Learn how to spot bad lawyers and what lawyer tactics you need to stay far away from. Contact Andrew: www.AndrewFlusche.com/contact/ Facebook: / andrewflusche
I had a public defender who actually ignored me when I told him I didnt want to plea, and I had to stand up in court and interupt the proceedings to declare that I wasnt taking a plea, and believe it or not , it worked and I walked out free.
I went deep sea fishing with lawyer once. The captain of the boat warned us we were in shark infested waters. The lawyer fell overboard, but the captain said the sharks would not attack him. Professional courtesy.
The part about filing a complaint against your attorney was funny, almost all the things you mentioned I've been through most of them. My attorney would not file a motion to suppress the affidavit form the state trooper. Then he wouldn't give me the state trooper's name or badge number. I contacted the bar association of Texas and asked for a complaint form to file against my attorney. I texted him and told him since he didn't answer my phone calls file a motion, doesn't show up for my court date and not wanting to give me the state trooper's name and badge number. I had contacted the state bar association of Texas and was filing a complaint against him. He cried to the judge really fast to withdraw as my attorney.
When I was looking for an apartment, this is what the property management company said. They said we couldn't leave the building with the contract because they were worried we would rip-off their contract to start our own rental company.
Never watched attorney videos, but you popped up, don't know whey, and I've watched a LOT of yours. Really interesting, complex and helpful. Man, I wish you lived in CA, if I ever needed one. I can tell this is a mission for you, a true vocation, not just a job, and I appreciate you!
Met with a lawyer that wanted to charge a good chunk ($7500) plus filing fees for 90 days on a complicated matter. After 90 days, another big chunk buys another 90 days. No guarantee on getting it wrapped up in a timely manner. Didn pass the smell test.
Wow, the calling and emailing part hit home. I actually filed a bar complaint against an attorney I hired. You'd better believe he contacted me shortly after that. Too bad he hadn't returned my calls or emails for several months before then, nor did he show up for a hearing. I had to go because I wasnt convinced he would show.
Anyone that has hired more than a few lawyers either learns or are stupid. There are a few facts that always remain the same. Lawyers will promise you all kinds of results but only when they are paid in full will you know the actual truth about the outcome of your case. Also consider, especially in smaller towns, regardless of right or wrong a lawyer isn't going to piss off a cop or judge fighting for your rights when they will be stuck working with these people for the length of their career. Basically you are nothing but a source of cash that feeds their little machine. Cops bust, judge makes you get a lawyer. Lawyers and judges get paid and they're all happy.
Way I see it, if a good lawyer sees a couple mistakes in the chain of events, it doesn't matter if their friends or not they can always say hey guys this isn't right and then have it tossed out based on a preponderance of mistakes
I had a bait and switch pulled on me with a local lawyer with a good local reputation in a zoning variance hearing. We dealt with the big guy to set everything up. At the hearing, a new guy showed up who couldn't find his ass with both hands and a map! Fortunately, our planner was experienced and he made the deal during the recess that the "lawyer" should have made for us.
It's also not fair to the junior lawyer who is just being thrown to the lions. It's not uncommon for lazy senior lawyers to do that, and it sucks for both the client and the junior lawyer who is doing the best he can, but is not given the necessary resources.
@@Milesco But we were paying good money for good representation and nearly got our lives screwed up due to a bait and switch. It's just fortunate that we had a good planner. He more than earned his fee that day. He earned his and the "lawyer's" fees, both.
@@johns7734 : Right. The senior lawyer you hired screwed both you _and_ the junior lawyer he sent over in his place. (I know, because early in my career, *_I_* was that junior lawyer who was sent in to handle hearings without any preparation. The senior lawyer is supposed to guide the junior and tell him what he needs to know. But they're too lazy to do that. They just send the junior into battle without the info he needs. It really sucks, for both the junior lawyer and the client. I finally stopped doing that because I wasn't learning anything and I was tired of unfairly being put in the hot seat without any preparation.) I'm glad things worked out for you in the end.
@@Milesco It's fairly typical where I live, when you do a house closing that a legal assistant does 95% of the work. The lawyer than shows up at the closing and knows little about all the documents prepared.
@@johns7734 Be thankful it wasn't a criminal matter.. So many people get screwed In so many ways by any one of a half dozen players in the process. I've heard some of the worst attorneys are divorce attorneys. I hear it's not uncommon for the opposing attourneys to work together to screw both parties out of as much $ as they can. Again though, that's $, not jail time & a record + $. Our judicial branch has failed us more than the other 2 branches.
My husband was forced into pleading guilty by his lawyer when he was charged with armed robbery. The thieves dumped the gun used in the robbery on his property. His lawyer said " oh well the weapon was on your property, so it's an open and shut case against us, so you should plead guilty". He thought since he has never touched the gun, there would be no finger prints, and therefore he didn't do it. However, he took his lawyer's advise and plead guilty because "the police have so much evidence against you". They found the men responsible for the robbery when he was sentenced to prison, but the charges against him were never dropped. He will have this felony hanging over his head for the rest of his life.
Years ago a friend and I suspected that a prominent lawyer in our city was unethical so we decided to give him an opportunity to confirm our suspicion. We decided to ask a simple legal question. First I called and asked. He said that he would have to "research" the question and get back to me. This he did and submitted a bill that included "research time". My friend then called with the same question worded identically from our written script. He got the same "research" reply and bill. I then called to tell him what we did and pointed out that he used the U.S. Mail to submit his bills. He was in my office within the hour sweating profusely and almost in tears. We let him off the hook.
Hard to believe that this is a true story. Why would you take the time to "bust" him, succeed, and then let him off the hook? I think you watched The Firm too many times.
Andrew, thank you for sharing all this information. It makes a huge difference coming from an honest attorney like yourself. Thank you and God bless you and your family.
Now, we need a video as to how to deal with a lawyer that threw a case. Easy enough for the evidence, follow up quastions were never asked, and half the evidence never made it to the courtroom. Also, police reports were never requested by the council.
* Counsel. (And no "the". When the word "counsel" is used to mean "lawyer", the word "the" is never used. So you can say "the lawyer" or "counsel", but never "the counsel.") 😊
@@JamesWilliams-ii7yv it wasn't a Public Offender, I HIRED the B. What she don't know is that I can take the transcript, as is, and prove beyond reasonable doubt this fact, and put a Bar Grieve on her and the firm she works for, and they then wind up sanctioned.
Fixed rate can be a problem too because once they have the money they do the minimum and they never want to talk to you or listen to you. They also avoid doing research because they want to use what little they often know. You pay for it either way. Since they already have your money, they know you cannot afford to fire them and hire another. As for a plea, many judges make defendants pay if they opt for a trial. They prefer people to plea because its easier for them. Many of them could care less that you were innocent. They bury their conscience in the myth that the legal system is rarely wrong.
I am a retired Palm Beach County Prosecutor and Judge and always enjoy your videos and the fine advice you give. Though I seldom presided over traffic cases except appeals from our Traffic Magistrates. My experience with traffic lawyers is mostly negative, I’m sorry to say.
I have a friend who is an attorney. He once told me that he had been so busy he hadn’t had a chance to check for a pulse that day. I said to him “Dave, you’re an attorney, you don’t have a pulse.” The extended silence was golden.
I came across your channel by chance (searching for something unrelated). A title hooked me in and I’m glad it did. Excellent, easily digestible content. Thank you.
Been awhile since I heard snookered.😁 I was in a play in high school in 94 or 95 and the director changed "I'll be damned" to "I'll be snookered." It made sense because of the date of the piece. I don't remember if it was Harvey or You Can't Take it With You" but both are really old.
"Plea Agreements" That one screwed me back in 1994 and 18-years-old, I so wish me and my parents had known more about the law and courts back then. In the state of North Carolina, I was charged with first degree burglary, pled guilty to Attempted Breaking and Entering. However, I was trying to be a good Samaritan checking the health and well-being of someone, was never trying to break in to steal, harm, fight, etc... Still hate that crap:)
4:00 When your attorney seems empty of ideas to win and gives you a deal offer that includes a guilty plea, you definitely start to wonder what is happening.. Your lawyer will likely have to see the same cop that arrested you, the judge that convicted you, the court clerks, guards, secretaries, office staff, janitors, other criminals, over and over again his whole life. You will hopefully never see anybody from the incident ever again. That makes you an outsider, and everybody else insiders, so it can be hard to trust you have anybody fighting for you. I guess that's just faith we have to have, that a professional will do their job the best they can. Drink only at your home, and never drive a car under the influence. Thanks
Except that doesn’t even work. There are a number of cases where these megalomaniacs known as police believe they can determine impairment more accurately than a chemical test. There are videos of stone-cold sober individuals being arrested for OWI by these clowns.
If a lawyer guarantees that you'll win, ask for that guarantee in writing. If you lose your case, use that written guarantee to get their bar certification revoked.
I was at a custody court for visitation rights. My female lawyer hated me and didn't do anything on my behalf. The deck was stacked against me with her representing me. I have no idea why she was acting this way. We stood before the judge, and I requested that she not represent me. I asked for her to be dismissed. She left and took all my files with her. I told the judge I wished to proceed, and that I would represent myself. The judge granted me 15 minutes to compile questions to address the plaintiff. We readjourned, and I did the best I could with no information because my ex lawyer took it all with her. After the trial, which I won by the way, the judge remarked how impressed he was with my self defense, and that he had never seen anything quite like it in all his years on the bench. My child grew up well adjusted, and I eventually repaired and maintain a friendship to this day with his mother. It all worked out in the end for everyone involved.
When I had a traffic ticket I called around until I found a lawyer that even though he wouldn't technically give me a guarantee, he pretty much made it sound like a guarantee. I gladly hired him, and he actually got it done. I was so very happy. So I'm thinking the opposite. I want a lawyer that maybe can't quite guarantee legally but makes it sound like it's almost a guarantee. This was my best lawyer hire ever ever ever ever ever.
My divorce lawyer in La. sent some associate to court on the day , she had an arm full of files my case was about ten pages and no idea about what was what . Not only that in La. they have a different system than the rest of the country and I had to hire a lawyer to represent my wife who had fled the jurisdiction . The lawyer who I had to hire for her began to complain about the deal I was asking for : she could have the house and I wanted joint custody . Thank God for the judge who was had read the file and told him to knock it off and granted the divorce . I did have a good attorney in Va. for a traffic violation ( two counts of reckless driving) and got lucky that the judge rode a motorcycle and was sympathetic . He reduced the charge to one count of improper driving and sent me to a defensive driving class which was quite good . Saved me from sixteen points on my license .
The only time I had to deal with a lawyer the poor communication issue cropped up. I was purchasing my first property and elected to make use of the Bank's attorney . However he was a part of a team of two, with his partner out on maternity leave. I hadn't realized this was an issue until I started pushing for a closing date. The Bank was holding up the process and wouldn't tell me why nor precisely what they wanted to proceed, and 'my' attorney was nearly unreachable. I was actually in greater contact with the *seller's* attorney, which 'my' attorney took issue with. I can understand why, but I could not contact him nor was he in contact with the Bank on my behalf to figure out what the holdup was. Overall it was a highly frustrating process.
Well, part of the problem is that you were trying to use the bank's attorney when you should've hired your own. Not that that justifies his failure to return your calls, which is unprofessional, but he represents the bank, not you, so if the bank is dragging its feet for whatever reason, you can't expect the bank's attorney to do much about it.
Don't personally deal with many lawyers, I have had a few occasions to deal with a lawyer. Due to that limited experience with a lawyer, and when you need one you need one now, research for the right lawyer is difficult at best.
Great advice. I had an attorney who called me one Saturday evening to "check on me". The content of the call was apparently friendly. Nothing case specific. That one hour call showed up on my bill.
Thank you so much on helping the people to understand better about these things..There are so many lawyers that dont really care just want the money im glad that you are one of the good ones to help small people like me understand it more... I just wish i had someone like you to talk to about what going on with my mom stuff cus i dont understand certian things would like to talk if i could but we are poor so guess i have to try and find someone close were i live but thats gonna be hard to do...ty agian..
I wish every lawyer was as honest and up front as you and communicated as well as you do. I am a retired Christian man that has had to hire a lawyer several times for many different reasons and my feelings about each one was slimy blood sucking egotistical liars I even had a lawyer take a down payment in cash and then do nothing and said that I had not paid yet. If you can’t trust a lawyer that you hire and pay, then the legal system has gone to shit! The criminals are running the circus
I would love to hear tactics on how a citizen can challenge a corrupt lawyer, both state attorneys and otherwise. Could I legally record a lawyer and latter reveal the unethical behavior to the American Bar association for instance if I don't share the recording with others?
There needs to be a good family law attorney to do videos like this. I have so many stories about bad family attorneys here in Indiana including my current bait and switch case where I just had to report 4 different attorneys who were all responsible for my case at the same time and now will not submit one form to the court to get a 4 month old agreement signed by the judge...even the court employees haven't heard from any of the attorneys. I've had an attorney charge me $45 to forward a letter to me from another attorney that even stated at the bottom of the letter that they had also sent it to me. Another lawyer that failed to tell me about a court order until the other attorney filed contempt...because I was not doing something that was in the order that I had not received! And yet another who was responsible for sending me a court order (one would think it would be the courts responsibility, not opposing counsel), only to send it to a previous..previous address even though my correct address was on file EVERYWHERE.
How do judges sand law say about how to determine if a criminal conversion should be a misdemeanor or felony. Is there an amount of money total have to be high to be considered a felony
Depends on local laws. In theft, grand theft is a felony where I've lived while petty theft is a misdeminor, and there's exceptions, like if the type of thing stolen is a specific thing, i.e. a car. Look up local laws, I'm not a lawyer and this ain't legal advice.
There are ads on the radio and TV in California where Lawyers claim to fight your tickets. Truth be told, the Lawyer shows up, sees the officer had shown, then pleads their clients guilty or ask for a another court date. Ever see the ad for Larry H Parker? I asked my friend who is an attorney , about Larry H Parker. He said, "I don't know if he even knows where the Court is. He just passes his cases to other attorneys for a fee".
Had a lowyer trick me into signing something i wouldn't have if they didn't lie to me. Family death, got a house had someone near it taking care of things they got a loywer wanting me to sign something to let them take care of some things (i was to far away to do it) loywer was going over everything and specifically told me i had final say in the price of the house, at somepoint i was told the house was being sold 100k under estimated thought that was weird so went to ask the loywer they brushed me off saying sorry you signed nothing you can do now bye which annoys me because there pay is coming out of the house being sold. Was there anything i could have done?
I purchased a home in a neighboring state. Hired a lawyer in that area that used to practice in a neighboring town where I currently live. We had a good talk, he gave me a rough idea of what it would cost to close the deal. I explained that I would be purchasing items in the home also. He asked me for a list of items. I supplied it. He asked me about the financing. I gave him the bank information, total cost, down payment ect. I was billed for the invitation I gave him (phone time) Also phone time to correct the purchase price. He had the bank financing the total amount. Then he has the balls to tell me it's extra for him to attend the closing. Luckily I have never needed a lawyer to defend myself.
Question for you: What happens if you get reckless driving in Virginia and they suspend your license, but you live in a state like MD? Does Virginia write to home states and demand them to take license in return? I know about the DLC
Most states share info about license suspensions due to the Drivers License Compact. But not all states will suspend your license. It definitely depends upon the state, and I'm not sure if MD will.
Concerning traffic tickets I've had attorneys tell me up front that they will get it gone and they have done it. I guess traffic violations in certain areas are treated different.
I hired an attorney for a traffic ticket, it was a speeding ticket and he got it reduced in points and money. Since then I always represented myself. Every ticket I got reduced in cost and points. Some I even got the charges changed to a lesser charge. They want to clear the docket and get some money. No need to hire a lawyer. I even had a ticket reduced over the phone, I didn't even go to court.
@@Norm475 I tried to represent myself with a speeding ticket. They agreed to reduce it but I wanted it dropped. So I asked for it to be continued. I got an attorney who got the entire ticket dismissed.
Here’s something I learned the hard way: office expenses can get extremely expensive when you include subpoenas. When a case drags on for five years and numerous people need to be subpoenaed numerous times it gets very expensive. I don’t know if you can get an attorney to handle something on contingency without agreeing to pay office expenses, but beware it can wind up being thousands and thousands of dollars.
My attorney wants to delay my trial for about 2 years due to a once in a lifetime issue. It'd would look good to all involved that during the 2 years, nothing else happened. Problem is is that we have to go to court every 2 month for a continuance at 400+ each time. That was after blowing thru my $3500 retainer within 3 months. So far I'm out 6k on month 7.
@@notme2day Yuck ! Sounds awful. For me a long drawn out court case was extremely stressful. I’ve got a good idea what you’ll be going through. It’s a whole different world for people that have lots of money. If I did, the need for finding a guy to take it on contingency wouldn’t have been an issue. I might’ve even gotten some enjoyment out of making the opposition squirm and hopefully lose sleep like I did. I hope everything goes your way because you can really derive some good satisfaction out of that. Good luck👍🏻
@@sweetdrahthaar7951 Yup .. it's very stressful, seeing I'm on house arrest till trial concludes one way or another. Considering I qualify tor a public defender means I'm not one of those people with obvious means, but thankfully we were able to afford a pretty good attorney (in my view) who put together a good team for my defense. That being said 2 years on house arrest is preferable to a year in jail in the event the charges aren't downgraded, dropped or I lose at trial. My mass tort civil lawsuit is where I really feel your pain on the expenses as that case has already dragged on for years. Even though I'm not paying out of pocket upfront, the backend of this suit is going to have lawyers still getting 50% by the end since it's contingency fee + out of pocket for documentation, copies etc. I've given myself permission to be fine with that as long as a dangerous, defective medical product is removed from the market, saves someone else the nightmare I've lived with and punishes the manufacturer where they live... in the wallet. Hope your case finally settled successfully for you and things are now stress free.
I was on a jury in a traffic case that seemed simple and was. The defendant had turned left into a driveway while a motorcyclist was traveling in the opposing lane, causing a collision. This was on a straight stretch of road on a clear day. She estimated the motorcyclist's speed at 45 MPH on that 55 MPH road. The defense attorney asked the prosecuting Highway Patrolman a question, then interrupted the answer with further questions, disrupting and undermining his original attempt to answer. He distracted the jury with irrelevancies that he made to seem significant. The one I remember from our deliberations in the early '90s was that there were no skid marks. I had to explain to my fellow jurors that that just meant that the vehicles were close enough when she turned left that the motorcyclist didn't have time to react. It didn't affect who had the right of way. I wasn't out to get the defendant, whose younger brother/passenger probably distracted her, but responsibility for the victim's injuries and destroyed vehicle needed to be addressed. Those jurors' vulnerability to manipulation showed me why guilty people seek jury trials.
A question. What do you do with attorneys who just want to take a deal in a civil matter, without investigating or going to court, when things are obscured and very dodgy. Say a very complex will case, where things are hidden, and suddenly not enough money to service the will, time running out under law, coming off of maltreatment and discrimination?
Mr Flusche, you obviously haven't heard of Saul Goodman from Arizona. He never loses a case (well at least when his law license isn't suspended) Great video series, you're providing a great service.
My wife's lawyer encouraged her to litigate over every child support monetary dispute she had with her ex-husband, and would even engage in conversations that appeared to me to have no purpose other than to get my wife angry so that she would go after her ex in court. I had to point out to my wife on several occasions that the amounts of money in dispute were, in total, still less than half of what her lawyer would charge to litigate them. Thus, the smart business decision was to let the creep ex-husband get away with some petty financial shenanigans so that we would NOT have to pay a lawyer. Litigating on a principle to make a point is financial suicide, but family court attorneys love to encourage it in my experience.
I've been to traffic court a few times in my life. I have never hired an attorney and always represented myself. One time I just mailed in the fine so I didn't have to take the time to appear. On those instances when I went I notice that all the cases where someone has an attorney to represent the client they always get called first! Why is this? My time is just as valuable as theirs... is there some sort of bias going on? Shouldn't cases be called based on filing date or date the infraction happened?
Steve Lehto actually addresses this question in one of his videos. If the court room is really crowded, taking the cases with lawyers clears two people out when the gavel comes down.
Hey there! My main takeaway from this video is that I want to start incorporating the word "Snookered" into my daily vocabulary because it's a great word.
thats why any lawyer as me a pledeal when i say no and they one at me . i tell them i pleguilty but it has to under my terms it happened to me show up 11 times no trial
Your bowties were my favorite...until I saw that jacket. Thanks for the many helpful videos. They're very funny and quite informative. I didn't know how much I didn't know.
I had a lawyer charge me for an e-mail and a letter sent in regular mail - both saying the exact same thing. And don't get me started on evergreen retainers.
How about a lawyer that doesn't show up for court dates and won't answer or return phone calls half way into your case? And you have already paid your fees in a timely manner holding up yourpart of the deal? Its daunting to have to start from square one with another possible crook!! Bar complaint time if that even works anymore.
@@danielslocum7169 Big racket they're playing us for.....That's for sure. The whole shebang's nothing but a good ol boys club aaand you and I ain't in it!!!!
I had a lawyer try to charge me $2,000 for a service I specifically instructed him not to do ... he sent me bills for 3 years and finally gave up - I figured if he thought he could get the money he would have sued me.
![THE TOYS x NONT TANONT - ดอกไม้ที่รอฝน (spring) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pPa1d5cC8M4/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a public defender who actually ignored me when I told him I didnt want to plea, and I had to stand up in court and interupt the proceedings to declare that I wasnt taking a plea, and believe it or not , it worked and I walked out free.
I hope you filed a BAR complaint
Same here ... pleaded me guilty after 3 months of trial prep.
the public defenders here go to lunch with the prosecutors everyday
My lawyer took me to court for billing for something he offered to do for free. He lost. The dressing down he got from the judge was priceless!
Man I would love to have heard that👍🏻
Slimy lawyer.
If you beat your own lawyer at trial, makes you wonder why you needed him to begin with
@@paultrasbandeasy answer, they hired an even better lawyer to win the big bucks from the previous one
Did he have big nose?
I went deep sea fishing with lawyer once. The captain of the boat warned us we were in shark infested waters. The lawyer fell overboard, but the captain said the sharks would not attack him. Professional courtesy.
Need this explained lol
@@Technie87 The sharks wouldn’t attack the lawyer because they see him as one of their own. Lawyers==Sharks
Having met many sharks, this is unfair to sharks.
@@lisas5078 If you have to explain 'em, they ain't funny.
Old joke but accurate .
It's not that all lawyers are bad, it's just that 98% make the rest look bad.
Likely get their tips and tricks from auto mechanics.
@@joeschmo7957 lol
That’s life, and everything else
And same goes for cops.
Hahaha
The part about filing a complaint against your attorney was funny, almost all the things you mentioned I've been through most of them. My attorney would not file a motion to suppress the affidavit form the state trooper. Then he wouldn't give me the state trooper's name or badge number. I contacted the bar association of Texas and asked for a complaint form to file against my attorney. I texted him and told him since he didn't answer my phone calls file a motion, doesn't show up for my court date and not wanting to give me the state trooper's name and badge number. I had contacted the state bar association of Texas and was filing a complaint against him. He cried to the judge really fast to withdraw as my attorney.
In 2013 I tried to complain to the Iowa Bar, but they took down their website contacts and wouldn't LET me have a current complaint form!
"It's only a few pages (pulls out 100 pages), you can take your time and read it while I'm staring at you. Do you need an ink pen?" Lol!
When I was looking for an apartment, this is what the property management company said. They said we couldn't leave the building with the contract because they were worried we would rip-off their contract to start our own rental company.
@@username9999 Your lucky to glimpse the magic contract that was the secret to their monetary success and behold its power
Never watched attorney videos, but you popped up, don't know whey, and I've watched a LOT of yours. Really interesting, complex and helpful. Man, I wish you lived in CA, if I ever needed one. I can tell this is a mission for you, a true vocation, not just a job, and I appreciate you!
A regular Saul Goodman!
Same.
I too wish you were in Kalifornia. Or maybe you might not like it here.
I agree. I really love this guy’s channel. I’m learning so much.👨🏻🎓
Go to the lawyer and they give you a contact that is so complex that you need another lawyer to explain it to you lol.
Met with a lawyer that wanted to charge a good chunk ($7500) plus filing fees for 90 days on a complicated matter. After 90 days, another big chunk buys another 90 days. No guarantee on getting it wrapped up in a timely manner. Didn pass the smell test.
Wow, the calling and emailing part hit home. I actually filed a bar complaint against an attorney I hired. You'd better believe he contacted me shortly after that. Too bad he hadn't returned my calls or emails for several months before then, nor did he show up for a hearing. I had to go because I wasnt convinced he would show.
Anyone that has hired more than a few lawyers either learns or are stupid. There are a few facts that always remain the same. Lawyers will promise you all kinds of results but only when they are paid in full will you know the actual truth about the outcome of your case. Also consider, especially in smaller towns, regardless of right or wrong a lawyer isn't going to piss off a cop or judge fighting for your rights when they will be stuck working with these people for the length of their career. Basically you are nothing but a source of cash that feeds their little machine. Cops bust, judge makes you get a lawyer. Lawyers and judges get paid and they're all happy.
Yup, never get a lawyer from the same small town you're going to court in.
Too bad they get raped for eternity in Hell haha.
THE JUDGE
Way I see it, if a good lawyer sees a couple mistakes in the chain of events, it doesn't matter if their friends or not they can always say hey guys this isn't right and then have it tossed out based on a preponderance of mistakes
I had a bait and switch pulled on me with a local lawyer with a good local reputation in a zoning variance hearing. We dealt with the big guy to set everything up. At the hearing, a new guy showed up who couldn't find his ass with both hands and a map! Fortunately, our planner was experienced and he made the deal during the recess that the "lawyer" should have made for us.
It's also not fair to the junior lawyer who is just being thrown to the lions. It's not uncommon for lazy senior lawyers to do that, and it sucks for both the client and the junior lawyer who is doing the best he can, but is not given the necessary resources.
@@Milesco But we were paying good money for good representation and nearly got our lives screwed up due to a bait and switch. It's just fortunate that we had a good planner. He more than earned his fee that day. He earned his and the "lawyer's" fees, both.
@@johns7734 : Right. The senior lawyer you hired screwed both you _and_ the junior lawyer he sent over in his place. (I know, because early in my career, *_I_* was that junior lawyer who was sent in to handle hearings without any preparation. The senior lawyer is supposed to guide the junior and tell him what he needs to know. But they're too lazy to do that. They just send the junior into battle without the info he needs. It really sucks, for both the junior lawyer and the client. I finally stopped doing that because I wasn't learning anything and I was tired of unfairly being put in the hot seat without any preparation.)
I'm glad things worked out for you in the end.
@@Milesco It's fairly typical where I live, when you do a house closing that a legal assistant does 95% of the work. The lawyer than shows up at the closing and knows little about all the documents prepared.
@@johns7734
Be thankful it wasn't a criminal matter..
So many people get screwed In so many ways by any one of a half dozen players in the process.
I've heard some of the worst attorneys are divorce attorneys.
I hear it's not uncommon for the opposing attourneys to work together to screw both parties out of as much $ as they can.
Again though, that's $, not jail time & a record + $.
Our judicial branch has failed us more than the other 2 branches.
My husband was forced into pleading guilty by his lawyer when he was charged with armed robbery. The thieves dumped the gun used in the robbery on his property. His lawyer said " oh well the weapon was on your property, so it's an open and shut case against us, so you should plead guilty". He thought since he has never touched the gun, there would be no finger prints, and therefore he didn't do it. However, he took his lawyer's advise and plead guilty because "the police have so much evidence against you". They found the men responsible for the robbery when he was sentenced to prison, but the charges against him were never dropped. He will have this felony hanging over his head for the rest of his life.
Years ago a friend and I suspected that a prominent lawyer in our city was unethical so we decided to give him an opportunity to confirm our suspicion. We decided to ask a simple legal question. First I called and asked. He said that he would have to "research" the question and get back to me. This he did and submitted a bill that included "research time". My friend then called with the same question worded identically from our written script. He got the same "research" reply and bill. I then called to tell him what we did and pointed out that he used the U.S. Mail to submit his bills. He was in my office within the hour sweating profusely and almost in tears. We let him off the hook.
You shouldn't have
Brilliant!@@
Hard to believe that this is a true story. Why would you take the time to "bust" him, succeed, and then let him off the hook? I think you watched The Firm too many times.
@@adb012 Because we had made our point, watched him sweat and neither of us is vindictive.
yeah Im calling a load of BS on this one
Nice. If your contract is big enough that you need to hire a _different_ lawyer to explain it to you, then why not just hire a different lawyer?
Andrew, thank you for sharing all this information. It makes a huge difference coming from an honest attorney like yourself. Thank you and God bless you and your family.
Now, we need a video as to how to deal with a lawyer that threw a case.
Easy enough for the evidence, follow up quastions were never asked, and half the evidence never made it to the courtroom. Also, police reports were never requested by the council.
* Counsel. (And no "the". When the word "counsel" is used to mean "lawyer", the word "the" is never used. So you can say "the lawyer" or "counsel", but never "the counsel.") 😊
That's what public defenders are known for
@@JamesWilliams-ii7yv it wasn't a Public Offender, I HIRED the B.
What she don't know is that I can take the transcript, as is, and prove beyond reasonable doubt this fact, and put a Bar Grieve on her and the firm she works for, and they then wind up sanctioned.
@@JamesWilliams-ii7yv I know, a public defender told me you should never plead guilty no matter what is the evidence.
Fixed rate can be a problem too because once they have the money they do the minimum and they never want to talk to you or listen to you. They also avoid doing research because they want to use what little they often know. You pay for it either way. Since they already have your money, they know you cannot afford to fire them and hire another. As for a plea, many judges make defendants pay if they opt for a trial. They prefer people to plea because its easier for them. Many of them could care less that you were innocent. They bury their conscience in the myth that the legal system is rarely wrong.
I am a retired Palm Beach County Prosecutor and Judge and always enjoy your videos and the fine advice you give. Though I seldom presided over traffic cases except appeals from our Traffic Magistrates. My experience with traffic lawyers is mostly negative, I’m sorry to say.
"Hey man, I was just trying to knock the dirt out of the tires at 108 over the speed limit."
@@der_pinguin44 sounds like a winning defense😎
Now that's a valuable comment. We are warned.
@@moodiblues2 I legitimately know a guy who walked out of a 90 in a 40 because he made the judge laugh so hard.
Brevard county, FL.
@@der_pinguin44 One shouldn’t underestimate the power of laughter👍
As my father has said in the past.... One of the best things you can have in life is a good lawyer on your side...
Excellent advice ! We get the same problem over here . Thank you for posting !
I have a friend who is an attorney. He once told me that he had been so busy he hadn’t had a chance to check for a pulse that day. I said to him “Dave, you’re an attorney, you don’t have a pulse.”
The extended silence was golden.
I came across your channel by chance (searching for something unrelated). A title hooked me in and I’m glad it did. Excellent, easily digestible content. Thank you.
Been awhile since I heard snookered.😁 I was in a play in high school in 94 or 95 and the director changed "I'll be damned" to "I'll be snookered." It made sense because of the date of the piece. I don't remember if it was Harvey or You Can't Take it With You" but both are really old.
"Plea Agreements" That one screwed me back in 1994 and 18-years-old, I so wish me and my parents had known more about the law and courts back then. In the state of North Carolina, I was charged with first degree burglary, pled guilty to Attempted Breaking and Entering. However, I was trying to be a good Samaritan checking the health and well-being of someone, was never trying to break in to steal, harm, fight, etc... Still hate that crap:)
4:00 When your attorney seems empty of ideas to win and gives you a deal offer that includes a guilty plea, you definitely start to wonder what is happening.. Your lawyer will likely have to see the same cop that arrested you, the judge that convicted you, the court clerks, guards, secretaries, office staff, janitors, other criminals, over and over again his whole life. You will hopefully never see anybody from the incident ever again. That makes you an outsider, and everybody else insiders, so it can be hard to trust you have anybody fighting for you. I guess that's just faith we have to have, that a professional will do their job the best they can. Drink only at your home, and never drive a car under the influence. Thanks
Except that doesn’t even work. There are a number of cases where these megalomaniacs known as police believe they can determine impairment more accurately than a chemical test. There are videos of stone-cold sober individuals being arrested for OWI by these clowns.
I really appreciate your videos, thank you.
If a lawyer guarantees that you'll win, ask for that guarantee in writing. If you lose your case, use that written guarantee to get their bar certification revoked.
I was at a custody court for visitation rights. My female lawyer hated me and didn't do anything on my behalf. The deck was stacked against me with her representing me. I have no idea why she was acting this way.
We stood before the judge, and I requested that she not represent me. I asked for her to be dismissed. She left and took all my files with her. I told the judge I wished to proceed, and that I would represent myself. The judge granted me 15 minutes to compile questions to address the plaintiff.
We readjourned, and I did the best I could with no information because my ex lawyer took it all with her.
After the trial, which I won by the way, the judge remarked how impressed he was with my self defense, and that he had never seen anything quite like it in all his years on the bench.
My child grew up well adjusted, and I eventually repaired and maintain a friendship to this day with his mother. It all worked out in the end for everyone involved.
When I had a traffic ticket I called around until I found a lawyer that even though he wouldn't technically give me a guarantee, he pretty much made it sound like a guarantee. I gladly hired him, and he actually got it done. I was so very happy. So I'm thinking the opposite. I want a lawyer that maybe can't quite guarantee legally but makes it sound like it's almost a guarantee. This was my best lawyer hire ever ever ever ever ever.
Thank you! I appreciate the information.
Great video Andrew, keep up the work. =] informative.
I quite enjoy this content. Very succinct, and intelligible.
Big thumbs up and subscribe!
My divorce lawyer in La. sent some associate to court on the day , she had an arm full of files my case was about ten pages and no idea about what was what . Not only that in La. they have a different system than the rest of the country and I had to hire a lawyer to represent my wife who had fled the jurisdiction . The lawyer who I had to hire for her began to complain about the deal I was asking for : she could have the house and I wanted joint custody . Thank God for the judge who was had read the file and told him to knock it off and granted the divorce .
I did have a good attorney in Va. for a traffic violation ( two counts of reckless driving) and got lucky that the judge rode a motorcycle and was sympathetic . He reduced the charge to one count of improper driving and sent me to a defensive driving class which was quite good . Saved me from sixteen points on my license .
The only time I had to deal with a lawyer the poor communication issue cropped up. I was purchasing my first property and elected to make use of the Bank's attorney . However he was a part of a team of two, with his partner out on maternity leave.
I hadn't realized this was an issue until I started pushing for a closing date. The Bank was holding up the process and wouldn't tell me why nor precisely what they wanted to proceed, and 'my' attorney was nearly unreachable.
I was actually in greater contact with the *seller's* attorney, which 'my' attorney took issue with. I can understand why, but I could not contact him nor was he in contact with the Bank on my behalf to figure out what the holdup was.
Overall it was a highly frustrating process.
Well, part of the problem is that you were trying to use the bank's attorney when you should've hired your own. Not that that justifies his failure to return your calls, which is unprofessional, but he represents the bank, not you, so if the bank is dragging its feet for whatever reason, you can't expect the bank's attorney to do much about it.
Excellent; keep the vids coming please.
Don't personally deal with many lawyers, I have had a few occasions to deal with a lawyer. Due to that limited experience with a lawyer, and when you need one you need one now, research for the right lawyer is difficult at best.
Slick performance! Prove, that charm and humor can still entertain. Kudos.
Sir, nice response. However, you have made a common grammar mistake. In this case, "proof" is the word you need and not "prove."
@@FobbitMike Quite right. And no comma after "proof".)
Love your videos. On top of being very helpful and informative, you in your various roles and funny and creative. Love the slimy lawyer dollar jacket!
Great advice. I had an attorney who called me one Saturday evening to "check on me". The content of the call was apparently friendly. Nothing case specific. That one hour call showed up on my bill.
I got charged a 30 minute fee for talking to my lawyer and a 30 minute fee for him to review my case. OH YEAH both things happened at the same time.
sounds like you were in the wright
Thank you so much on helping the people to understand better about these things..There are so many lawyers that dont really care just want the money im glad that you are one of the good ones to help small people like me understand it more... I just wish i had someone like you to talk to about what going on with my mom stuff cus i dont understand certian things would like to talk if i could but we are poor so guess i have to try and find someone close were i live but thats gonna be hard to do...ty agian..
Good advice! Thanks
Advice on guarantees is really good. I turned down 3 layers who wouldn't guarantee an outcome until I found one who would. He didn't deliver.
So helpful!🙏
I wish every lawyer was as honest and up front as you and communicated as well as you do. I am a retired Christian man that has had to hire a lawyer several times for many different reasons and my feelings about each one was slimy blood sucking egotistical liars
I even had a lawyer take a down payment in cash and then do nothing and said that I had not paid yet. If you can’t trust a lawyer that you hire and pay, then the legal system has gone to shit! The criminals are running the circus
Always get a receipt, if no recepit, no money.
Also, you should have reported him to the bar, because they can get disbarred for bad bookkeeping.
Thank you very much.
Great advice. I say this as a paralegal in the state of North Carolina. True that. :)
You’re the best lawyer ever.
Good information especially now 👍🏽
It’s the 95% of lawyers that give the other 5% a bad name. 😂
Thank you 💖
You have great videos!!! . . . the first 10 seconds are horrible . . . but after that . . . great! Keep 'em coming!
I love the Ben Franklin Jacket!
Very nice. I have never personally experienced lawyerly behavior like this, but I believed Tom Root when he told me.
Sir, I’m from Illinois and I wish I have a lawyer, Attorney like you who is you the best with I love your channel all my friends. Love your channel.
Thanks for all the great info and forethought!
Where did ya get the money jacket? I love it
I would love to hear tactics on how a citizen can challenge a corrupt lawyer, both state attorneys and otherwise. Could I legally record a lawyer and latter reveal the unethical behavior to the American Bar association for instance if I don't share the recording with others?
andrew your a good guy
There needs to be a good family law attorney to do videos like this. I have so many stories about bad family attorneys here in Indiana including my current bait and switch case where I just had to report 4 different attorneys who were all responsible for my case at the same time and now will not submit one form to the court to get a 4 month old agreement signed by the judge...even the court employees haven't heard from any of the attorneys. I've had an attorney charge me $45 to forward a letter to me from another attorney that even stated at the bottom of the letter that they had also sent it to me. Another lawyer that failed to tell me about a court order until the other attorney filed contempt...because I was not doing something that was in the order that I had not received! And yet another who was responsible for sending me a court order (one would think it would be the courts responsibility, not opposing counsel), only to send it to a previous..previous address even though my correct address was on file EVERYWHERE.
That was a slick looking jacket, with the money print.
How do judges sand law say about how to determine if a criminal conversion should be a misdemeanor or felony. Is there an amount of money total have to be high to be considered a felony
Depends on local laws. In theft, grand theft is a felony where I've lived while petty theft is a misdeminor, and there's exceptions, like if the type of thing stolen is a specific thing, i.e. a car. Look up local laws, I'm not a lawyer and this ain't legal advice.
Is there any reason not to have your lawyer write a 'no bait and switch' clause in the contract?
+ 1 , well said
Excellent
There are ads on the radio and TV in California where Lawyers claim to fight your tickets. Truth be told, the Lawyer shows up, sees the officer had shown, then pleads their clients guilty or ask for a another court date. Ever see the ad for Larry H Parker? I asked my friend who is an attorney , about Larry H Parker. He said, "I don't know if he even knows where the Court is. He just passes his cases to other attorneys for a fee".
Had a lowyer trick me into signing something i wouldn't have if they didn't lie to me.
Family death, got a house had someone near it taking care of things they got a loywer wanting me to sign something to let them take care of some things (i was to far away to do it) loywer was going over everything and specifically told me i had final say in the price of the house, at somepoint i was told the house was being sold 100k under estimated thought that was weird so went to ask the loywer they brushed me off saying sorry you signed nothing you can do now bye which annoys me because there pay is coming out of the house being sold. Was there anything i could have done?
I love that the word "snookered" seems to be making a comeback.
Do attorneys normally write up the guilty plea agreement for a plea deal?
I purchased a home in a neighboring state. Hired a lawyer in that area that used to practice in a neighboring town where I currently live. We had a good talk, he gave me a rough idea of what it would cost to close the deal. I explained that I would be purchasing items in the home also. He asked me for a list of items. I supplied it. He asked me about the financing. I gave him the bank information, total cost, down payment ect. I was billed for the invitation I gave him (phone time)
Also phone time to correct the purchase price. He had the bank financing the total amount.
Then he has the balls to tell me it's extra for him to attend the closing.
Luckily I have never needed a lawyer to defend myself.
I appreciate you
Question for you: What happens if you get reckless driving in Virginia and they suspend your license, but you live in a state like MD? Does Virginia write to home states and demand them to take license in return? I know about the DLC
Most states share info about license suspensions due to the Drivers License Compact. But not all states will suspend your license. It definitely depends upon the state, and I'm not sure if MD will.
Yep
Concerning traffic tickets I've had attorneys tell me up front that they will get it gone and they have done it. I guess traffic violations in certain areas are treated different.
I hired an attorney for a traffic ticket, it was a speeding ticket and he got it reduced in points and money. Since then I always represented myself. Every ticket I got reduced in cost and points. Some I even got the charges changed to a lesser charge. They want to clear the docket and get some money. No need to hire a lawyer. I even had a ticket reduced over the phone, I didn't even go to court.
@@Norm475
I tried to represent myself with a speeding ticket. They agreed to reduce it but I wanted it dropped. So I asked for it to be continued. I got an attorney who got the entire ticket dismissed.
DUDE - YOU ROCK!!
I like to bow ties. They are clean, neat and professional.
1:25 i love the little regional quirks like feesh=fish, warsh=wash and the one you just used..ink pen, is there any other kind?
Whenever anyone wants you to sign a long agreement, don't sign it until you sit there and read it in front of them.
Woah! Where did you get that jacket!
Love the money suit!
Here’s something I learned the hard way: office expenses can get extremely expensive when you include subpoenas. When a case drags on for five years and numerous people need to be subpoenaed numerous times it gets very expensive. I don’t know if you can get an attorney to handle something on contingency without agreeing to pay office expenses, but beware it can wind up being thousands and thousands of dollars.
My attorney wants to delay my trial for about 2 years due to a once in a lifetime issue. It'd would look good to all involved that during the 2 years, nothing else happened. Problem is is that we have to go to court every 2 month for a continuance at 400+ each time. That was after blowing thru my $3500 retainer within 3 months.
So far I'm out 6k on month 7.
@@notme2day Yuck ! Sounds awful. For me a long drawn out court case was extremely stressful. I’ve got a good idea what you’ll be going through. It’s a whole different world for people that have lots of money. If I did, the need for finding a guy to take it on contingency wouldn’t have been an issue. I might’ve even gotten some enjoyment out of making the opposition squirm and hopefully lose sleep like I did. I hope everything goes your way because you can really derive some good satisfaction out of that. Good luck👍🏻
@@sweetdrahthaar7951 Yup .. it's very stressful, seeing I'm on house arrest till trial concludes one way or another. Considering I qualify tor a public defender means I'm not one of those people with obvious means, but thankfully we were able to afford a pretty good attorney (in my view) who put together a good team for my defense. That being said 2 years on house arrest is preferable to a year in jail in the event the charges aren't downgraded, dropped or I lose at trial.
My mass tort civil lawsuit is where I really feel your pain on the expenses as that case has already dragged on for years. Even though I'm not paying out of pocket upfront, the backend of this suit is going to have lawyers still getting 50% by the end since it's contingency fee + out of pocket for documentation, copies etc. I've given myself permission to be fine with that as long as a dangerous, defective medical product is removed from the market, saves someone else the nightmare I've lived with and punishes the manufacturer where they live... in the wallet.
Hope your case finally settled successfully for you and things are now stress free.
The outfits tho....🤣👍🏼
I was on a jury in a traffic case that seemed simple and was. The defendant had turned left into a driveway while a motorcyclist was traveling in the opposing lane, causing a collision. This was on a straight stretch of road on a clear day. She estimated the motorcyclist's speed at 45 MPH on that 55 MPH road. The defense attorney asked the prosecuting Highway Patrolman a question, then interrupted the answer with further questions, disrupting and undermining his original attempt to answer. He distracted the jury with irrelevancies that he made to seem significant. The one I remember from our deliberations in the early '90s was that there were no skid marks. I had to explain to my fellow jurors that that just meant that the vehicles were close enough when she turned left that the motorcyclist didn't have time to react. It didn't affect who had the right of way. I wasn't out to get the defendant, whose younger brother/passenger probably distracted her, but responsibility for the victim's injuries and destroyed vehicle needed to be addressed. Those jurors' vulnerability to manipulation showed me why guilty people seek jury trials.
A question. What do you do with attorneys who just want to take a deal in a civil matter, without investigating or going to court, when things are obscured and very dodgy. Say a very complex will case, where things are hidden, and suddenly not enough money to service the will, time running out under law, coming off of maltreatment and discrimination?
Just thinking big here… Any chance you practice rickshaw law? Lol I really appreciate your videos! 🤔❤️🇺🇸
What are your thoughts on "Waiving Time"?
Mr Flusche, you obviously haven't heard of Saul Goodman from Arizona. He never loses a case (well at least when his law license isn't suspended)
Great video series, you're providing a great service.
Better call Saul!
My wife's lawyer encouraged her to litigate over every child support monetary dispute she had with her ex-husband, and would even engage in conversations that appeared to me to have no purpose other than to get my wife angry so that she would go after her ex in court. I had to point out to my wife on several occasions that the amounts of money in dispute were, in total, still less than half of what her lawyer would charge to litigate them. Thus, the smart business decision was to let the creep ex-husband get away with some petty financial shenanigans so that we would NOT have to pay a lawyer. Litigating on a principle to make a point is financial suicide, but family court attorneys love to encourage it in my experience.
You married a vengeful woman and that's exactly/literally what the anti-family courts bank on.
I've been to traffic court a few times in my life. I have never hired an attorney and always represented myself. One time I just mailed in the fine so I didn't have to take the time to appear. On those instances when I went I notice that all the cases where someone has an attorney to represent the client they always get called first! Why is this? My time is just as valuable as theirs... is there some sort of bias going on? Shouldn't cases be called based on filing date or date the infraction happened?
Steve Lehto actually addresses this question in one of his videos. If the court room is really crowded, taking the cases with lawyers clears two people out when the gavel comes down.
Where did you get that ‘money’ jacket. WOW! It fits that character.
Amazon, of course!
49 seconds in.... Subscribed.
Hey there! My main takeaway from this video is that I want to start incorporating the word "Snookered" into my daily vocabulary because it's a great word.
thats why any lawyer as me a pledeal when i say no and they one at me . i tell them i pleguilty but it has to under my terms it happened to me show up 11 times no trial
Your bowties were my favorite...until I saw that jacket. Thanks for the many helpful videos. They're very funny and quite informative. I didn't know how much I didn't know.
I had a lawyer charge me for an e-mail and a letter sent in regular mail - both saying the exact same thing. And don't get me started on evergreen retainers.
How about a lawyer that doesn't show up for court dates and won't answer or return phone calls half way into your case? And you have already paid your fees in a timely manner holding up yourpart of the deal? Its daunting to have to start from square one with another possible crook!! Bar complaint time if that even works anymore.
it doesnt.
@@danielslocum7169 Big racket they're playing us for.....That's for sure. The whole shebang's nothing but a good ol boys club aaand
you and I ain't in it!!!!
I had a lawyer try to charge me $2,000 for a service I specifically instructed him not to do ... he sent me bills for 3 years and finally gave up - I figured if he thought he could get the money he would have sued me.
There are only 2 lawyer jokes...the rest are true stories
awesome love this guy can be my lawyer
Billing issues and bad to non-existence communications. This al begs the question just exactly find a good lawyer?