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WHAT IS THE LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE?
The Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas, Inc. is a non-profit public service of the Austin Bar Association. Lawyer Referral refers about 12,000 callers to attorneys each year. The program was designed to assist persons who are able to pay normal attorney fees but whose ability to locate legal representation is frustrated by a lack of experience with the legal system, a lack of information about the type of services needed, or a fear of the potential costs of seeing a lawyer.
The Lawyer Referral Service offers two important services to the public:
• it helps the client determine if the problem is truly of a legal nature by screening inquiries and referring the client to other service agencies when appropriate;
• and most important, it provides the client with an unbiased referral to an attorney who has experience in the area of law appropriate to the client’s needs.
The Lawyer Referral Service has been given the American Bar Association "seal of approval" by following the ABA model rules for the operation of public service lawyer referral programs. The Referral Service of Central Texas was the first recipient of the American Bar Association’s Cindy Raisch Award recognizing LRS’s superior service of delivery of legal services to the community.
WHEN DO YOU NEED A LAWYER?
Timely legal advice can resolve problems or prevent problems from occurring. For example, a lawyer can assist when starting a business or signing a contract that will have a major financial impact. Generally, you will need a lawyer when being sued or charged with a crime.
Consider hiring a lawyer:
Before you sign a contract with a major financial impact on you, When starting a business or forming a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, Before you buy or sell real estate, If you are involved in an accident resulting in injury to one or more persons or damage to property, When you need to have a will or trust drafted or plan your estate, If you are involved in a divorce, domestic relations issue or an adoption, If you are arrested and charged with a crime, If you have a lawsuit filed against you or you wish to file a lawsuit against someone else.
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