Financing Your Legal Representation

If you have found yourself in the position of having to retain the services of a lawyer -- be it a criminal lawyer, a tax lawyer, a divorce lawyer -- you likely have been advised that you will need to pay a retainer up front.  You may now be wondering how you will come up with money necessary to pay for a lawyer.

What is a Retainer?

In simple terms, a retainer is very much like a down payment.  You are providing your lawyer with money up front to engage his or her services.  As the lawyer works on your behalf, the fees will be charged against the retainer until the retainer is exhausted.  At that time, you will be responsible for paying more money to your attorney.

What if I Can’t Come Up with a Retainer?

You might be in a position in which it really is not possible for you to come up with the full amount of the retainer that the lawyer you are hoping to retain has requested.  Some lawyers simply may not be willing to discuss the matter of the retainer.  Either you pay the amount they have requested of the lawyer will not represent you in a case.

There are some lawyers who will be willing to work with clients in regard to retainers.  In other words, these lawyers may be willing to take a partial payment up front as long as you sign an agreement under which you will make payments towards the total retainer in a specific period of time.

Consider Alternative Funding Sources

If you are facing serious legal problems -- if you really do need to engage the services of a criminal lawyer, tax lawyer, divorce lawyer or some other type of attorney -- but do not have a ready funding source available to you yourself, you need to give serious consideration to finding alternate ways to raise the money to pay your legal fees.  You simply cannot go without a lawyer and expect a positive result when it comes to a serious legal situation.

In this regard, you might want to consider taking out a loan or obtaining a second mortgage on your home.  While these are serious steps to take, you must have solid representation and if this type of financing allows you to obtain the services of a capable lawyer, it is a good investment in your future.

Where to Find a Reasonably Priced Lawyer

One resource that you will want to consider utilizing in your own search for a reasonably priced lawyer is an attorney directory or lawyer search service that can be found on the Internet and World Wide Web.  Through these services, you will be able to identify lawyers that provide the type of legal assistance you require.  In addition, you will be able to garner some basic information about fees for services through these types of Internet resources as well.