Whom do you contact to review your important documents such as a living will, the power of attorney of your company, a trust, or a lease? Where do you look for a lawyer to represent you in the court case involving estate planning, personal injury, or a divorce? Legal matters that do not require specialized study of law is known as general practice law and the attorney working in the said field is known as a general practice lawyer. From cases involving bankruptcy, family law, litigation, and criminal law a general practice lawyer will be well versed in each of these areas of law practice. Read on to know more about the educational qualifications, fee arrangements, and where to find a general practice lawyer.
Educational qualifications of a general practice lawyer
A total of seven years is required to complete the study of law. This includes four years of undergraduate study followed by three years of law school.
Once an aspiring lawyer earns a bachelor’s degree, the next step is to earn the Juris Doctor (JD) degree. To practice as a licensed attorney in the country, one must attend a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
Moreover, one must pass the state’s bar examination to legally practice law in a state. To be able to practice law in multiple states, attorneys need to pass the bar examinations in respective states as well.
Fee arrangements of general practice lawyers
Although the billing approach is similar to that of any other lawyer, the fees of a general practice lawyer would depend on several factors like the location and the complexity of the case. It is, therefore, crucial to negotiate and understand the ongoing fees of a general practice lawyer to avoid any surprises on the bill. Moreover, the fees of an attorney will be paid depending on one or more of the following conditions:
Find a general practice lawyer
One of the best ways to find a general practice lawyer is to contact the top-rated law firms. Also, there are numerous websites where you can find information about various lawyers practicing the general areas of law.
We often stumble across the word “bail” in news or our favorite courtroom dramas. But what does this word actually mean?
In simple terms, bail is an amount that a defendant has to deposit to be released from jail. This money is imposed to ensure that the defendant will return to the court for further proceedings. The bail amount differs across cases and is decided by the judge. The money is returned to the defendant after the case is over.
There are two types of bails, namely, cash and bonds. As the name suggests, cash bails are where one needs to pay the bail amount in cash. At times, these can be comparatively heavy on the wallet than bonds, as they have to be paid entirely in cash. On the other hand, bail bonds or surety bonds are contractual agreements where the bail amount is funded through a third-party or bondsmen as the bail amount charged is expensive, generally, for severe crimes.
How to do bail bonds work?
Like mentioned before, when the bail involves a big figure, defendants can approach a third-party or a bondsman to help them. Such businesses will charge 10% of the bail amount as a fee while they cover the remaining balance amount. The bail bondsmen draft an agreement to make sure that the defendant turns up in the court. In this contract, the bail bondsmen require the defendant to use a collateral in exchange of bail.
Every bail bond agency is different, therefore, what would deem as a collateral will vary accordingly. Typically, an asset of significant value is accepted as a surety. The following are some examples of what can be used as a collateral:
Both, the court and the bail bond agency, establish some conditions for the defendant’s release. The first being that the defendant has to appear in the court for future trials and hearings. Likewise, the defendant isn’t permitted to break any laws before the final verdict. If any of these terms are violated then an arrest warrant will be issued.
The bail bond agency, on the other hand, will ask the defendant to surrender their collateral temporarily. If the defendant doesn’t show up for court proceedings, the agency will have all the rights to track them down. Moreover, if the defendant is nowhere to be found in the next six months, then they will be liable to pay the entire bail amount.
It can be a difficult process for one to get themselves out of custody. The bail system acts as a savior and helps one to get their loved ones out of custody fast. There are a variety of bonds that can secure one’s release from jail. Below are the different types of bail bonds that everyone must know about to help get custody fast.
Cash bond
As the name suggests, cash bonds are cash payments that allow one to get out of jail. In most instances, only cash is accepted by the corrections department. However, in some cases, cashier’s checks or credit cards can also be used to cover cash bails. Most people don’t tend to have large sums of money readily available to give to the correction department as in some cases thousands of dollars in cash are needed to cover bail fast. In such cases, one may have to seek the advice of a bail bondsman for the help they need.
Property bond
Property bonds may not be accepted in all states. However, in states like California, they are used occasionally. Different types of properties can be used, but real estate happens to be the one that is most commonly used. These bonds tend to be quite useful, especially, when one does not have cash available in hand to secure bail. The only drawback of property bond is that it takes time to obtain the same. One can be released from jail within a couple hours with the help of cash bonds. Whereas a property bond is handled directly by the court, there is an assessment of property value that is needed along with court hearing in order to receive the confirmation of the bond agreement. Hence, the whole process takes a span of a few weeks.
Federal bail bond
If one has been jailed under a federal crime, to secure the release, a federal bail bond is needed. Both cash, as well as property, can be used to obtaining federal bonds and they don’t require a bail bondsman. Similar to the property bonds, federal bail bonds are handled by the court directly.