# Doctors and Lawyers



## Tabby Ann (Aug 23, 2022)

I was surprised recently to learn that lawyers in this area have become as specialized as doctors, and require their clients to explain to their clerical staff in detail why you want an appointment. In addition, they prefer their clients to have a pending court case in their specialty such as personal injury, bankruptcy, divorce, criminal law, etc. which I don’t have. 

I was hoping to find a general practice lawyer I could contact on a periodic basis about the various legalities that come up in life as one goes along. And I don't feel comfortable explaining my issue in detail to a secretary before getting an appointment with the attorney. Are general practitioner attorneys a thing of the past?


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 23, 2022)

We have some major law firms that have lawyers covering various specialized areas af the law.

We also have a few general good old country lawyer types.

My problem with any of them is my willingness to pay $300.00 to $500.00/hour for a little advice.

I find most of the general information I need on the internet and would hire a qualified specialist to handle a specific problem.

Good luck!


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## Nathan (Aug 23, 2022)

Aunt Bea said:


> My problem with any of them is my willingness to pay $300.00 to $500.00/hour for a little advice.


Yeah, reminds me of when my divorce attorney charged me $450/hr. for financial advice- telling me I should file bankruptcy.    

..well I eventually did take her advice, I declared bankruptcy and discharged  the $2500 I still owed her.


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## Bella (Aug 23, 2022)

Doctors and lawyers can part you from your cash at an alarming rate. I try to avoid both unless there's no alternative.


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## DebraMae (Aug 23, 2022)

I grew up in a small town and as the area became one of the fastest growing in the nation a lot of the doctors, lawyers, etc. were people I knew.  I did not realize how fortunate I was.  After moving to Oklahoma I am finding both professions are very particular about who they want to take on as clients.  I do not think it is unusual now for the middle class to be unable to afford either legal or medical professionals.  Sad but true.


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## Myquest55 (Aug 23, 2022)

We decided that we should re-do our wills since moving here in 2017.  I looked through the online lists and finally happened to ask our Tax Preparer.  She immediately recommended a woman across the street from her office - whom I did not even realize existed.  We booked an appointment, had a meeting, went back to sign and it was cheaper than our previous wills done in Tenn.  We have all the paperwork we'll need for this state now too.  Ask around - someone you know must have a suggestion.


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## Butterfly (Aug 24, 2022)

Tabby Ann said:


> I was surprised recently to learn that lawyers in this area have become as specialized as doctors, and require their clients to explain to their clerical staff in detail why you want an appointment. In addition, they prefer their clients to have a pending court case in their specialty such as personal injury, bankruptcy, divorce, criminal law, etc. which I don’t have. I was hoping to find a general practice lawyer I could contact on a periodic basis about the various legalities that come up in life as one goes along. And I don't feel comfortable explaining my issue in detail to a secretary before getting an appointment with the attorney. Are general practitioner attorneys a thing of the past?



I worked for lawyers as a paralegal for many years.  More and more lawyers do specialize in one or more areas of the law.  In our increasingly litigious society and our increasingly complex laws and regulations regarding almost everything it would be extremely difficult for an attorney to stay on top of everything and be highly effective in all areas of the law.  Every firm I ever worked for limited their practices to one or two areas of the law.  

You could call your local bar association and ask them if they know of any "general practice" attorneys in your area.  The days of the "old family retainer" are as much gone as the horse and buggy doctor making house calls.

As to your aversion to explaining the nature of your need to see an attorney to a secretary or paralegal, this is almost universal practice in law firms nowdays and is almost impossible to avoid.


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## i'myourpal (Aug 31, 2022)

This isn't about a retirement case but is about looking for a lawyer.
My roommate had a case about what Sears did to us. Sears was going to charge us the full price when all they did was measure.
My roommate at the time was trying to look for a lawyer. The bothering thing is that some never answer because they have no interest.
It seemed that maybe they were too busy and didn't want to take the case.

The good news is this. Months had passed and the contract expired so Sears had to walk away.
What fairness was it that they didn't even use a hammer on the bathroom?


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## Alligatorob (Aug 31, 2022)

I use a local lawyer from time to time, he can do simple things and give advice on simple matters.  Then he refers to others for more complex matters.  He charges $200/hr and is pretty reasonable in tracking his time.

However he is semi-retired and older than I am.  Don't know what I will do when he retires for real...

My doctor is kind of the same, older than me and trying to retire.  I like him, he's very open and honest, and will do what he can and refer me to others for what he can't.  He's not looking good these days, last time I went in he was using a cane.  Doubt he will be in business a lot longer...


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## win231 (Aug 31, 2022)

Bella said:


> Doctors and lawyers can part you from your cash at an alarming rate. I try to avoid both unless there's no alternative.


That's the main reason the majority of them choose that profession.


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## officerripley (Aug 31, 2022)

Butterfly said:


> The days of the "old family retainer" are as much gone as the horse and buggy doctor making house calls.


True; and even if you do find 1 of those general practice type attorneys, you might be given incorrect legal advice (as I was not too long ago, sigh).


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## OneEyedDiva (Oct 31, 2022)

My son and I used to market and have been members of Legal Shield (LS...formerly Pre Paid Legal) for about 24 years. My cost is $9.95 a month (single plan) and I can call any time about any legal issue. I love that the attorneys at the firm LS uses for N.J. & Delaware will return calls usually within 24 hours but often within a couple of hours. I've known people who didn't get call backs from their attorneys for weeks. I've used the service many times but never needed to go to court which is not included in the monthly plan. The attorneys have written letters on my behalf, one that really scared the dishonest mechanic who messed up my car and his supplier. I wound up not having to finish paying him for the botched repair that I made him fix.

 I've also used the service for entertainment contract reviews. One attorney at the firm put a lawyer from California in touch with me because that's the state the contract issuer was in. Also included are annual revisions of wills and living wills, if necessary. One would pay extra if the documents need to be revised within a year. Since having this service, I've never needed to contact any other lawyers so I don't know the answer to your question. But I'm wondering if there's a legal aid society in your area that could help.


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## win231 (Oct 31, 2022)

Bella said:


> Doctors and lawyers can part you from your cash at an alarming rate. I try to avoid both unless there's no alternative.


At least doctors usually rip off Medicare & other providers, rather than their patients.
Lawyers rip off their clients directly.


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## Skyking (Dec 27, 2022)

I think people or persons unknown aren't taking you, or more likely your case, seriously. If I'm wrong about that then ask them for a referral. If you can't explain your needs in a few short sentences perhaps your needs are what is turning them off. I'm from your part of the country and hiring a lawyer is just not a problem. Paying for them seems to be the sticking point.


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