Online Lawyer Referral Services in Fairfax County
In Fairfax County, there is a much larger selection of web based lawyer referral services. One has their pick between American Lawyer Referral, Attorney-Legal, Nationwide Legal Help, LegalZoom, and LegalMatch. These services differ in regards to cost, turn around time, areas covered, information provided about attorneys, obligations, satisfaction guarantees and other issues.
American Lawyer Referral is a very basic database site. Once logged into the site, a Fairfax County client will be prompted to select their respective location and legal area desired. The website will provide clients with a list of attorneys who are located in the area. The service is free to clients but it doesn't truly provide much more than what you would find in the phonebook. American Lawyer Referral can be a means of finding an attorney but it is not a recommended one.
Attorney-Legal is a step closer to what one may desire from a referral service but it is still a few steps short. The website requests some information that it will use to find an attorney from their database. The service simply takes the next name from their lawyer database and sends over the case to that attorney. A client living in Fairfax County can find an attorney through this service but the client's input in this process is very limited.
Nationwide Legal Help is somewhat different from the other referral services. For $35, a client is entitled to have an attorney review up to a three page document and write a letter on the client's behalf. Additionally, if the client hires an attorney, the attorney agrees to reduce their standard fee by 20%. The service takes up to three days to locate an attorney and their database is somewhat limited so it is possible that they will not have an attorney at all. Nationwide Legal Help also lacks options and input; clients are given one attorney and little say on the selection process. Also, there is no realistic way to track whether attorneys truly offer a discounted rate.
LegalZoom also has its advantages and flaws. LegalZoom requires that their attorneys give a 30 minute free consultation with the referral. LegalZoom is also free to use. The benefits do not extend much beyond that. The service is limited with input and will give only one referral per client. LegalZoom only provides limited information about the attorneys, so the client must determine suitability on their own. Additionally, LegalZoom only works with a small number of attorneys so it is possible that they do not have a Fairfax County attorney that is experienced in the field you require. It is not uncommon for LegalZoom to have to refer a client to another referral company.
LegalMatch takes a different approach to attorney referrals. LegalMatch provides more than a referral; it provides options. The intake questions presented on LegalMatch's website are designed by attorneys and take just a short time to complete. In most cases, multiple interested attorneys will respond to the client, offering their rates for representation. LegalMatch supplements the attorney's responses with client reviews and expanded data about the attorneys which the client can use to determine their best match. LegalMatch is free, fast and effective and even includes a unique satisfaction guarantee.
