Every attorney I have talked to said there are three things I need you to remember....1. Don't talk to the police 2. Don't ever talk to the police about anything. 3. Under no Circumstance ever, ever, ever talk to the police about anything!
That's a great point. My girl got a DUI out of town, in a different county. Of course, I hired an attorney in that county who knew the judge. She got convicted of reckless driving, LOL...
I actually DID win a legal battle on my own! I wanted to hire a leading expert who said I only had one option, and it hopeless. I pointed out that I had come across new legislation that opened up another legal route to take. The expert didn't believe me (a lay person) and wouldn't even look into it. So I did my homework, represented myself, and won!
My mom did a bunch of stuff over 20 years without an attorney. When she went into nursing care, we hired an attorney and it took him 6 months and about $40,000 in fees to straighten out all the crap she screwed up. It would have cost a lot less to do it right in the first place. Most of them were simple things but once the paperwork is filed incorrectly it requires a lot of effort to fix.
Funny how attorney’s run into the same DIY salvage nightmares that contractor’s do. It really should have been obvious to me, but it’s something I hadn’t stopped to consider. As a contractor I can sympathize, even if only by way of analogy.
I'm a design engineer, which means inventor, and that means I've been involved in a lot of patent cases over the years. Now I just about know my way around this one area of law, but still use specialist lawyers. The one thing I do find is that because I know how patents work I can present the professionals with the right documents containing the right information to keep costs down. Great video, what you say should be widely known.
I love that you said that you should not take a case for free. It’s spot on! Many people don’t value their time enough to see that you do. It took me years of serving for free and realized if I can’t keep my business going I can’t help anyone!
That's a Chrysler Turbine model car, amazingly accurate for details. My 1962 Wyoming Park High School Shop Teacher was given one for test purposed. He had it for one year. We always waited for him to start it up after school. It really did sound like a jet engine, because it really is! Oh, the good old days of imaginative cars.
Decades ago, I won a small-claims case by writing a simple and logical statement of fact. One page. I was a repairman and the plaintiff was a person who thought I ought to pay her for repairing her stereo because I gave her an estimate, but was unable to fix it because of parts availability. She got it fixed elsewhere for a higher price (someone who had a salvage unit to get parts) and sued me for the difference between what I quoted and what she paid, even though I charged her nothing! I won
Re: the “Bar Talk.” A number of years ago, represented a number of members from a local construction union in workers’ compensation claims. Had a client with a moderately severe injury, negotiated a settlement for a fair amount. Client accused me of ripping him off, colluding with his employer, etc. After talking him off the window ledge, asked him how he came to this conclusion. After some probing, he stated that a fellow union member, who we’ll call Tommy, had a similar claim and had received ten times as much in settlement. I couldn’t help but laugh, as I had actually represented Tommy, whose claim had actually settled for slightly less. No confidences broken, settlements are public record, but I now advise every client that unless they’ve seen the settlement contracts or the check, take the bar tales with a shovel of salt
My first wife belonged to the Raleigh NC Women's Bar Association. She was in sales; they just met at a different bar every Friday. Mt favorite court utterance: Attorney for one side delivered a long, rambling question, full of conditionals and qualifiers. The JUDGE objected, the attorney asked why? The judge said, THAT question should be taken out and SHOT!
Same thing in auto repair. Repair people complain about the same thing all the time. If you, or your buddy, tried to fix it first, and then you take it to get repaired by someone who knows what they are doing, it will cost you more than if you had just brought it in for repair first.
I was involved in a Construction Eviction case and my Attorney passed half-way thru case... Very difficult and expensive to hire Attorney mid-case. I do understand the additional cost involved... Not an easy case, but my new Attorney handled it magnificently.
Wow, so Lawyers don't go to school, pass the bar exam, set up a practice to practice law for free? How shocking. I bet if you asked them to do something in their profession they'd expect to be paid.
You are so right. I am even still amazed that people will pay their plumber, but stiff their lawyer. Everyone should know that non-payment of fees is automatic grounds for withdrawal from a case. It's very simple; if you don't pay your lawyer, you will lose your legal representation. And if a lawyer withdraws from you case for that reason, you will have a very difficult time finding another attorney.
Attorney is a professional as any other. Salesman first or there is no practice. Thanks for all the good work Mr. Steve Lehto. Great stuff you produce.
I understand them because the same things, in one for or another apply to most professionals. My background is construction and I can relate to each and every one of them.
My wife has a case against her employer and health care provider (UK (NHS))which is growing very old in a solicitors office. Her Union was billed for the retyping of a letter that the Solicitor make mistakes on in the original. What happened to my wife was rather traumatic, but when the people you are relying on in an attempt to get some recompense from those who caused her trauma in the first place is exacerbated by greedy lawyers who bill for their own mistakes, no wonder solicitors get a bad name.
Really enjoy your videos too. I’m 76 and I’m learning a lot from them. We have a friend we’ve helped who constantly got tickets and thought he could also be his own attorney. Never turned out ok but wouldn’t listen and got in a lot of trouble. Now hearing all the stuff you have to do in a case, I know why you need to be paid. BTW,worked fora group of patent attorneys in the sixties and sent out bills, so I know how expensive it can be on an hourly basis. Keep up the good work!
I had an Army buddy tell me not to pay the $300 the car shop estimated to replace a head gasket. He said it’s easy. Get one of those “Clymer” books and I’ll help you. After four days of disassembly and him never being available, I hit a roadblock with a broken bolt head. I wound up, having the car towed to the shop, handed them an air filter cover full of nuts and bolts. They charged me $600 not including the tow. Lesson learned. I’ve also been on the other end having customers call me who’d tried to install something themselves and realized they were in over their head. Of course I had to charge more to remove what they had done so I could do it right.
I ran into that years ago when I was doing computer repair. I charged a flat $30 labor fee to install a new hard drive and copy the data over (if I had to buy the drive, I added in that cost). Had a guy claim it was "highway robbery", that a neighbor kid said he'd do it for $5 and "if you want the job you'll do it for that same price". Since that wasn't even worth it for me to drive to the guy's house I turned it down. Guy calls me back a couple of days later. The kid did the work, and now the computer doesn't work at all.. I explained that my basic fee for undoing what someone else did was $45 in advance. He complained it was too much and that it must be something simple, but finally agreed. I got there, and of course, he immediately wanted to negotiate the price. I told him that if he wanted the work done, I had given him the price, and he finally gave me the cash. I got the computer open, and I immediately saw what happened. The kid couldn't get the 4-pin Moxels power cable to plug in, so rather than seeing that the plug was keyed and trying flipping it over, he whipped out a pocket knife and whacked off the other two corners so it would fit. I flipped it over and tried to boot the computer, but as you might expect when you put 12 volts into parts of the drive that only use 5, it had fried the drive. The guy actually asked me for the money back because I hadn't fixed it.
My girlfriend is a junior attorney and she already has a vast array of horror stories like what Steve is talking about here... She also has a great answer when I rib her with lawyer jokes... "Well, when you need representation just go on down to the comedy club and hire the guy on stage to do it for you." Trial litigation is expensive for a reason...
You might be better off finding an attorney that way: at least one would know in advance how well they speak publicly, how audiences respond to them, and whether or not they are worth the price of admission. Many lawyers are only in practice because they're not qualified to wait tables, sling drinks, or tell jokes
“It’s difficult to fix something when the plane is going down in flames” is a great analogy! I’ve been in aircraft maintenance for twenty years and I can swear to the truth in this!
Money is why I can't file a lawsuit against a county sheriff's office for a violation of rights that led to more than $5000 in theft of personal and estate property. Lawyers have won cases against the county sheriff's office and the county never paid the court ordered fees the county sheriff's department was to pay nor was the plaintiff paid. So, no lawyer will take my case.
Attorneys need to know that if they are not proficient in a certain aspect of law, tell your client! Don't lead them to believe you know what you are doing. If you don't then recommend some one else that has the expertise to represent the client.
Not all of them, no. But definitely some of them, and a tendency for that to be more and more the case as time goes on unless there is adequate and active pressure against that tendency.
This sounds so familiar, i am a floor layer , people often decide to go the cheaper wrogh; then are surprised to find out that it will cost the same or more to fix the problem.
RE: hiring the right kind of attorney: my best friend and his wife were divorcing. It was amicable, so they both were going to represent themselves. My friend's dad told him, no that's a bad idea, amicable or not, you need an attorney. So his dad got one of his friends who was an attorney to take the case, and take it for free as a favor to the dad. Unfortunately, the attorney happened to be a high-price corporate attorney who knew nothing about family law. My friend's wife continued to represent herself. They ended up having to go before the court about 5 times over the course of 3 years or so, because each time the presiding judge pointed out things that weren't even addressed in the proposed settlements. A huge mess.
I have a funny story about a lawyer and client priveliged info I guess your call it. I had been working in a rural Alaska village and was on a plane flying to Anchorage. As i boarded the plan and was getting seated, a gentleman boarded behind me and was carrying on a rather loud conversation on his cell phone. He passed my row by and sat further down the aisle. From the content of his side of the conversation you could tell he was a lawyer and was discussing a case with his secretary. He continued his conversation, even after the planes doors were closed and the airline attendants made announcements several times and asked him to end his call and put his phone in airplane mode, until when the plane was rolling down the runway and wheels wrre leaving the ground he told his secretary he was going to have to go as he was taking off and would loose coverage. During his conversation i, along with the other 48 passengers on the plane could hear him mention their ongoing lawsuit case involving a medivac provider , which he named, who services the village, along with the name of his client, and the name of the opposing law firm. After the plane landed, as we were departing, I waited until he was getting his bag out from under the seat in front of him and asked him if he was a lawyer and had a business card. He smiled and dug one out of his picked hand it to me. I said "thank you... I just want to make sure if I ever need a lawyer I won't hire you..". When I went to lunch I called the opposing law firm and they were quite I interested in what happened.
Aged well. This video addresses matter of fact, with understandable explanations. (I wasn't a follower of your videos nor a subscriber to your channel when you posted this. Only in the last couple years did I start _enjoying_ legal/law videos. The "I know a guy" scenario, I would never say to an attorney, unless... A. I actually know the person B. Have a valid reason for bringing it up C. Have a very legitimate reason for not hiring that attorney: such as "this was the defendant's name, it was in this court, the attorney was this attorney, this attorney's funeral was last October." Armed with that information, any even half baked attorney would be very likely to be able to identify the specific case, (thus ascertain how the case is or is not comparable) and would be able to accept, "you're not hiring that attorney because he isn't coming from the great beyond to take one more case." The ONLY time to use the "I know someone in this kind of..." line is if it offers legitimate information (even if misunderstood, as the attorney can say "here's why it doesn't match up" [could be because thatbcase was in Florida, this is in Georgia, could be a difference of city ordinances between Cleveland and Columbus, could be one case involved a baseball bat, the other involves a 14 inch knife. Could be because the plaintiff in that case was a professional boxer and the plaintiff in this case is a quadriplegic. Any number of factors make each case unique.
Steve, that was interesting. I know exactly what you mean. I am not a lawyer, but I've had a few college classes in business law, tax law, and labor law. I've lost count of how many times people have told me, "The law says---". When I ask them to cite the statute which says that, they have no idea what I'm talking about. Or they may say, "The courts have ruled ---". When I ask them for the name or the citation of the case, they don't have a clue. On another subject, is that microphone that is "second from the left" by any chance a D-104 Model? It looks very similar to the one that my family had for our citizens band radio base unit back in 1967. I also see that you get into old Chrysler Products. Those were some good cars. My mom used to own a 1966 Chrysler Newport. Going back even further, my had owned a 1950 DeSoto with the semi-automatic transmission.
Your discussion of starting a legal case yourself and then asking a pro to take over is making me reconsider something similar with a different type of professional. Perhaps I will let the deadline slide (the delay is my fault) and let her do it from a "blank slate" when she can, instead of starting it myself and probably making it harder. Even if she didn't charge more (she's so nice), it wouldn't be fair to her.
I'm not an attorney, but if I was I know I'd refuse to take any criminal case where the client spoke to the police. If you were that stupid, stay away from me.
When you say attorneys are frustrated by the legal system let me add that the judges are also frustrated ( My father in-law was a cook county / Chicago judge )
thank you, ive only had one problem with the law where i needed an attorney he got the charges dropped, probably because he was a good attorney, the officer was lenient and made a good comment, and the judge was lenient, along with some of the guards at the jail but if it ever happens again, i want to do everything i can to make it as smooth-sailing as possible for my attorney in the future, if that comes to be
I heard he was interviewed but they turned him down because he could not flare his nose and show the camera everything in his nose like Nancy Grace. Also, I think he confused them with facts.
The aforementioned Fourth Wayward Sister posted a video regarding the late, great Casey Kasem's untimely demise, and the unfortunate events leading up to it, including his guardianship/conservatorship. Gotta leave it right there
"I had a State Trooper tell me . . . . " (can't name the Trooper). "I had a lawyer tell me . . . ." (Can't name the lawyer) "I knew a guy who . . . . " (can't name the guy)
Ohhhh, that I knew the answer to that one. I had the right attorney, thus the Petitioner's attorney (whom we'll call The Fourth Wayward Sister) moved to have him removed, claiming a "conflict of interest". Sure: anyone who interferes with her bloodthirsty pursuit of power and money represents a conflict to HER interests. Actually, she reminds me of the bride of a certain previously hinted-at Scottish king: Double, double, toil and trouble...
I am NOT an attorney. In my profession , which is notoriously expensive, and NO ONE wants to have to pay for it, I constantly get people who think they can do what I do. They start into it. Find out what it REALLY entails. Then they call me AGAIN. And now the original price is even higher because I have to fix and probably scrap, for lack of a better term, EVERYTHING they did. And don’t get me started on the PIA upcharge if you cop an attitude. Smh...find someone you trust, look at some references or reviews from the recent passed and try to find some that are older to get as accurate a view as possible on how they deal with clients. And LISTEN...
Web designer? A friend of mine who used to do web design used to hear somebody say this pretty regularly: "Why should I pay you so much? I can get a website done for $400!" My friend's explanation was always.... "I FIX $400 websites." More often than not, he got the job after that.
I'm getting old; I've watched this same video three times...still entertaining, and a reminder that seemingly smart people will test your gullibility if you let them.
Could you do a video on how to find an attorney. I see you've done one on finding a lemon law attorney, which is good. And everyone knows how to find a personal injury lawyer (just look at the nearest bus or bus stop). But I've always wondered what to do if I'm accused of a crime. I'm also unclear about whether I qualify for a public defender because I have some money and own a house.
Great suggestions Steve. Thanks for Sharing. I wish I could hire you but I am in Montana and I don't have a case going to court. Why can't all attorneys be as forthcoming as you are? Thanks for your candor.
Had a mechanic quote me a price (broken cam belt, inc replacement head), took the head off then doubled the price. Meh, I scrapped the car, just like I said I would when getting the quote, & he got nothing.
As for point #1: if a client is angry about a law, the anger. MAY be due to a conflict in interpretation of whether the law applies to your particular situation. Or better stated: the conflict with a lawyer may surround whether or not the law speaks to your situation.
Most politicians hold law degrees, so... Bad cases can be won, or have more positive outcomes based on the attorney's relationship with the DA and or judge I find it difficult to find the correct attorney for the given situation. That's how people start out using the attorney who did their will.
As I was a passenger in a vehicle, cleaning my rifle and checking the action, I noticed the Deer at the side of the road. As the Deer noticed us he reached for his waist and pulled a black handgun from concealment. Fearing for my life I leveled the rifle, took aim and shot the Deer dead.... Slam dunk not guilty! Season or no season..... (not sure where he got the gun... Probably took it from the body of the last driver he killed by hurling himself through the windscreen of his car!)
You know how many people that are afraid to sue ..the biggest excuse being "i'm not that kind of person" sometimes no matter how wronged they've been and may even endure a lifetime of problems in the future due to medical or financial issues ... its sad
I wanted to thank you for being one of the only Lawyers I've seen to make consistent long videos. I how you're getting paid somehow, because you are losing your shirt on your hourly costs to make these XD
Hello, Steve. Just came across your channel today and have been binge watching episodes. Fascinating, educational, and, sometimes, funny. Have you elaborated in any of your videos on what drew you to law, how you decided on your specialty and what you enjoy about your work? (In twenty-five words or less...just kidding.) Anyway, great content. Thanks very much. (:
The biggest problem is that there are good attorneys and bad attorneys. When we live in a society where we all think attorneys are bad people. How are we to tell if an attorney is good or bad? Why do we have a crap system that depends more on your attorney's skills than actual justice?
I have the same issue as your number 5 as an environmental consultant. People come to me to fix an application they started for a permit that they found themselves in too deep. They were being cheap instead of hiring me from the start and expect me to correct all their mistakes but then balk at the price. I tell them the extra cost is too undo all their screw ups!
No job is too big, no fee is too big. Don't call an attorney if you don't want to pay. You don't go to Wal-Mart and ask the cashier to give you a discount because you have had a tough time lately.
I have been called to come fix a problem (carpentry ) ... then find out the home owners or handyman worked on it first. Then get upset because I tell them that it will cost them 2x the previous quoted (before they botched it ) price.
They say, “a person who act as their own attorney has a fool for a client.” When someone wants you to work for free ask them if they would do their job for free? If the matter can be handled in small claims court go for it they can do it themselves. If the matter required a higher court hire an attorney. One that specializes. Don't hire an attorney that just does your will to take care of your divorce. I know now.
Justice is a relative term that has different meanings for different people. You cannot define it in every situation to suit all parties with different interests. Better to go for a fair deal under the established law. Hire an attorney, and pick their brain if it is not some very simple speeding case or small court case or if a judge ever recommends it to you. They are not all bad guys out to get you, sometimes a judge sees that you are so emotionally invested or are not very articulate and does not want to see you go down in flames in court so will tell you repeatedly to get an attorney.
when people talk about a case like a woman getting scalded by hot coffee from Mcdonalds and getting a million dollars what they always forget is that they do not know the full details such as the extent of her injuries or the fact that the coffee was at an excessively hot temperature.
Actually for the most part those legislators are lawyers or are advised by lawyers. As far as the court system, it is largely run by judges, who are most invariably ...lawyers.
Many times you, the defendant, has better strategy ideas than that can win your case that is better than the attorney's. This is because you know lived the situation and know details beyond the basic facts. This doesn't mean you don't need an attorney but on the contrary, the attorney can advise you which strategy or angle is feasible, and which one will lead to a dead end or assume some uncertain risks that could lead to disastrous or a less than favorable outcome.
I've spent more time in that courthouse (Jasper County, GA) than I care to discuss. Fun fact: I'm batting a thousand for being mistaken for counsel (never say never!)
Also what is your opinion on Legal Shield formally Prepaid legal? The reason why ask is because the program works and I've gotten out of three traffic infractions since I been a member for over 20 years. Its only 11.50 a month for me though new members pay 15 a month. The infractions were challenged in court and lawyers went to court in my place. I didn't have to be present. They determine if the ticket was written out correctly then challenge it in court if they see there is a chance of it being thrown out so to speak.
@@Alakarra But you forgot about adjusted car insurance rates. :) when you get a ticket and give in to paying it off it goes on your record where they can see it for the next 3 to 5 years. During that time your car insurance premiums will increase by 20%.. I'd rather pay these folks a liitle a month than a lot every year to the insurance company. Plus I'm getting free representation and do not have to take time off from work ( lost wages mind you) to be in court because the lawyer appears in my place. Plus if I have a legal question I can simply call and have it answered for free.. In my opinion this is well worth the price of a movie once a month. Thanks for your comment loved it.
It always makes me upset when a attorney says no. Because another attorney screws up. And the need to try to fix it. That’s throwing them under the bus. You may fail. But the client has no chance if you don’t try. If there’s a chance.
I was doing an investigation on an individual who was getting tried on his 10th or 11th DWI; the attorney general had had gotten him off or out of the majority of them to the point that he was only charged with Misdemeanor DWI as he only had 1 conviction in the previous 10 years. Despite what one thinks about DEI that individual had a good attorney.
You got a subscription from me for #1, the die cast mopars behind you and #2 cops love pulling me over and last but not least, I’ve had some doozies besides traffic.
Maybe a good attorney can’t win a bad case, etc. Sometimes. But, if you find the law firm that the judge is affiliated with, hire an attorney from that firm. I know a woman whose ex wouldn’t pay child support because he was a general contractor and “disabled”, to the point of drawing disability insurance. But, he was still working, taking cash only. She had pictures of him carrying bundles of shingles up a ladder and also doing concrete work. Had one of his advertising signs. Took him to court. Judge ruled against her. Judge just happened to be from the law firm representing the ex husband
I knew guy who had guy, who once dealt with a guy, who know a cousin of a guy whos wifes brother in-law once knew guy who talked to Justin Bieber. So nay nay. Thats my guy.
OJ Simpson. The case was good but! I've had the same in UK, some Police officer got Clever and Guilded the Lilly (Just add the last little bit). In my case a ten minute visit to site, plus one photo proved the Witness statment that had been added at the last minute. The witness couldn't have seen it. So regardless, one pice of eveidence proved to be straight wrong, actually perjury. There is reasonable doubt. Any Juror being honurable has to find 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt''.
Every attorney I have talked to said there are three things I need you to remember....1. Don't talk to the police 2. Don't ever talk to the police about anything. 3. Under no Circumstance ever, ever, ever talk to the police about anything!
3: A good attorney knows the law. A _great_ attorney knows the judge
Hahahaha no doubt
A stellar attorney knows her cat.
That's a great point. My girl got a DUI out of town, in a different county. Of course, I hired an attorney in that county who knew the judge. She got convicted of reckless driving, LOL...
That about sums it up!
I actually DID win a legal battle on my own!
I wanted to hire a leading expert who said I only had one option, and it hopeless. I pointed out that I had come across new legislation that opened up another legal route to take. The expert didn't believe me (a lay person) and wouldn't even look into it.
So I did my homework, represented myself, and won!
My mom did a bunch of stuff over 20 years without an attorney. When she went into nursing care, we hired an attorney and it took him 6 months and about $40,000 in fees to straighten out all the crap she screwed up. It would have cost a lot less to do it right in the first place. Most of them were simple things but once the paperwork is filed incorrectly it requires a lot of effort to fix.
Is anyone else here in May 2021 after getting to know Steve during the pandemic? Steve has come a long way in a short time keep up the good work Steve
Most people have no idea about codes/statutes that legislators have/are passing them until they are effected by these codes/statutes.
Funny how attorney’s run into the same DIY salvage nightmares that contractor’s do. It really should have been obvious to me, but it’s something I hadn’t stopped to consider. As a contractor I can sympathize, even if only by way of analogy.
I'm a design engineer, which means inventor, and that means I've been involved in a lot of patent cases over the years. Now I just about know my way around this one area of law, but still use specialist lawyers. The one thing I do find is that because I know how patents work I can present the professionals with the right documents containing the right information to keep costs down. Great video, what you say should be widely known.
I love that you said that you should not take a case for free. It’s spot on! Many people don’t value their time enough to see that you do. It took me years of serving for free and realized if I can’t keep my business going I can’t help anyone!
One bit of advice I got from a lawyer that is unfortunately too true.
' you don't go to court for justice, you go for a decision '.
That's a Chrysler Turbine model car, amazingly accurate for details. My 1962 Wyoming Park High School Shop Teacher was given one for test purposed. He had it for one year.
We always waited for him to start it up after school. It really did sound like a jet engine, because it really is! Oh, the good old days of imaginative cars.
#1 should be
Never talk to police
Let an attorney handle the talking
Decades ago, I won a small-claims case by writing a simple and logical statement of fact. One page. I was a repairman and the plaintiff was a person who thought I ought to pay her for repairing her stereo because I gave her an estimate, but was unable to fix it because of parts availability. She got it fixed elsewhere for a higher price (someone who had a salvage unit to get parts) and sued me for the difference between what I quoted and what she paid, even though I charged her nothing! I won
Steve, I enjoy your videos. I'm 70 years old and learn a lot from you.
Keep them coming. Better than anything on TV!
Re: the “Bar Talk.” A number of years ago, represented a number of members from a local construction union in workers’ compensation claims. Had a client with a moderately severe injury, negotiated a settlement for a fair amount. Client accused me of ripping him off, colluding with his employer, etc. After talking him off the window ledge, asked him how he came to this conclusion. After some probing, he stated that a fellow union member, who we’ll call Tommy, had a similar claim and had received ten times as much in settlement. I couldn’t help but laugh, as I had actually represented Tommy, whose claim had actually settled for slightly less. No confidences broken, settlements are public record, but I now advise every client that unless they’ve seen the settlement contracts or the check, take the bar tales with a shovel of salt
My first wife belonged to the Raleigh NC Women's Bar Association. She was in sales; they just met at a different bar every Friday. Mt favorite court utterance: Attorney for one side delivered a long, rambling question, full of conditionals and qualifiers. The JUDGE objected, the attorney asked why? The judge said, THAT question should be taken out and SHOT!
Same thing in auto repair. Repair people complain about the same thing all the time. If you, or your buddy, tried to fix it first, and then you take it to get repaired by someone who knows what they are doing, it will cost you more than if you had just brought it in for repair first.
1) The law/court/jury doesn't care about your feelings or if you are offended.
I was involved in a Construction Eviction case and my Attorney passed half-way thru case... Very difficult and expensive to hire Attorney mid-case. I do understand the additional cost involved... Not an easy case, but my new Attorney handled it magnificently.
Steve, I enjoy your show. Nice to listen to someone who knows what the hell he is talking about. Thank you
I've never understood why people hire an attorney but don't listen to his or her advice.
Attorneys have overhead just like any other business? Shocking! I'm triggered!
Keep up the good work, Steve.
“It’s bar talk.” Nice lawyer pun.
Wow, so Lawyers don't go to school, pass the bar exam, set up a practice to practice law for free? How shocking. I bet if you asked them to do something in their profession they'd expect to be paid.
You are so right. I am even still amazed that people will pay their plumber, but stiff their lawyer. Everyone should know that non-payment of fees is automatic grounds for withdrawal from a case. It's very simple; if you don't pay your lawyer, you will lose your legal representation. And if a lawyer withdraws from you case for that reason, you will have a very difficult time finding another attorney.
The "good attorney" thing is probably helped by the fact that those "unbeatable" lawyers don't take cases they don't think they can win.
Attorney is a professional as any other.
Salesman first or there is no practice.
Thanks for all the good work Mr. Steve Lehto. Great stuff you produce.
I understand them because the same things, in one for or another apply to most professionals. My background is construction and I can relate to each and every one of them.
My wife has a case against her employer and health care provider (UK (NHS))which is growing very old in a solicitors office. Her Union was billed for the retyping of a letter that the Solicitor make mistakes on in the original.
What happened to my wife was rather traumatic, but when the people you are relying on in an attempt to get some recompense from those who caused her trauma in the first place is exacerbated by greedy lawyers who bill for their own mistakes, no wonder solicitors get a bad name.
Really enjoy your videos too. I’m 76 and I’m learning a lot from them. We have a friend we’ve helped who constantly got tickets and thought he could also be his own attorney. Never turned out ok but wouldn’t listen and got in a lot of trouble. Now hearing all the stuff you have to do in a case, I know why you need to be paid. BTW,worked fora group of patent attorneys in the sixties and sent out bills, so I know how expensive it can be on an hourly basis. Keep up the good work!
I had an Army buddy tell me not to pay the $300 the car shop estimated to replace a head gasket. He said it’s easy. Get one of those “Clymer” books and I’ll help you. After four days of disassembly and him never being available, I hit a roadblock with a broken bolt head.
I wound up, having the car towed to the shop, handed them an air filter cover full of nuts and bolts. They charged me $600 not including the tow. Lesson learned.
I’ve also been on the other end having customers call me who’d tried to install something themselves and realized they were in over their head. Of course I had to charge more to remove what they had done so I could do it right.
I ran into that years ago when I was doing computer repair. I charged a flat $30 labor fee to install a new hard drive and copy the data over (if I had to buy the drive, I added in that cost).
Had a guy claim it was "highway robbery", that a neighbor kid said he'd do it for $5 and "if you want the job you'll do it for that same price". Since that wasn't even worth it for me to drive to the guy's house I turned it down.
Guy calls me back a couple of days later. The kid did the work, and now the computer doesn't work at all.. I explained that my basic fee for undoing what someone else did was $45 in advance. He complained it was too much and that it must be something simple, but finally agreed.
I got there, and of course, he immediately wanted to negotiate the price. I told him that if he wanted the work done, I had given him the price, and he finally gave me the cash.
I got the computer open, and I immediately saw what happened. The kid couldn't get the 4-pin Moxels power cable to plug in, so rather than seeing that the plug was keyed and trying flipping it over, he whipped out a pocket knife and whacked off the other two corners so it would fit. I flipped it over and tried to boot the computer, but as you might expect when you put 12 volts into parts of the drive that only use 5, it had fried the drive.
The guy actually asked me for the money back because I hadn't fixed it.
You should have those six things posted on a framed sign, hanging in your office.
My girlfriend is a junior attorney and she already has a vast array of horror stories like what Steve is talking about here... She also has a great answer when I rib her with lawyer jokes... "Well, when you need representation just go on down to the comedy club and hire the guy on stage to do it for you."
Trial litigation is expensive for a reason...
You might be better off finding an attorney that way: at least one would know in advance how well they speak publicly, how audiences respond to them, and whether or not they are worth the price of admission. Many lawyers are only in practice because they're not qualified to wait tables, sling drinks, or tell jokes
Thank you for explaining exactly why justice is only for the rich.
Welcome to America...enjoy your visit.
“It’s difficult to fix something when the plane is going down in flames” is a great analogy! I’ve been in aircraft maintenance for twenty years and I can swear to the truth in this!
Two words.
Duck tape....
😂😂
@Henry Murphy None of what you said changes the fact that it’s very difficult to fix the plane when it’s going down in flames.
The people need #judicialreform as much as we need #policereformnow. Justice delayed is justice denied. Love your videos. Thank you.
The full quote is actually....
"Justice too long delayed is justice denied."
It implies there IS expected SOMEWHAT of a delay....
Money is why I can't file a lawsuit against a county sheriff's office for a violation of rights that led to more than $5000 in theft of personal and estate property. Lawyers have won cases against the county sheriff's office and the county never paid the court ordered fees the county sheriff's department was to pay nor was the plaintiff paid. So, no lawyer will take my case.
Attorneys need to know that if they are not proficient in a certain aspect of law, tell your client! Don't lead them to believe you know what you are doing. If you don't then recommend some one else that has the expertise to represent the client.
My uneducated conclusion is that laws are written to keep the masses serfs.
Not all of them, no. But definitely some of them, and a tendency for that to be more and more the case as time goes on unless there is adequate and active pressure against that tendency.
This sounds so familiar, i am a floor layer , people often decide to go the cheaper wrogh; then are surprised to find out that it will cost the same or more to fix the problem.
Plumber, and yup.
RE: hiring the right kind of attorney: my best friend and his wife were divorcing. It was amicable, so they both were going to represent themselves. My friend's dad told him, no that's a bad idea, amicable or not, you need an attorney. So his dad got one of his friends who was an attorney to take the case, and take it for free as a favor to the dad. Unfortunately, the attorney happened to be a high-price corporate attorney who knew nothing about family law. My friend's wife continued to represent herself. They ended up having to go before the court about 5 times over the course of 3 years or so, because each time the presiding judge pointed out things that weren't even addressed in the proposed settlements. A huge mess.
Yep. This why some people prefer murder to divorce. A bad choice to be sure.
I like the instructional methodology you use:
Preview the material
Present the material.
Summarize the material.
I have a funny story about a lawyer and client priveliged info I guess your call it. I had been working in a rural Alaska village and was on a plane flying to Anchorage. As i boarded the plan and was getting seated, a gentleman boarded behind me and was carrying on a rather loud conversation on his cell phone. He passed my row by and sat further down the aisle. From the content of his side of the conversation you could tell he was a lawyer and was discussing a case with his secretary. He continued his conversation, even after the planes doors were closed and the airline attendants made announcements several times and asked him to end his call and put his phone in airplane mode, until when the plane was rolling down the runway and wheels wrre leaving the ground he told his secretary he was going to have to go as he was taking off and would loose coverage. During his conversation i, along with the other 48 passengers on the plane could hear him mention their ongoing lawsuit case involving a medivac provider , which he named, who services the village, along with the name of his client, and the name of the opposing law firm. After the plane landed, as we were departing, I waited until he was getting his bag out from under the seat in front of him and asked him if he was a lawyer and had a business card. He smiled and dug one out of his picked hand it to me. I said "thank you... I just want to make sure if I ever need a lawyer I won't hire you..".
When I went to lunch I called the opposing law firm and they were quite I interested in what happened.
A good lawyer knows the law; a clever one takes the judge to lunch. - Mark Twain
Aged well. This video addresses matter of fact, with understandable explanations. (I wasn't a follower of your videos nor a subscriber to your channel when you posted this. Only in the last couple years did I start _enjoying_ legal/law videos. The "I know a guy" scenario, I would never say to an attorney, unless...
A. I actually know the person
B. Have a valid reason for bringing it up
C. Have a very legitimate reason for not hiring that attorney: such as "this was the defendant's name, it was in this court, the attorney was this attorney, this attorney's funeral was last October." Armed with that information, any even half baked attorney would be very likely to be able to identify the specific case, (thus ascertain how the case is or is not comparable) and would be able to accept, "you're not hiring that attorney because he isn't coming from the great beyond to take one more case."
The ONLY time to use the "I know someone in this kind of..." line is if it offers legitimate information (even if misunderstood, as the attorney can say "here's why it doesn't match up" [could be because thatbcase was in Florida, this is in Georgia, could be a difference of city ordinances between Cleveland and Columbus, could be one case involved a baseball bat, the other involves a 14 inch knife. Could be because the plaintiff in that case was a professional boxer and the plaintiff in this case is a quadriplegic. Any number of factors make each case unique.
Steve, that was interesting. I know exactly what you mean. I am not a lawyer, but I've had a few college classes in business law, tax law, and labor law. I've lost count of how many times people have told me, "The law says---". When I ask them to cite the statute which says that, they have no idea what I'm talking about. Or they may say, "The courts have ruled ---". When I ask them for the name or the citation of the case, they don't have a clue.
On another subject, is that microphone that is "second from the left" by any chance a D-104 Model? It looks very similar to the one that my family had for our citizens band radio base unit back in 1967.
I also see that you get into old Chrysler Products. Those were some good cars. My mom used to own a 1966 Chrysler Newport. Going back even further, my had owned a 1950 DeSoto with the semi-automatic transmission.
Your discussion of starting a legal case yourself and then asking a pro to take over is making me reconsider something similar with a different type of professional. Perhaps I will let the deadline slide (the delay is my fault) and let her do it from a "blank slate" when she can, instead of starting it myself and probably making it harder. Even if she didn't charge more (she's so nice), it wouldn't be fair to her.
I'm not an attorney, but if I was I know I'd refuse to take any criminal case where the client spoke to the police. If you were that stupid, stay away from me.
When you say attorneys are frustrated by the legal system let me add that the judges are also frustrated ( My father in-law was a cook county / Chicago judge )
thank you, ive only had one problem with the law where i needed an attorney
he got the charges dropped, probably because he was a good attorney, the officer was lenient and made a good comment, and the judge was lenient, along with some of the guards at the jail
but if it ever happens again, i want to do everything i can to make it as smooth-sailing as possible for my attorney in the future, if that comes to be
Wow, these videos are GOLDEN! You really should have a television show!
I heard he was interviewed but they turned him down because he could not flare his nose and show the camera everything in his nose like Nancy Grace. Also, I think he confused them with facts.
"...Casey Kasem..." - That is frickin' hilarious!
"And this class-action lawsuit is dedicated to Bob in Byron.."
The aforementioned Fourth Wayward Sister posted a video regarding the late, great Casey Kasem's untimely demise, and the unfortunate events leading up to it, including his guardianship/conservatorship. Gotta leave it right there
"I had a State Trooper tell me . . . . " (can't name the Trooper).
"I had a lawyer tell me . . . ." (Can't name the lawyer)
"I knew a guy who . . . . " (can't name the guy)
So what?
The critical question: How do you pick the right attorney???
Steve, I love your laugh ...
Ohhhh, that I knew the answer to that one. I had the right attorney, thus the Petitioner's attorney (whom we'll call The Fourth Wayward Sister) moved to have him removed, claiming a "conflict of interest". Sure: anyone who interferes with her bloodthirsty pursuit of power and money represents a conflict to HER interests. Actually, she reminds me of the bride of a certain previously hinted-at Scottish king: Double, double, toil and trouble...
@@dixiechampagne2892, well done for not naming the Scottish Play...
@@dixiechampagne2892, also, Shakespeare, great poet, Awful cook
I am NOT an attorney. In my profession , which is notoriously expensive, and NO ONE wants to have to pay for it, I constantly get people who think they can do what I do. They start into it. Find out what it REALLY entails. Then they call me AGAIN. And now the original price is even higher because I have to fix and probably scrap, for lack of a better term, EVERYTHING they did. And don’t get me started on the PIA upcharge if you cop an attitude. Smh...find someone you trust, look at some references or reviews from the recent passed and try to find some that are older to get as accurate a view as possible on how they deal with clients. And LISTEN...
Plumber? Electrician?
Web designer?
A friend of mine who used to do web design used to hear somebody say this pretty regularly:
"Why should I pay you so much? I can get a website done for $400!"
My friend's explanation was always....
"I FIX $400 websites."
More often than not, he got the job after that.
mechanic, I'm guessing
I much enjoy your old “talkies”
I'm getting old; I've watched this same video three times...still entertaining, and a reminder that seemingly smart people will test your gullibility if you let them.
seemingly being the key word here
I know to talk with a local lawyer if I need one but I like the advise you give
Could you do a video on how to find an attorney. I see you've done one on finding a lemon law attorney, which is good. And everyone knows how to find a personal injury lawyer (just look at the nearest bus or bus stop). But I've always wondered what to do if I'm accused of a crime. I'm also unclear about whether I qualify for a public defender because I have some money and own a house.
One for everyone not just lawyers: your belief does not necessarily reflect truth or reality.
Great suggestions Steve. Thanks for Sharing. I wish I could hire you but I am in Montana and I don't have a case going to court. Why can't all attorneys be as forthcoming as you are? Thanks for your candor.
Lol Montana attorneys only handle expensive car scams!
Self defense: The deer shot first.
10:54 Mechanics don't want to work on something that someone else took apart!
Had a mechanic quote me a price (broken cam belt, inc replacement head), took the head off then doubled the price. Meh, I scrapped the car, just like I said I would when getting the quote, & he got nothing.
Monday Lehto? What's next? Reliable Volkswagens?
As for point #1: if a client is angry about a law, the anger. MAY be due to a conflict in interpretation of whether the law applies to your particular situation.
Or better stated:
the conflict with a lawyer may surround whether or not the law speaks to your situation.
Most politicians hold law degrees, so...
Bad cases can be won, or have more positive outcomes based on the attorney's relationship with the DA and or judge
I find it difficult to find the correct attorney for the given situation. That's how people start out using the attorney who did their will.
As I was a passenger in a vehicle, cleaning my rifle and checking the action, I noticed the Deer at the side of the road. As the Deer noticed us he reached for his waist and pulled a black handgun from concealment. Fearing for my life I leveled the rifle, took aim and shot the Deer dead.... Slam dunk not guilty! Season or no season..... (not sure where he got the gun... Probably took it from the body of the last driver he killed by hurling himself through the windscreen of his car!)
You know how many people that are afraid to sue ..the biggest excuse being "i'm not that kind of person" sometimes no matter how wronged they've been and may even endure a lifetime of problems in the future due to medical or financial issues ... its sad
I have no problem suing any one :) I am that kind of person, I'd sue you over a spilled beer :)
My name is Sue, how do you do??? Lol 😆
Shel Silverstein would be so proud!
I wanted to thank you for being one of the only Lawyers I've seen to make consistent long videos.
I how you're getting paid somehow, because you are losing your shirt on your hourly costs to make these XD
Hello, Steve. Just came across your channel today and have been binge watching episodes. Fascinating, educational, and, sometimes, funny. Have you elaborated in any of your videos on what drew you to law, how you decided on your specialty and what you enjoy about your work? (In twenty-five words or less...just kidding.) Anyway, great content. Thanks very much. (:
The biggest problem is that there are good attorneys and bad attorneys. When we live in a society where we all think attorneys are bad people. How are we to tell if an attorney is good or bad? Why do we have a crap system that depends more on your attorney's skills than actual justice?
I have the same issue as your number 5 as an environmental consultant. People come to me to fix an application they started for a permit that they found themselves in too deep. They were being cheap instead of hiring me from the start and expect me to correct all their mistakes but then balk at the price. I tell them the extra cost is too undo all their screw ups!
No job is too big, no fee is too big. Don't call an attorney if you don't want to pay. You don't go to Wal-Mart and ask the cashier to give you a discount because you have had a tough time lately.
I tell people "if you don't have $10k you don't need an attorney!" (Unless you killed someone)
Go ahead sue me for my Pokemon Cards!
A rich man gets a good attorney. A Rich smart man gets a bad judge.
Noshitapoorgetsboth
I have been called to come fix a problem (carpentry ) ... then find out the home owners or handyman worked on it first. Then get upset because I tell them that it will cost them 2x the previous quoted (before they botched it ) price.
Is that a Chrysler turbine car model on the left side of the bookcase?
Yeah, it is
No that's a yugo
They say, “a person who act as their own attorney has a fool for a client.” When someone wants you to work for free ask them if they would do their job for free? If the matter can be handled in small claims court go for it they can do it themselves. If the matter required a higher court hire an attorney. One that specializes. Don't hire an attorney that just does your will to take care of your divorce. I know now.
How often are your opponents interested in 'justice' as opposed to winning/setteling?
Justice is a myth. Only God can judge us. Just settle!
There's no justice, there's just us
Justice is a relative term that has different meanings for different people. You cannot define it in every situation to suit all parties with different interests. Better to go for a fair deal under the established law. Hire an attorney, and pick their brain if it is not some very simple speeding case or small court case or if a judge ever recommends it to you. They are not all bad guys out to get you, sometimes a judge sees that you are so emotionally invested or are not very articulate and does not want to see you go down in flames in court so will tell you repeatedly to get an attorney.
Attornies: "We hate the system just as much as you do."
Also attornies: "Here's how we can slow down the system to help our case."
Got appendicitis? DIY, how hard can it be?
when people talk about a case like a woman getting scalded by hot coffee from Mcdonalds and getting a million dollars what they always forget is that they do not know the full details such as the extent of her injuries or the fact that the coffee was at an excessively hot temperature.
Actually for the most part those legislators are lawyers or are advised by lawyers. As far as the court system, it is largely run by judges, who are most invariably ...lawyers.
I spend too much time watching your videos; but keep’em coming (hahaa).
#MeToo LOL!
Many times you, the defendant, has better strategy ideas than that can win your case that is better than the attorney's. This is because you know lived the situation and know details beyond the basic facts. This doesn't mean you don't need an attorney but on the contrary, the attorney can advise you which strategy or angle is feasible, and which one will lead to a dead end or assume some uncertain risks that could lead to disastrous or a less than favorable outcome.
Lol you're going to jail!
I know a lawyer that got a couple of kids off a murder case ... think his name was Vinny. lol
thanks for the pro tip :)
I've spent more time in that courthouse (Jasper County, GA) than I care to discuss. Fun fact: I'm batting a thousand for being mistaken for counsel (never say never!)
Also what is your opinion on Legal Shield formally Prepaid legal?
The reason why ask is because the program works and I've gotten out of three traffic infractions since I been a member for over 20 years.
Its only 11.50 a month for me though new members pay 15 a month.
The infractions were challenged in court and lawyers went to court in my place. I didn't have to be present. They determine if the ticket was written out correctly then challenge it in court if they see there is a chance of it being thrown out so to speak.
I just did the math, you paid 2,760 dollars to get out of three traffic tickets. :)
@@Alakarra
But you forgot about adjusted car insurance rates. :) when you get a ticket and give in to paying it off it goes on your record where they can see it for the next 3 to 5 years.
During that time your car insurance premiums will increase by 20%.. I'd rather pay these folks a liitle a month than a lot every year to the insurance company.
Plus I'm getting free representation and do not have to take time off from work ( lost wages mind you) to be in court because the lawyer appears in my place. Plus if I have a legal question I can simply call and have it answered for free..
In my opinion this is well worth the price of a movie once a month. Thanks for your comment loved it.
It always makes me upset when a attorney says no. Because another attorney screws up. And the need to try to fix it. That’s throwing them under the bus. You may fail. But the client has no chance if you don’t try. If there’s a chance.
Perry Mason was a terrible lawyer. He was a great investigator, and found the real culprit. That is not a good lawyer.
Some here wouldn't know who Perry Mason is. lol. Love your series.
Ignorance of such a widespread cultural phenomenon is not an excuse. For example, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Mason
Come to RUclips and get some of Steve Lehto's experienced, respected advice for FREE! Now that's a deal.
Could not of said it better.
That's why I call it RUclips U. Go Team Lehto!!! Rah rah rah!!!
#1: The law is designed to make you whole, not to make you rich.
No punitive damages?
I was doing an investigation on an individual who was getting tried on his 10th or 11th DWI; the attorney general had had gotten him off or out of the majority of them to the point that he was only charged with Misdemeanor DWI as he only had 1 conviction in the previous 10 years. Despite what one thinks about DEI that individual had a good attorney.
Mechanics totally agree with #5.
You got a subscription from me for #1, the die cast mopars behind you and #2 cops love pulling me over and last but not least, I’ve had some doozies besides traffic.
Maybe a good attorney can’t win a bad case, etc. Sometimes. But, if you find the law firm that the judge is affiliated with, hire an attorney from that firm.
I know a woman whose ex wouldn’t pay child support because he was a general contractor and “disabled”, to the point of drawing disability insurance. But, he was still working, taking cash only. She had pictures of him carrying bundles of shingles up a ladder and also doing concrete work. Had one of his advertising signs.
Took him to court. Judge ruled against her. Judge just happened to be from the law firm representing the ex husband
Lol, the 5th item occurs regardless of profession and then there is also the mythical friend discount that people who know you some how expect
Good things to know!
Steve In This Era: *wears a collar shirt
Steve These Days: *slaps on random t-ahirt
I knew guy who had guy, who once dealt with a guy, who know a cousin of a guy whos wifes brother in-law once knew guy who talked to Justin Bieber. So nay nay. Thats my guy.
I've dealt with a few attorneys and they loved milking the clock. Some attorneys are pretty worthless.
OJ Simpson. The case was good but! I've had the same in UK, some Police officer got Clever and Guilded the Lilly (Just add the last little bit). In my case a ten minute visit to site, plus one photo proved the Witness statment that had been added at the last minute. The witness couldn't have seen it. So regardless, one pice of eveidence proved to be straight wrong, actually perjury. There is reasonable doubt. Any Juror being honurable has to find 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt''.
Mostly seems accurate. Use gilded (gold trimmed) rather than Guild (professional group).