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Any time we are faced with a legal issue, it feels like a legal emergency. What is truly an emergency and what do you do about it?
Legal Emergencies
Here are five examples of legal emergencies:
- Children’s aid comes for your children or children in your care. Any time of day.
- You are stopped by the police and detained for questioning.
- You are in a car accident.
- Your child or young adult is being questioned by the police or other government agency.
- A child is critically injured or dies while in your care.
God forbid that any of these happen to you but they do happen.
For example, I heard a story about the police breaking into a home while the family was sleeping at about 2 or 3am. The police claimed that a child was being abused and it was being broadcast live on the internet from their home. It turned out that someone was relaying through their router making it look like it was them. I would say that was a legal emergency.
When my wife was in a car accident, she had a lawyer on the phone within a couple of minutes at 9am on a Sunday morning. She had been rear ended by a drunk driver. She didn’t know that at the time. Her concern was what should she say or not say when speaking to the police officer so that she wouldn’t have regrets when dealing with the insurance companies afterward.
Who Should Be Your First Call?
Your legal service provider should be your first call in a legal emergency. If you’re not sure it’s a legal emergency, it should definitely be your first call. I have a direct line to my legal service provider, I use my phone app!
Once I have my lawyer on the phone, he or she is usually quick to make sure I’m OK before even getting to whatever my concern is. No discussion of cost or retainer, just “are you OK”. Then we get into whatever the concern is at the time and they advise me on next steps. In many cases, there is no further cost but occasionally there are what I call “the root canals of life”. At least I have the advice on what to expect and they take the time to settle me down so that I don’t shoot myself in the foot.
Your legal service provider should always be your first call if there any potential legal issues during an emergency situation.
Do you believe we have equal access to justice under the law? What do you do when faced with a legal emergency? Will your lawyer answer your call at 3am? My legal services provider will.
Make sure you have access to your legal services provider when you need them.
Make it a great day!
Barry
P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for our legal system. I’m thankful for peace officers. I’m thankful I can access the legal system affordably.
What are you thankful for today?
Please share ...
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