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Have you ever met attorneys who truly believe in equal justice for all? You get as much justice as you can afford. Thankfully because of my #LegalSavingsPlan, I can afford more than I ever used to and at least I actually know my rights now.
Equal Justice
Most lawyers and officers of the court that I know will tell you that they are often frustrated when they are unable to do their best for their clients because the client runs out of money. Having the benefit of having experienced Family Court, I can tell you that there comes a time you give up because it’s just too expensive. He/She who has the most money wins. I’m not sure how “equal” that justice is. Another challenge to achieving equal justice is actually knowing what your rights are. Think about most contracts you have ever signed. Who wrote them? Who’s interests were those attorneys looking after? For the average person, I’m willing to bet it wasn’t their lawyer who wrote the contract and they likely represented the vendor. All contracts should be reviewed by your attorney before you sign them. It’s your lawyer’s job to tell you what your rights are. If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any! Is there truly equal justice under the law?
How Much Justice Can You Afford?
Whether you are in Canada or The United States, I’m willing to bet you it’s hard to find an attorney that charges less than $300 an hour. Most people here don’t make much more than maybe $20 an hour on average. That’s probably high. That means we have to work about seven hours at our jobs to pay for a half hour discussion with a lawyer. Then, once they determine how much justice you can afford, you either lay down a couple of thousand dollars just to retain them so you can ask more questions, or you walk away. I’m sure you have never experienced a discussion with your wireless or cable provider that ended up in you hanging up in frustration and you pay the bill because it would cost more to pay an attorney to write a letter or call on your behalf than to just let them take your money straight up. Is that equal justice? I wish I could remember the stats but most legal issues these days fall under estate planning and civil matters. Here is a list of 10 things your might use a lawyer for if the phone didn’t weigh so much (because of the cost):
- Can my employer just let me go?
- I’m separated and don’t know if I can take my kids across the border?
- When I’m divorced, is my will still valid?
- The tenant in my basement won’t leave. What are my legal rights and responsibilities?
- Children’s aid is trying to take my kids at 2am!
- I just got rear ended on the way to church,
- What happens if I die without a will?
- What happens if I survive?
- I don’t understand what someone is asking me to sign!
- I’m being arrested or detained and it wasn’t me!
With the exception of dying, any or all of these could occur more than once in a lifetime. Who would you call at 2am in a legal emergency and would you?
Levelling The Playing Field
There is the top 10% of society that can afford to hire an attorney without too much consideration of price. The bottom 10% are so broke they qualify for Legal Aid. Then there’s the rest of us. It’s time that we had equal access to the legal system. There are times that I’m wrong. I need to be sure of that. There are times that bad things happen to good people. They deserve the best possible advice. We found an answer. My wife and I are helping people access the best possible legal advice and services at an affordable price. We’re looking for people who believe in justice and believe in helping others have equal access. Are you the one we’re looking for?
Contact me: vbclermont @ rogers.com or 705 984 3097
Make it a great day!
Barry
P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful for our imperfect legal system. I’m thankful for the people on our team who are helping others get access to equal justice. I’m thankful for the personal development that comes from being involved with great people.
What are you thankful for today?
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