Don’t Choose A Lawyer Until You Talk About Legal Fees

By: Timothy Rea

Whether your lawsuit is a personal injury lawsuit, medical malpractice, workers compensation or any other legal action, you want to get the best lawyer possible. You also know that legal fees vary and that a good lawyer can cost a bundle of money. But, did you know that in some cases, you can reduce your legal fees, fund the lawsuit or postpone paying your fees until your case is settled.

Here is some information you may find helpful:

First, you should know that most lawyers charge by the hour. More experienced lawyers charge more than inexperienced lawyers and a law firm partner or senior attorney fee is higher than a junior attorney, or a legal assistant.

When your lawyer charges you for consultation time in his office or over the phone, you may be charged at a different hourly rate than he charges for the time he spends in court on your behalf, or the time he spends in conference with judges or other attorneys.

Ask your lawyer about lawsuit funding and legal fee structures and find out what is going to work the best for you, given the nature of your case and your financial situation.

If you are filing a lawsuit for personal injury, or workers compensation or medical malpractice you have a better chance of having an attorney accept a contingency fee.

A contingency fee is based on a percentage of the lawsuit settlement amount. In other words, your attorney takes a piece of what you get in your settlement instead of you paying upfront. She will decide whether a contingency fee is appropriate based on the strength of the case you have against a defendant, company or other entity, and whether she can win the lawsuit.

If your attorney loses the lawsuit she gets nothing under the contingency fee structure. If you win the lawsuit, she will get her percentage of your settlement total.

See if you can get your lawyer to agree on accepting a lower percentage of your settlement total if she negotiates an out of court settlement. She will have less work to do, since she does not have to prepare for a trial, so she may agree to this lawsuit funding strategy.

If your lawsuit entails filing a suit against an industry or company who failed to disclose the hidden health hazards of working in an industry or handling a certain toxin or material as part of your job, you may be able to look for class actions on that issue. Illness like mesothelioma, asbestos related respiratory disease, or damage to your health from toxins are usually prime candidates for a class action.

If a law firm is already pursuing an action for others in this situation, you’ll find strength in numbers!

The law firm structures the lawsuit funding and attorney legal fees for a class action settlement that may be in the millions and they will therefore get plenty of compensation. You will usually pay no legal fees until the case is settled and then the attorney fees are taken out of the total class action settlement before the settlement is distributed to the plaintiffs in the class action suit. That’s you!

If none of these examples fit your situation, get references for good attorneys and interview all of the possible candidates before you decide.
Be honest about your financial situation and see what lawsuit funding or legal fee structure each attorney will suggest to help you with financial strain until there is a settlement.

If you don’t win your lawsuit, you need to be prepared to pay fees, so consider how you will do that, whether that means taking a second mortgage on your account or cashing out CDs, etc.

If your suit is in the civil rights or discrimination arena, you may want to contact agencies or organizations that deal with these issues. See if they can help you fund your lawsuit or help you raise funds to pay attorney fees through their connections and network.

Article Source: http://articles.directorygold.com


If you are about to file a lawsuit, be sure you consider attorney fee structures and alternate funding for your lawsuit before you commit to a law firm or attorney. Let us help visit our web site at: Lawsuits & Lawyers

Universal Laws Of Yoga (part 3)

By: Paul M. Jerard Jr.

Why do some religious fundamentalists fear Yoga?

For many non-practitioners of Yoga, it is Intolerance for something they do not understand. This seems harmless at first, but cries of witchcraft are never a good omen. However, every method of healing has its critics.

Yoga has also been accused of being a “launching point” to export Hinduism. This is very interesting, considering the large numbers of Yoga practitioners who are not Hindus. Some Yogis and Yoginis do convert to Hinduism, but the “calling” had to come from within themselves. Within North America, most Yoga teachers are not Hindus at all and I have yet to witness religious conversion in progress.

For fundamentalist Hindus that believe Yoga and Hinduism cannot be separate, sorry to break the news, but it has already happened. Yoga was interpreted in many ways by a variety of cultures and partial facets of Yoga have grown independently. Some Hatha Yoga styles do not even practice meditation.

Yoga students outside India, pick and choose what they want to learn from Yoga. At this time, physical mastery seems to be most popular. This is why Yoga teachers outside India focus primarily on physical health. Many western students think only of Hatha Yoga, when they hear the word “Yoga.”

This is why Yoga cannot really be controlled, regulated, or patented. How do you control people’s thoughts, actions, physical practice, prayers, meditation, or songs? The whole concept of controlling Yoga is ludicrous.

Fundamentalists of different religions work together, quite by accident, to divide the world’s religions into mobs of intolerance. Their real fear is loss of control. So they speak in “absolutes.” For example: “You will burn in hell, if you do not, do as I say” and “All of the non-believers are going to Hell.”

The real problem with Yoga, for the fundamentalist of any religion, is that it can be practiced by anyone from any religion. Yoga is not exclusive: The laws are universal and interchangeable with every religion. This allows a Yoga practitioner to work independently on his or her spiritual health and work toward enlightenment.

What is wrong with working toward the common good? The idea of working toward enlightenment and self-perfection are considered blasphemy to some. However, can you imagine a world where men and women did not try to improve themselves?

The objectives of Yoga are complete heath, self-improvement, self realization, and tranquility. With these benefits acquired any Yoga practitioner can help others and work for the common good.

© Copyright 2006 by Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Article Source: http://articles.directorygold.com


Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He’s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher. www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Universal Laws Of Yoga (part 2)

By: Paul M. Jerard Jr.

Here are some habits to practice on your journey toward self-perfection. Always remember that you may make some mistakes along the way.

Cultivate love through acts of kindness toward family, friends, and associates. Smile at others and put your “best foot forward.” This alone will open many doors in life and make your journey a pleasant one. Take time for self analysis by observing your past, future, and present. Visualize what you can change and learn from what you cannot. Meditate, pray, and practice your breathing (Pranayama).

Selfless service for the common good is rewarding for the inner and outer self. You do not have to join a group to help others, but a group will have more ability to help than a single person. Either way, helping others will make you a better person.
Give to charity and share with others when ever it is possible. Giving to others, especially those in need is a universal law. When it is possible to help another person, we should all help.

Forgive others for their wrong doings and let go of the past. Do this for yourself and you will feel a great burden, lifted from you. Carrying a grudge and frowning all day, takes too much positive energy out of you, so leave bad feelings behind.

The following are some habits to avoid. Avoid practicing Yoga for material gain or to acquire psychic powers. Anything of value should be used to help those you can. There is nothing wrong with earning a living or bettering yourself, but you should always help anyone you can.

As a Yoga practitioner, you are an ambassador of Yoga. An “air of superiority” should be avoided by all Yogis and Yoginis. This is seen as arrogance, and arrogance is only needed to bolster the ego. Therefore, be a diplomat, when speaking in terms of Yogic philosophy or vegetarianism.

Remember to practice Yoga as a lifestyle. Yoga is not just practiced in the ashram, in the mountains, on the beach, or behind the exclusive walls of a particular Yoga studio. Yoga can be practiced with acts of kindness, devotion to God, or in a physical practice at your own home.

Give your family, friends, and work your best efforts. Practicing Yoga is part of your life, but you should never abandon your obligations for Yoga. It is much healthier to live a full life and enjoy your family, friends, and work along the way.

We can take the right actions by practicing the following: Meditate daily and take action to focus your thinking, when your mind becomes restless. Remember that Yoga can be practiced anytime because of its mental, spiritual, and physical components.

© Copyright 2006 by Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Article Source: http://articles.directorygold.com


Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He’s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher. www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html