Where do Lawyers Practice?
Lawyers can only practice in states in which they are members of the state bar association.
Most of the time, within the state, the only geographic limits for a lawyer are how far they are willing to drive to court, or how far a client is willing to drive to meet with him or her. I commonly travel to Laconia, Manchester, Hooksett, Goffstown, Derry, Henniker, Franklin and Plymouth. I have even travelled to North Haverhill, Rochester, Salem, Nashua and Claremont. So, you can see that I practice in most areas of the state.
Yet certainly, a significant concern for clients considering hiring a lawyer who may have to travel to court - is cost. A lawyer charges by the hour, so time spent travelling to court is also charged. Keep in mind, however, that in most cases the amount of time spent going to court is a very small part of your case. In fact, since I strive to obtain a favorable settlement in clients' cases, frequently I can resolve a case without anyone having to attend court at all.
So, while the cost of travel time is one factor that you should consider when choosing a lawyer, I still believe that the quality of your relationship with your lawyer is a more important consideration. With email and video conferencing available, as well as the old-fashioned telephone, it is no longer even necessary to meet with your lawyer face to face every time you need to discuss something. You will need to meet face to face occaisionally, so certainly whatever lawyer you choose should not be so inconveniently located to you that a personal meeting is a nuisance. Yet, think of how much more valuable it may be to you to have a lawyer you feel you can talk to, who responds quickly to your questions, who is competent in handling your case, who takes care of issues that arise without needing to constantly remind him or her! You have more choices in lawyers than just those who have offices in your neighborhood; you have the choice to find someone who is a good fit for you.
I feel that, so frequently, the experience of going through a legal case can be stressful enough without also feeling as though you can not communicate with your lawyer, he or she does not listen to you, does not respond to your needs, or whom you can not trust. So, your options may be more broad than you thought if you can, say, teleconference with an attorney in the next county or town.
So, given that New Hampshire lawyers can practice anywhere in the state, what does that mean?
Most of the time, within the state, the only geographic limits for a lawyer are how far they are willing to drive to court, or how far a client is willing to drive to meet with him or her. I commonly travel to Laconia, Manchester, Hooksett, Goffstown, Derry, Henniker, Franklin and Plymouth. I have even travelled to North Haverhill, Rochester, Salem, Nashua and Claremont. So, you can see that I practice in most areas of the state.
Yet certainly, a significant concern for clients considering hiring a lawyer who may have to travel to court - is cost. A lawyer charges by the hour, so time spent travelling to court is also charged. Keep in mind, however, that in most cases the amount of time spent going to court is a very small part of your case. In fact, since I strive to obtain a favorable settlement in clients' cases, frequently I can resolve a case without anyone having to attend court at all.
So, while the cost of travel time is one factor that you should consider when choosing a lawyer, I still believe that the quality of your relationship with your lawyer is a more important consideration. With email and video conferencing available, as well as the old-fashioned telephone, it is no longer even necessary to meet with your lawyer face to face every time you need to discuss something. You will need to meet face to face occaisionally, so certainly whatever lawyer you choose should not be so inconveniently located to you that a personal meeting is a nuisance. Yet, think of how much more valuable it may be to you to have a lawyer you feel you can talk to, who responds quickly to your questions, who is competent in handling your case, who takes care of issues that arise without needing to constantly remind him or her! You have more choices in lawyers than just those who have offices in your neighborhood; you have the choice to find someone who is a good fit for you.
I feel that, so frequently, the experience of going through a legal case can be stressful enough without also feeling as though you can not communicate with your lawyer, he or she does not listen to you, does not respond to your needs, or whom you can not trust. So, your options may be more broad than you thought if you can, say, teleconference with an attorney in the next county or town.
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