An Introduction to Legal Services in Bucks County
Bucks County offers virtual law practices across virtually all areas of the law. The following is a sampling of legal services offered by attorneys in the county: Family Law: Divorce, custody, child support, adoption, mediation. Personal Injury Law: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip & falls, defective products, paternity, adoption, premises liability, wrongful death. Criminal Defense Law: DUI, theft, drug crimes, robbery, violations of probation, post-conviction matters. Business Law: Litigation, business formation , contracts, trademark, employment law. Estate Planning: Trusts, wills, estate administration, special needs trusts, guardianship, probate. Real Estate Law: Residential transactions, leasing and landlord-tentant disputes, tax assessments, common interest community disputes, property tax appeals. Intellectual Property Law: Trademark, copyright, licensing, litigation. Tax Law: IRS tax audits, unfiled returns, wage garnishments, corporate and personal tax issues, IRS appeals, innocent spouse claims, business taxes.
Securing a Lawyer in Bucks County
Before you can make the best choice in which Bucks County lawyer to consult with, you will need to do your homework. First, identify what area of the law your situation falls into. Some lawyers do handle multiple areas of the law, but if you call a lawyer that can’t help you, you are wasting your time and theirs.
Now that you know what type of lawyer you need, you can begin to narrow down your choices. Go to the Bucks County Bar Association and look for a Referral Information Service that comes as close as possible to the legal help you require. One resource of information is the Internet. Most lawyers now have their own web pages. Read through the information that they have posted. Some may have samples of what they have done in the past either as a reference or to help educate you about your situation.
Once you have narrowed it down to three or four possibilities, you will want to set up appointments for a consultation with each one. A great many lawyers, but not all, do provide this service at no charge. Some, however, will charge a fee for a specified period of time. Meet with them at their office, not at your home, or somewhere else. You will want to see their office staff and how they handle themselves at work, as well as how the lawyer himself deals with you. You will want to see if you feel comfortable with that lawyer and if he has the experience required to handle your legal needs.
Be sure to understand their charges for their services. You will need to be sure that you and your Bucks County lawyer are on the same page with that before any legal work is done. If you don’t understand the fees or anything else, be sure to ask. If you like their honesty and their attitude toward you, then you may have found the right Bucks County lawyer.
The Expenses and Fees of Legal Services
Each Bucks County lawyer and law firm can set their own fees for legal services, which means that there is no set standard in the county for cost. That said, we can look at the average of hourly fees in the area to get a sense of what to expect.
The prevailing average hourly fee for lawyers in Bucks County is around $300 (range of $150 to $468). There is some variation based on the specific practice area, though, with most areas being around $300 per hour. The highest average rates are found among the following practice areas: general civil litigation, corporate law, and government.
For some legal cases, lawyers will accept a percentage of the financial award as their legal fees if they win the case. This applies mostly to personal injury cases, where a victim will be compensated for their injuries by the defendant. Contingency fees are very popular for these types of cases, and they are usually set between 25 to 40 percent. However, there are specific rules on when a lawyer can accept a contingency fee in Pennsylvania, depending on the type of case. In criminal cases or representation regarding parental rights, for example, it would not be permitted.
In a number of cases, lawyers will ask that clients pay their fees by retainer in advance of representation. A retainer is a lump sum of money paid to a lawyer for upcoming work to be completed on the client’s behalf. Essentially, it gives the lawyer access to their fee in advance so they don’t have to invoice for each hour they work. In some cases, clients may agree to put a certain amount of money into the account that later offsets their invoice, but for others, the retainer is held in escrow and is slowly withdrawn from the account to make up the invoice. This is often the case when the retainer is a lump sum fee.
Free Legal Aid and Pro Bono Support
Residents of Bucks County requiring free or low-cost legal assistance have several options. Both statewide and county-specific programs are available to assist those eligible on a pro bono basis, and many private law firms also provide pro bono services for residents of the county.
The legal aid organization Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) operates as a statewide system of independent legal aid programs and volunteer lawyer programs throughout Pennsylvania to assist low-income individuals and nonprofit groups that require legal assistance. PLAN’s Pennsylvania Pro Bono Network specifically works to expand access to justice for low-income individuals by matching them with private attorneys who are willing to offer their services on a pro bono basis. PLAN also has a Custody/Visitation Legal Hotline available to provide legal information to custodial parents and others involved in visitation and custody disputes.
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network also operates the Language Access Project to ensure that people with limited English proficiency have equal access to legal aid. The project’s website provides resources in many languages and connections to translators and interpreters who can assist during legal aid intake interviews.
Lambda Legal is a probate-focused legal nonprofit working with clients in Bucks County and across Pennsylvania and New Jersey who are part of the LGBT community. Lambda Legal’s Call En Español and Call In English services provides bilingual attorneys to assist with wills , powers of attorney and related advance directives so that clients can protect their families, finances and personal beliefs. For clients interested in planning for the future, Lambda Legal’s senior staff members are available to draft and witness end-of-life documents.
The Bucks County Bar Association is another local organization that provides pro bono legal services. Their Pro Bono Project offers free legal advice in many areas and often hosts legal clinics where eligible individuals can receive legal advice on certain areas of law. However, pro bono friends must first be screened in order to determine eligibility.
The Bucks County Court System
The legal system can be daunting, and even scarier if you don’t know how best to navigate it. Perhaps you think a family law case will be better suited in the family court. However, as it is easy to get lost and overwhelmed within the Bucks County Court System, it is important to know what tools are available to help you. The Bucks County Court System is divided into different levels and functions. This overview will help you understand the different courts and their purposes.
Magisterial District Court
The Magisterial District Courts occupy the lowest level of the Bucks County Court System. The Magisterial District Courts hear cases pertaining to summary offenses, landlord and tenant actions, rent and possessory actions, summary criminal matters, and civil actions where the amount at issue is less than $12,000.00. Appeals from the Bucks County Magisterial District Courts go to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
Court of Common Pleas
The Bucks County Court of Common Pleas hears all cases originating within Bucks County, not only civil cases. The Court of Common Pleas serves as the trial court for the entire state. Although the Court of Common Pleas has general jurisdiction in Bucks County, it will only take an action once personal and subject matter jurisdiction has been established. Simply put, subject matter jurisdiction requires a nexus tying the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas to the subject matter of the case being litigated. The case being litigated must also be of a nature that can be heard by the Court of Common Pleas, and not some other court of lower jurisdiction. Similarly, personal jurisdiction requires that the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas have personal jurisdiction over the specific parties to the case in order to hear the matter. Personal jurisdiction is either general or specific. General jurisdiction is established if a party/corporation is "at home" within Bucks County. Specific jurisdiction is established if the party/corporation has a sufficient nexus with Bucks County in terms of their contact with the forum for example, doing business, buying goods, consumes goods, employing Bucks County residents, or the dispute arises out of contacts with Bucks County.
Superior Court
The Superior Court hears appeals from the Court of Common Pleas, the Commonwealth Court, the Pennsylvania Election Board and certain state agencies where the case is a matter of first impression.
Supreme Court
Appeals from the Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, Bucks County Registers of Wills, the Tax Court appeals, Commonwealth Court and proceedings won before the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, are heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Long-Term Legal Help Resources
Access to a legal advocate is not always available in the middle of the night, or on the days when court is closed. Even if you have hired an attorney, there are leeway hours in between appointments where legal guidance may be necessary. These resources are available to help with all the little details that can come with various legal matters:
Bucks County Law Library
As part of the Court of Common Pleas, the Bucks County Law Library is open to all members of the public. Manned by the staff from the Prothonotary’s Office, the Law Librarian is available to assist visitors in finding the information and resources they need to fight or defend their case, as well as provide support in legal terminology or processes.
Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System
The UJS is a trusted and comprehensive online resource that lawfully gathers and distributes accessible information across the Pennsylvania Justice System. The website is designed to provide members of the public with ample legal resources and information, as well as access to various other partner websites such as PromisesPA.
Free On-Demand Legal Services
Above the Bar is a free service that connects residents of Pennsylvania with licensed and local lawyers who can help with their specific legal issue. The service is strictly male and female , which allows visitors to their site to choose the level of involvement they wish to have with the lawyer they are matched with. You choose the gender of your lawyer, the severity of your legal issue, and the free, 30-minute consultation can be conducted either in person or over the phone.
Abington School District Community Legal Education Series
Located in Montgomery County, PA, the Abington School District provides free community workshops on various legal topics through the Community Legal Education Program. Although these events are only open to residents of Abington, they are a great way to learn more about various legal practices without the stress that comes with a traditional lawyer’s office.
Community Legal Workshops
The Bucks County Bar Association holds free legal workshops on a monthly basis to help the residents of Bucks County receive vital support services. All workshops are open to the public, but attorney attendance is required to participate. Members of the public do not have to be members of the Bucks County Bar Association to attend.