Welcome to Plymouth Law Center

YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF … BUT SHOULD YOU?

You’ve seen them everywhere. Do it yourself software packages for contracts, leases, and wills. Do it yourself legal books and pamphlets. Paralegals, law enforcement officers, law clerks, and others that work in the legal field but are not really lawyers. These people are often eager to help you by giving you advice-legal advice-about what you should do, how you should handle a legal problem, what your rights are, or even if you have or don’t have a case. Should you listen to them? Ask yourself if you would you let a carpenter do your dental work because he fixed up a dentist office once and saw how the dentist works. Would you let a secretary at a doctor’s office perform surgery on you because she’s seen it done dozens of times? Would you let a person who’s very good at drawing landscapes design a suspension bridge or skyscraper because it “looked really good”?Like everything else in life, some people are trained to do certain jobs. Professionals go to school for years to develop their knowledge and skill and lawyers do too. Why would they spend all that money and time in law school if they could just pull some forms out of a box or hang around the courthouse for few days and know everything they need to know?The lay person trying to do it himself just doesn’t have the complete picture. Some laws are contained in law books but many more are contained in regulations, ordinances, cases, and other materials. For example, did you know:

1. Some contracts have to be in writing  in order to even be enforceable. 
2. Some laws make it illegal to draft a contract with provisions that violate that law.
3. The standard on most service contracts is “substantial”, not “perfect" performance.
4. Even if you win your case, you may still not get paid.  How will you ensure you get paid?
5. A person can be held liable for the acts of others even if he didn’t do anything wrong.
6. If you fail to respond to court paperwork you could lose your case.
7. You can’t take an appeal simply because you lost.
8. Certain types of damages are not available for certain claims. 
9. Some claims require experts to prove your case.
The skilled lawyer knows. The layman does not. Proper legal analysis is required. Beware for there are many scam artists and other unscrupulous people these days who are much more dangerous with a pen than with any weapon. It is more important now than ever to have a skilled person protecting your interests.

Many of the cases we get are from folks who have done it themselves and now need us to undo what they’ve done. Sometimes we can but most often we can’t. In all cases, the cost of prevention would have been far less expensive than the cost of the cure. We’ve been helping people with their legal problems for over twenty years. You shouldn’t do it yourself. You're not equipped to do so. Put professional experience and training on your side. Call us.

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Friends, relatives and neighbors may try to help, offering contradictory anecdotes. Some may relate tales of woe or others similarly situated at different times and places.
Claim validity and value certainly are important questions. Experienced counsel knows case evaluation is an art perfected after years of practice. Each case must be evaluated on its own merits. No two cases are ever exactly alike. Proper consideration must be given to all the following:
1. Is there a viable recognizable legal claim?
2. Has the time to make the claim run out?
3. Is there sufficient evidence to support the claim to a successful conclusion?
4. Does the other side have good defenses to the claim?
5. How long will it take to resolve the claim?
6. Do you want money, equitable relief, or both?
7. How clear is responsibility for the event(s)?
8. What is the full extent of the injuries sustained?
9. Will this case resolve all problems or will some problems continue?
10. How will this case affect my relationship with the other side?
11. How do state and local laws affect the case?
All these questions and more must be explored and answered before a case can be evaluated. Once the case is over, it's over. You can't file another case for additional redress if your injuries turn out to be worse than originally believed.
You can't do this yourself. You are too invested in the case to evaluate it objectively. We can.
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No lawyer or law firm can handle everything and that includes us. Sometimes we can’t take a case because we have a conflict, are not properly equipped to handle the matter, do not have the resources to adequately handle it, or because it would be impractical for us to do so. Law is a very big field and if we can’t handle something, we will tell you so up front and refer you to someone else who can.  We know what we can do and what we can’t.  We will not tell you we can help you and then months later tell you we can’t. The field of law is becoming specialized just like every other field.  You are always better off going to a specialist if your problem requires specialized knowledge or experience.
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For those of you who watch the TV show “House MD” there’s a great line where Dr. House turns to his colleagues and says: “We’re not building cars here-we don’t give guarantees!” So it is with all other professionals who exercise judgment.  Lawyers can’t guarantee results because they are not the ones who will be making the decisions in the case-an independent judge and/or jury will be deciding the case if it is not settled by some sort of agreement. However, any good lawyer should be able to evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of your case. Despite the best facts and circumstances, sometimes things don’t always go the way a lawyer expects. There may also be other factors or conditions that are beyond the lawyer’s control. You should be cautious of any lawyer who guarantees specific results or claims never to have lost a case. Also bear in mind that lawyers are prohibited from making such promises by the rules of ethics.________________________________________

Lawyers have been traditionally hesitant to give limited advice usually because a lawyer can’t control how that advice is used.  Sometimes, a person will take such advice and use it incorrectly or forget an important part and wind up damaging his case by mistake. A good way to reduce costs is to consider hiring a lawyer to handle only some parts of your case. The NH Bar has recently allowed lawyers to sell “unbundled” or “limited” services.  This type of service is very much like ordering a la carte at a restaurant-pick the appetizer, entrée, side dishes, and dessert you want without having to buy the whole meal. Such services may include having a consultation for advice, drafting documents such as complaints or answers, reviewing an agreement, or attending only one hearing, rather than handling your entire case. However, remember that some types of matters are not appropriate for limited services and a lawyer may refuse to do it if he believes he cannot do it properly or cost effectively.