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Can you handle it yourself or do you need help?
In the modern world for most
people, legal conflicts, questions, and issues arise regularly. Whether you are
getting married, fighting a parking ticket, starting a new job or business,
buying a house, planning for your retirement or just minding your own affairs,
the law is in your face.
When do you need a lawyer's help?
Sometimes it's a no-brainer. If
you're charged with a crime, you probably need a lawyer — and fast. Other times
it's not so obvious. But be advised: You don't have to be involved in a civil or
criminal conflict or controversy to benefit from legal counsel. People hire
lawyers for advice and expertise all of the time, in all kinds of situations.
Here's the first thing to ask
yourself in deciding if you should consult an attorney: "What's at stake?" When
your finances or liberties are in serious jeopardy, get legal help. What is
serious? An simple possession charge is a brush with the law, but you need not
consult with an attorney to pay the fine or even to fight it.
However, if you've been caught
with a nice little garden in your closet and you have been arrested, you may
want to hire a lawyer who can help you best resolve the situation, and perhaps
save you money and hopefully keep you out of jail.
You don't have to be in trouble
to call a lawyer, and you don't have to be mad at someone or at the end of your
financial rope either. In non-adversarial situations, use common sense and a
little bit of business savvy in deciding if you might benefit from good advice
of counsel.
In good times as well as bad,
with a lawyer's help, individuals understand and secure their legal rights and
financial interests. With good legal advice, clients comply with and swiftly
navigate through, the complex mazes of federal and state regulations. And
everybody can rest easily after consulting experienced lawyers for important
undertakings such as keeping you free and a little money left in the bank.
What should you consider before you look for a lawyer?
You have a problem and think
you want a lawyer to represent you. First, think about if you can resolve the
situation to your satisfaction without hiring an attorney. How quickly
should you consult a lawyer?
Sometimes you have lots of time
to consider your alternatives. In other situations, you need to act fast. If
prosecutors have accused you of a crime, or law enforcement authorities are
questioning you about your involvement in a serious criminal matter, consult a
lawyer immediately.
What are you trying to achieve?
This is an easy question to
answer if you find yourself a defendant in a civil suit or charged with a crime.
In these cases, your goal is to keep your money out of your adversary's pocket,
or avoid criminal sanctions. In other situations, your objective may be less
clear. If you feel your employer unlawfully fired you, you might want to get
your job back. Before you hire a lawyer, think about what you want to achieve.
Be realistic about your chances of winning and what your case is worth.
If you aren't sure what your
legal rights are, it might be worth your time and expense to retain a lawyer to
evaluate your situation and advise you on alternative courses of action. Paying
a few hundred dollars for a two-hour consultation with an attorney could be a
very wise investment that ultimately can save you time and money.
Finding A Qualified Lawyer
Attorney listings of the
NORML Legal Committee
- Just Click On Your State.
"Well I can finally join NORML because I no longer
grow marijuana and I can come out of the closet. Unfortunately my closet was
invaded by the DEA. I just came back from my attorney's office and it does not
look as bad as I first thought. The attorney was one I found from your site,
Peter J. Vilkelis. I am really impressed by him and I think his representation
of my case should be excellent (having a law school education from the
University of Minnesota I can recognize excellent legal talent). It really helps
having an attorney who believes in the cause to be on my side. Again thank you
very much. I wish I could afford more at this time." ~ NORML member, Illinois
What type of lawyer do you need?
Many attorneys specialize in
one type of law. Other lawyers handle a wide range of matters. You want to hire
an attorney with expertise in your type of case or matter.
Knowing a bit about the law
will help you become a smarter legal consumer. If you are in need of a lawyer,
please contact our law department and we will try to arrange for you a reliable
attorney visit in your area.
Accusations of drug use,
whether true or false, almost always result in the ordering of drug testing. A
drug test can be a valuable tool to assist in determining the use of a drug by
an individual, but the use of this tool must be balanced against the fact that
drug testing is not always accurate. Needless to say, a "false
positive" result on a drug test can destroy any chance that you can pass a drug
test.
Should you be asked (or
ordered) to take a drug test, follow the guidelines below to ensure that your
rights are preserved during this process. Use of this advice should be balanced
against the possible adverse effects of the action and the potential loss if a
negative result is returned. These are your rights, but you should use them
appropriately.
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If you are asked to submit to a drug test,
always say "yes", but do not commit to a test date before you consult
with your attorney. Inform the person asking that you are willing to be drug
tested but that you will need to consult with your attorney privately and clear
it with him first. There may be valid reasons why your attorney would not want
you to be tested.
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If you consent to drug testing, always schedule a
private test first. Pay for the test in cash, NOT with a check or credit card.
Ask that the results be sent to your attorney's office - this is safer than
having them sent to your home or work address. Once you have the results you can
decide how to proceed. If the test comes back positive, ask that another test be
performed or that another type of test be used.
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Sit down and make a comprehensive list of all
prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and foods that you've taken in
the last several months. Many prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications
and even foods can cause "false positives" on drug tests. All drugs alter body
chemistry; after all, that is why they're taken. Unfortunately, changes in body
chemistry can fool some drug tests and produce inaccurate results ("false
positives").
. . . .
more.
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Ask the company doing the drug test to provide you
with information on the kind of test that will be done. Also ask the company for
a list of all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and foods that
may interfere with the drug test results. If the company refuses to provide such
a list, instruct your attorney to subpoena a list from them. You may also do
your own research to find out what medicines or foods could cause the drug test
to be invalid.
-
Request a copy of the laboratory's certification for
drug testing, then investigate. What is their "false positive" rate? Has the
laboratory's certification ever been suspended, revoked? Has the company ever
been cited or found to be in violation of the certification? How long have they
been in business? The answers may show that the company cannot be relied upon to
provide accurate results.
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Drinking plenty of water and juices helps rid the
body of impurities. Stay away from coffee, tea and carbonated beverages if
possible. Also refrain from drinking alcohol. While alcohol is being metabolized
the body does little else in the way of processing other foods and ingestibles,
preferring to concentrate on the alcohol because it is an extremely rich source
of energy and sugars. In other words, consuming alcohol slows the body's process
of clearing itself of other impurities.
-
Whenever possible, schedule your drug test for the
afternoon, not in the morning. Chemical impurities are at higher concentrations
in the body early in the day than later in the day (when your body has had some
time to process them). Urine, for example, is typically most concentrated in the
morning. If the testing laboratory insists that you schedule a morning drug
test, agree, then call in on the day of the test and tell them that you will be
late due to unforeseen circumstances (you got stuck in traffic, the car broke
down, the bus was late, etc).
-
Reassure them that you will be in to take the test
as soon as you possibly can, then show up in the afternoon. If they want to
reschedule you for another morning test, refuse. Tell them that you are here
now, that you want to take your test now and that you don't want to have to come
back again. If they refuse, insist that they give you a written note stating
that they would not allow you to take the drug test at this time.
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