While it’s not mandatory that you hire a lawyer to represent you in your Lemon Law case, enlisting the aid of an experienced CA Lemon Law attorney can help you get the most out of your claim. Here are some of the reasons why hiring a good Lemon lawyer is the smart move to make.
The Benefit of Experience
Anyone can represent him- or herself in a Lemon Law case, but those who go to trial without a Lemon lawyer usually get less in terms of due compensation than what an experienced Lemon lawyer could have gotten them. A good Lemon lawyer brings to the table years of experience handling CA Lemon Law cases. He or she knows the ins and outs of the Law and can guide clients through what otherwise can be a very long, confusing, and frustrating process. Clients who don’t know how Lemon Law cases work can end up waiting a long time between negotiations with the manufacturer’s lawyers. Hiring an attorney who’s experienced in the process can ensure that your case gets handled with proper efficiency and minimum runaround.
Yes, You CAN Afford a Lemon Lawyer
Whenever you start talking about hiring a lawyer of any kind, it makes sense to worry about costs. However, the good news when it comes to Lemon Law cases is that the claimant does not need to pay legal fees. According to California State Lemon law, the defendant (i.e. the manufacturer) is responsible for paying your legal fees as part of the settlement when your case is won. Because of this, most Lemon lawyers work on a “fee-shifting” basis, which means you don’t pay them. Instead they keep track of their work and after they’ve won your case, they present the bill to the manufacturer, who is responsible for paying the legal fees. In other words, if you have a legitimate case, hiring a CA Lemon attorney costs you nothing; so why not enlist the extra help?
Beware of Lawyers Charging Percentages off Recovery
With that in mind, there are some reasons why you might not want to hire a particular lawyer. There are some Lemon attorneys out there who take a certain percentage of your recovery as part of their legal fee. This is wrong. No Lemon attorney should be charging clients a percentage of their settlement. Again, it is up to the manufacturer to pay your legal fees. If you encounter a lawyer who asks for a percentage off your recovery, say no and look for a more reputable Lemon Law firm to represent your case.
Beware of Hyped Promises
Another lawyer to be wary of is the lawyer who starts telling you how much money you can get for your claim after talking to you for barely two minutes. No good Lemon Lawyer will start promising you anything until they’ve thoroughly reviewed your case. This means finding out all of your vehicle’s history and getting all the facts of your case down on paper before they start telling you how much they can do for you. The primary goal of a good Lemon Lawyer should be to assess your claim accurately and to help you get rid of that defective car and get you due compensation as soon as possible. So in the end, while enlisting the help of a CA Lemon Law attorney is not mandatory, it is recommended, especially since it comes at no cost to you.
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