The Milwaukee area boasts a lengthy legal tradition with one of the oldest voluntary bar associations in the United States. This organization, combined with the mandatory membership State Bar of Wisconsin ensures that a client seeking a Milwaukee lawyer will find many lawyers that are bound by strong ethical and professional codes of conduct. You should seek a local lawyer whenever possible to ensure that your legal representation is informed on recent changes to Milwaukee local and Wisconsin state laws. Failure to obtain proper legal representation will jeopardize your case.
What are organizations of Milwaukee lawyers?
The State Bar of Wisconsin is a mandatory membership organization for Milwaukee lawyers and as an integrated Bar Association, determines the standards of professionalism and ethics that all Wisconsin lawyers must abide by. In addition, the Bar is responsible for discipline and sanctioning unethical or unprofessional attorneys. The State Bar of Wisconsin ensures that lawyers are up to date with the latest developments in their legal field through continuing education classes and law practice management services. This ensures that the quality of the lawyers belonging to the organization remains high and inspires confidence in those that obtain the services of the Milwaukee lawyer. The Wisconsin Bar also maintains a lawyer referral service that will connect you to lawyer for no more than $20 for a 30 minute initial consultation.
The Milwaukee Bar Association is a voluntary organization of Milwaukee lawyers and is the fifth oldest bar association in the country. Its membership includes about half of the lawyers in Milwaukee County. The MBA also has a Lawyer Referral and Information Service of its own which is free to the public. This service is ranked among the best lawyer referral services by the American Bar Association. The client is not charged for the use of the service and the lawyer may charge no more than $20 for the initial consultation. The lawyer referral service also provides relevant legal information to callers that need legal advice. The referral service will assist you in finding a Milwaukee lawyer in a number of practice fields including family, immigration, taxation and personal injury law. You are under no obligation to hire the lawyer you are referred to by this service.
How do I know my Milwaukee lawyer is legitimate?
Since membership in the integrated Bar Association in mandatory, if you cannot find the Milwaukee lawyer in the state bar directory, then you will need proof that the Milwaukee lawyer is certified to practice law in Wisconsin. The absence of this proof will be sufficient to avoid hiring that Milwaukee lawyer. Although there is procedure to prevent unlicensed lawyers from representing clients in court, unlicensed lawyers may provide legal services to unsuspecting clients. Any services rendered through this arrangement such as contract preparation are suspect and likely not legally admissible.
You must have ease of communication with your Milwaukee lawyer. Be sure you can contact the lawyer or at least a trusted member of the lawyer’s staff for information related to the status of the case or questions you might have. If you find it difficult to communicate with your Milwaukee lawyer, you place your case in jeopardy and should consider amending the arrangement or finding another lawyer.
What are the typical rates of a Milwaukee lawyer?
The type and nature of legal fees for Milwaukee lawyers will vary from case to case. Typical fee arrangements will involve flat, retainer, contingency and hourly fees. These fees may also be combined, as the agreement of the client and lawyer. Flat (fixed) fees are typical for performing a legal service that does not go to trial, such as contract preparation/review and preparing documents for bankruptcy filings.
Retainer fees involve setting aside a certain amount of fees into a billable retainer account that can be refilled at the lawyer’s discretion. This arrangement may become expensive if the case continues for a long period of time. Any lawyer or lawyer services that posts fees will generally offer a range, rather than a set figure, to reflect the variable outcome and length of court cases.
Contingency fees
Contingency fees are typical of accident, negligence and malpractice cases. In this arrangement, the lawyer does not collect a fee unless there is a settlement or jury award. The lawyer’s fee can be either a lump sum or a percentage. Percentage contingency fees are the most common and give the lawyer the best incentive to win the best possible settlement. The lawyer may be mandated to accept a percentage fee and this fee can be capped by law.
The current Wisconsin limitation on medical malpractice attorney fees is on a sliding scale with the fees not exceeding 1/3 of the first $1 million, or 25% of first $1 million recovered if liability is stipulated within time limits and 20% of any amount exceeding $1 million.
There are other limitations depending on the circumstances of the case, so you should ask the Milwaukee lawyer about the likely contingency fee cap applicable to your case, if any. Be aware of other costs associated with these cases, such as legal document preparation fees.
Take advantage of free consultations when they are available to discuss potential fees and payment arrangements with Wisconsin lawyers. The above fees do not consider court costs, which are also paid by the client. You may be able to arrange low cost and extended payment for legal services at the discretion of the attorney or law firm. Some fees will be non-negotiable.
What are questions to ask Milwaukee lawyers?
How does my case relate to Wisconsin state and Milwaukee municipal laws?
What are your fees and do you have alternate payment plans?
Are you an active member, in good standing, of the Wisconsin Bar Association?
What roles do you play as a member?
Can I please have all fees in writing?
What are my chances of winning a settlement or at trial?
Can you refer me to another lawyer if you are unable to take my case?
When seeking a lawyer in Milwaukee, be sure to verify that any and all lawyers you receive consultations from are listed in the Wisconsin State Bar Directory. All lawyers Milwaukee must be members of the integrated state bar for the purposes of professional training and continuing education. In addition to the state bar, a lawyer in Milwaukee may be a part of the Milwaukee Bar Association, which represents professional links within Milwaukee County. Depending on your preference, you may use either the Wisconsin or Milwaukee lawyer referral and information service to find a Milwaukee lawyer. Either service will likely cost you $20 for an initial half-hour consultation with a verified Milwaukee lawyer. Ensure that you discuss fees with the lawyer in Milwaukee during the consultation and before agreeing to any legal service. Also, get this agreement in writing. In this way, you will avoid miscommunication and possible overbilling. Communication is important in maintaining a positive client relationship with the lawyer in Milwaukee so ensure that you may contact the office with any relevant questions you may have about the case. Depending on the legal field, the Milwaukee lawyer will have differing philosophies related to the case. Ensure you and your lawyers in Milwaukee have a strategy before heading to court or through the settlement process.
