MORE SNOW AND COLD.
HIS FORECAST AND MORE WHEN PTL
STARTS RIGHT NOW.
GOOD MORNING AND THANKS FOR
BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.
DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE
LAW?
TODAY IS YOUR DAY TO GET
ANSWERS.
IT'S KD AND YOU AND THE LAW
DAY.
STARTING AT NOON TODAY LAWYERS
FROM THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY BAR
ASSOCIATION WILL BE STAFFING
THE PHONE LINES SO YOU CAN CALL
IN FOR FREE TO ASK YOUR LEGAL
QUESTIONS.
IT'S A COMMUNITY SERVICE KDKA
TV IS PROUD TO BE PART OF.
TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF
YOUR TIME WHEN TALKING TO AN
ATTORNEY IS WHITNEY HUGHES WITH
THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY BAR
ASSOCIATION FINDER.
THIS IS HAIRED THING FOR SOME
PEOPLE.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY
FOUND THEMSELVES IN LEGAL
TROUBLE.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN.
YEAH, IT CAN BE VERY, VERY
INTIMIDATING.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WAIT
UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO GET
LEGAL HELP OR WAIT UNTIL THEY
RECEIVE SOMETHING IN THE MAIL
AND DON'T UNDERSTAND.
THEY'RE WEARY AND IFFY ON
ASKING QUESTIONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE TURN TO THE
INTERNET FOR HELP.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AND IT'S EXTREMELY
OVERWHELMING.
IT'S VERY OVERWHELMING.
GOOGLE IS A GREAT TOOL BUT CAN
BE OVERWHELMING.
SOMETHING ELSE TO KEEP IN MIND
LAW FIRMS CAN PAY FOR HIGHER
GOOGLE RANKINGS.
THE ONES COMING UP HIGHEST IN
THE GOOGLE RANKINGS AREN'T
NECESSARILY THE BEST MATCH FOR
YOU.
IT'S SOMEONE WHO PAID GOOGLE TO
HIGHLIGHT THEIR SERVICE.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING TO
KEEP IN MIND.
THE SECOND THING IS THAT YOU
HAVE TO LOOK AT SUBSTANCE
VERSES STYLE.
A LOT OF ATTORNEYS AND FIRMS,
WEBSITES LOOK FANTASTIC BUT YOU
NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT WEBSITE
AND FIND OUT IF THEY'RE
ANSWERING QUESTIONS, WHAT THEIR
EXPERIENCE IS, IF IT'S SOMEBODY
YOU WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH.
DON'T LOOK AT THE FLASH AND HOW
GREAT IT LOOKS, LOOK AT THE
ACTUAL MEAT.
YOU SAY THE BEST WAY TO FIND
A LAWYER IS BY ASKING A FRIEND
OR NEIGHBOR.
ABSOLUTELY, SOMEBODY WHOSE
BEEN THROUGH THE SITUATION
BEFORE.
IF YOU MOVED INTO A
NEIGHBORHOOD AND HAD
THEIR PROPERTY REASSESSED, TALK
TO THEM.
IF SOMEBODY YOU WORKED WITH HAS
GONE THROUGH A FAMILY LAW
MATTER AND THEY SAY I LOVE MY
ATTORNEY, GET NAMES.
WORD OF MOUTH IS A FANTASTIC
TOOL.
THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO DO IT.
IT'S FUNNY YOU BRING UP THE
PROPERTY ASSESSMENT.
THAT HAPPENED TO US WHEN WE
BOUGHT OUR HOUSE.
GOOD TO KNOW.
YOU SAY KEEP IT SIMPLE WHEN
TALKING TO THE ATTORNEY AT
FIRST.
ABSOLUTELY.
WHO, WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE?
IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
IT HELPS ON ATTORNEY KNOW IF
THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
IF YOU SAY I'M WHITNEY HUGHES,
I WORK FOR THE BAR ASSOCIATION
AND IF THE ATTORNEY SAID I DID
WORK FOR THE BAR ASSOCIATION
IT'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, I
CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE.
IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND TELL THE
ATTORNEY EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED
TO HAVE DONE.
I RECEIVED SOMETHING IN THE
MAIL THAT MY PROPERTY
REASSESSMENT HAS GONE UP, I'M
LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY TO HELP
LOWER THAT.
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED
TO ATTORNEY TO DO.
WHEN?
IF THERE'S A FILING DEAD LINE
OR HEARING COMING UP, YOU NEED
TO LET THE ATTORNEY KNOW THAT.
IF YOU HAVE A HEARING SCHEDULED
NEXT THURSDAY, YOU NEED TO SAY
TO THEM THERE'S A HEARING
SCHEDULED AT 10:00 A.M.
YOU NEED TO LET THEM KNOW.
FINALLY, WHERE?
LET THE ATTORNEY KNOW WHAT'S
GOING ON ESPECIALLY AROUND
HERE.
WE GET CALLS ALL THE TIME FROM
PEOPLE WHO SAY I'M IN
WASHINGTON COUNTY BUT LOOKING
FOR A PITTSBURGH ATTORNEY.
YOU NEED TO TELL THE ATTORNEY
THAT.
MAYBE THEIR ANSWER IS I DON'T
DO WORK IN WASHINGTON COUNTY
AND LET THEM KNOW THAT AS WELL.
I THINK YOUR NEXT TIP TIES
INTO THAT.
DON'T GET OVERLY EMOTIONALLY.
THAT'S A BIG THING.
WE HEAR THAT A LOT.
WE GET THE CALLS TODAY AND
SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE VERY, VERY
EMOTIONAL WHEN THEY CALL.
IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
BUT IF YOU SCHEDULED AN HOUR
WITH AN ATTORNEY TO DO A
CONSULT AND YOU SPEND 20
MINUTES TO HALF AN HOUR OF THAT
HOUR CRYING AND ANGRY AND
VENTING, IT'S NOT AN EFFECTIVE
USE OF THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE
WITH THAT ATTORNEY.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO BUT
KEEP A CLEAR HEAD.
IF IT HELPS, WRITE DOWN THE
THINGS YOU NEED TO DISCUSS.
TYING IN WITH THE FIRST OR
LAST THING YOU SAID, WHO, WHAT,
WHERE AND WHEN?
MAYBE WRITE THOSE DOWN AND HAVE
A SENTENCE SO YOU CAN SPEAK
CLEARLY.
YOU SAID ASK BASIC QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE,
EXPECTATIONS AND COST.
DEFINITELY, ESPECIALLY THE
COST.
THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE
GET CAUGHT UP.
ATTORNEYS CHARGE FOR THEIR
TIME.
THEY WILL TELL YOU,LY EXPECT A
2,000-DOLLAR RETAINER.
MY HOUR RATE IS $200 AN HOUR.
BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE
GETTING FOR WHAT YOU'RE PAYING.
UNDERSTAND THAT.
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IT,
STOP THE CONVERSATION BEFORE IT
GOES ANY FURTHER.
YOU ALSO SAY IF THE ATTORNEY
SAYS SOMETHING YOU DON'T
UNDERSTAND STOP AGAIN FOR
CLARIFICATION.
ABSOLUTELY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE, WE GET THESE
CALLS WHERE THE ATTORNEY SAYS
HE TOLD ME X AND I THOUGHT THAT
MEANT Y. YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE ATTORNEY IS GOING TO DO FOR
YOU.
IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE FINDING
SOMEONE TO ACCEPT YOUR CASE,
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD
CASE.
ATTORNEYS, IT'S NOT JUST
WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE SEEKING
SOME KIND OF MORAL VICTORY.
WHEN AN ATTORNEY LOOKS AT A
CASE IT HAS TO BE IS IT
SOMETHING WHERE I CAN SECURE
SOME TYPE OF FAVORABLE RESULT
FOR THE CLIENT.
IF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING
AFTER SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE
A LOT OF ASSETS, WHO ISN'T
GOING TO BE PAYING YOU IN THE
FUTURE, THE ATTORNEY MAY LOOK
AT IT AND SAY YES, YOU HAVE A
VIABLE CLAIM AND SOMETHING
HAPPENED TO YOU THAT SHOULDN'T
HAVE BUT THERE MAY NOT BE A
LIKELY HOOD OF YOU RECOVERING.
THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
SUCH A GREAT SERVICE YOU
GUYS PROVIDE.
AGAIN, THAT'S ATTORNEY WHITNEY
HUGHES WITH THE AL GINNY COUNTY
BAR ASSOCIATION.
REMEMBER, YOU CAN CALL IN TO
KDU AND THE LAW TODAY.
ATTORNEYS WILL BE MANNING THE
PHONES AND THE PHONE BANKS AND
