full amount up front. She called us back into her office to proofread all the paperwork and on all the pages it had another person’s name and SSN. She would correct one page and bring it back to us then we had to point out it was on all the pages. I’m assuming the person was another client of hers (I have a picture of the name, DOB and SSN of the person but I’m not going to share that) it had us a little frightened because I was not sure if that would happen to us for someone else’s paperwork. We had already taken off work several times to meet up with her but then weeks later Allison tells me that she forgot to tell us that we to go have our fingerprints and background checks done (charged us for that email) as soon as we can, so we missed more work because of this when she could have told us this up front and we could have had everything handled in one day and no extra time would’ve been taken off work. The court date was very smooth (way to smooth for the amount of money we paid) after it was all said and done, Allison then tries to tell me the steps that needed to be taken to obtain new birth certificates, which the step she told me were all wrong and I had to do all the digging and work myself for it. Fast forward to today, we have been receiving bills saying we owe more money, I spoke with Allison on the phone today 6/14/24 and tell her that we just were not happy with her services, and I don’t feel it was right to charge us more money and she stated that she doesn’t understand why I’m nit picking everything she has done wrong when we got what we wanted. $2573 was what we paid for very very simple services (this is why I’m “NIT PICKING”) this is our experience with Allison its not nit picking, it’s the experience we had with her. I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING ALLISON COSTANZA.
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20 Dec, 2023 by Brent miles
This law firm stands out for their professionalism, clear communication, and dedication to achieving optimal results. The team is not only highly knowledgeable but also approachable, making the legal process smooth and understandable. I highly recommend this firm for anyone seeking top-notch legal representation.
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16 Aug, 2023 by Taylor hunt
Extremely friendly & helpful staff! Professional & experienced attorneys. 10/10 would recommend for legal needs!
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14 Jun, 2024 by Ashton molieri
My husband and I used Allison Costanza. She initially told us what the max cost should be, and we paid the full amount up front. She called us back into her office to proofread all the paperwork and on all the pages it had another person’s name and SSN. She would correct one page and bring it back to us then we had to point out it was on all the pages. I’m assuming the person was another client of hers (I have a picture of the name, DOB and SSN of the person but I’m not going to share that) it had us a little frightened because I was not sure if that would happen to us for someone else’s paperwork. We had already taken off work several times to meet up with her but then weeks later Allison tells me that she forgot to tell us that we to go have our fingerprints and background checks done (charged us for that email) as soon as we can, so we missed more work because of this when she could have told us this up front and we could have had everything handled in one day and no extra time would’ve been taken off work. The court date was very smooth (way to smooth for the amount of money we paid) after it was all said and done, Allison then tries to tell me the steps that needed to be taken to obtain new birth certificates, which the step she told me were all wrong and I had to do all the digging and work myself for it. Fast forward to today, we have been receiving bills saying we owe more money, I spoke with Allison on the phone today 6/14/24 and tell her that we just were not happy with her services, and I don’t feel it was right to charge us more money and she stated that she doesn’t understand why I’m nit picking everything she has done wrong when we got what we wanted. $2573 was what we paid for very very simple services (this is why I’m “NIT PICKING”) this is our experience with Allison its not nit picking, it’s the experience we had with her. I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING ALLISON COSTANZA.
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20 Dec, 2023 by Brent miles
This law firm stands out for their professionalism, clear communication, and dedication to achieving optimal results. The team is not only highly knowledgeable but also approachable, making the legal process smooth and understandable. I highly recommend this firm for anyone seeking top-notch legal representation.
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16 Aug, 2023 by Taylor hunt
Extremely friendly & helpful staff! Professional & experienced attorneys. 10/10 would recommend for legal needs!
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14 Jun, 2024 by Ashton molieri
My husband and I used Allison Costanza. She initially told us what the max cost should be, and we paid the full amount up front. She called us back into her office to proofread all the paperwork and on all the pages it had another person’s name and SSN. She would correct one page and bring it back to us then we had to point out it was on all the pages. I’m assuming the person was another client of hers (I have a picture of the name, DOB and SSN of the person but I’m not going to share that) it had us a little frightened because I was not sure if that would happen to us for someone else’s paperwork. We had already taken off work several times to meet up with her but then weeks later Allison tells me that she forgot to tell us that we to go have our fingerprints and background checks done (charged us for that email) as soon as we can, so we missed more work because of this when she could have told us this up front and we could have had everything handled in one day and no extra time would’ve been taken off work. The court date was very smooth (way to smooth for the amount of money we paid) after it was all said and done, Allison then tries to tell me the steps that needed to be taken to obtain new birth certificates, which the step she told me were all wrong and I had to do all the digging and work myself for it. Fast forward to today, we have been receiving bills saying we owe more money, I spoke with Allison on the phone today 6/14/24 and tell her that we just were not happy with her services, and I don’t feel it was right to charge us more money and she stated that she doesn’t understand why I’m nit picking everything she has done wrong when we got what we wanted. $2573 was what we paid for very very simple services (this is why I’m “NIT PICKING”) this is our experience with Allison its not nit picking, it’s the experience we had with her. I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING ALLISON COSTANZA.
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20 Dec, 2023 by Brent miles
This law firm stands out for their professionalism, clear communication, and dedication to achieving optimal results. The team is not only highly knowledgeable but also approachable, making the legal process smooth and understandable. I highly recommend this firm for anyone seeking top-notch legal representation.
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16 Aug, 2023 by Taylor hunt
Extremely friendly & helpful staff! Professional & experienced attorneys. 10/10 would recommend for legal needs!
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10 Mar, 2016 by Anonymous
Mr. Betts is a wonderful lawyer. It is hard to get in touch with him at times, but he definitely makes up for it in the courtroom. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a family court lawyer. He is very experienced and knows exactly what he is doing. He has never steered us wrong. We love Michael Betts!!!
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20 Jan, 2016 by Anonymous
My husband and I had Mr. Betts provide some estate planning. We found him to be very knowledgeable, and we're surprised at the time he took in discussing all of the options available to us., including many of which we were not aware. We also found his fees to be very fair. We would definitely recommend to others.
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16 Jun, 2014 by Riggins
Hired this man to help on a community property issue and after 44 days of the run around and (nothing getting done no progress) with his secretary and him not ever calling me back I fired him.He was paid $3500 dollars and made out a invoice so he didn't have to pay back $3100 of the retainer fee.Like charging me for calling to talk to him but he never called me back or printing something off the computer.It is a scam this man is running don't trust him for anything he is also lazy and doesn't care what your problems are just taking your money and doing nothing.His secretary covers for him daily.
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17 Oct, 2023 by Gary humphrey
DO NOT USE HER SHE WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY AND RUN TRUST ME
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17 Oct, 2023 by Gary humphrey
DO NOT USE HER SHE WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY AND RUN TRUST ME
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Top Questions to Ask a Lawyer

When meeting with a lawyer for the first time, it's important to ask the right questions to understand their expertise and determine if they're the right fit for your legal needs. Here are some top questions to consider:

  1. What experience do you have with cases similar to mine?
    Ensure the lawyer has relevant experience in the specific area of law pertaining to your case.
  2. How do you charge for your services, and what are the estimated costs?
    Understand the fee structure, including hourly rates, flat fees, retainer fees, and any additional expenses.
  3. What potential outcomes can I expect from my case?
    While no lawyer can guarantee results, they can provide an assessment of possible scenarios based on their experience.
  4. What is your approach to handling cases like mine?
    Learn about their strategy, whether they prefer negotiation, mediation, or litigation.
  5. Who will be working on my case?
    Find out if the lawyer will handle your case personally or delegate tasks to other attorneys or paralegals.
  6. How will you communicate with me throughout the process?
    Establish expectations for updates, preferred communication methods, and response times.
  7. What is the likely timeline for resolving my case?
    Get an estimate of how long the process may take from start to finish.
  8. Do you have references from past clients?
    Testimonials or references can provide insight into the lawyer's professionalism and effectiveness.
  9. What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?
    Understanding potential challenges helps you prepare and sets realistic expectations.
  10. Are there alternative ways to solve my legal problem?
    Discuss options like mediation, arbitration, or settlement to resolve the issue efficiently.

How to Check the Credibility of a Lawyer

Before hiring a lawyer, it's crucial to verify their credibility and ensure they're qualified to handle your case:

  1. Verify Their License:
    Check with your state's bar association to confirm the lawyer is licensed and in good standing.
  2. Experience and Specialization:
    Ensure the lawyer specializes in the area of law relevant to your case.
  3. Disciplinary Record:
    Look up any history of disciplinary actions or complaints through the state bar association.
  4. Client Reviews and Testimonials:
    Read reviews on legal directories like Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, or Google to gauge client satisfaction.
  5. Professional Memberships:
    Membership in professional organizations or specialty bar associations can indicate a commitment to their field.
  6. Awards and Recognitions:
    Honors from reputable organizations reflect expertise and a positive reputation.
  7. Consultation Assessment:
    Use the initial consultation to evaluate their communication skills, responsiveness, and willingness to address your concerns.
  8. Ask for References:
    A credible lawyer should be willing to provide references from past clients.

What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?

To make the most of your initial meeting with a lawyer, come prepared with:

  1. Relevant Documents:
    Bring all documents related to your case, such as contracts, correspondence, legal notices, court papers, or evidence.
  2. Written Summary:
    Prepare a concise written summary of your situation, including key dates, events, and involved parties.
  3. List of Questions:
    Write down any questions you have about your case, the legal process, or the lawyer's experience.
  4. Financial Information:
    If applicable, bring financial documents like pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements.
  5. Contact Information:
    Provide details of any witnesses or other parties relevant to your case.
  6. Personal Identification:
    Bring a valid ID for verification purposes.
  7. Pen and Notebook:
    Take notes during the consultation to remember important points.
  8. Budget Constraints:
    Be ready to discuss your budget and any financial limitations.

How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?

The cost of hiring a lawyer varies widely based on several factors:

  • Fee Structures:
    • Hourly Rate:
      Lawyers may charge anywhere from $150 to $500 or more per hour, depending on experience and location.
    • Flat Fee:
      For routine legal services like drafting a will or handling an uncontested divorce, lawyers might offer a flat fee.
    • Retainer Fee:
      An upfront payment against which the lawyer bills hourly fees.
    • Contingency Fee:
      Common in personal injury cases; the lawyer receives a percentage (typically 25% to 40%) of any settlement or award.
    • Monthly Retainer:
      For ongoing services, businesses might pay a monthly fee for a set number of hours or services.
  • Factors Affecting Cost:
    • Complexity of the Case:
      More complex cases require more time and resources, increasing costs.
    • Lawyer's Experience:
      Highly experienced lawyers may charge higher fees.
    • Geographic Location:
      Legal fees can vary significantly by region or city.
    • Additional Expenses:
      Court filing fees, expert witness fees, travel expenses, and administrative costs may be extra.
  • Estimating Total Costs:
    Request a detailed fee agreement outlining all potential costs.
    Discuss any additional expenses that may arise during the case.
  • Negotiating Fees:
    Some lawyers may be willing to negotiate fees or offer payment plans, especially for clients with financial constraints.
  • Pro Bono Services:
    For those who cannot afford legal services, some lawyers or legal aid organizations offer services at reduced rates or for free.
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