|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
|
 |
 |
|||
 |
|||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||
|
LAWYER REFERRAL & INFORMATION
SERVICE MEMBERSHIP FORMS
To join the Lawyer Referral &
Information Service, please complete the Lawyer
Referral & Information Service Application and Membership
Agreement and submit it to our office for processing. The
annual membership fee is $65.00 payable on admission and on January
1st of each successive year.
IT IS FAST AND EASY TO FILL-OUT
THE LRIS FORMS ON-LINE! All the application forms are provided in an Adobe Acrobat format. Save the
forms you need to a file in your computer documents. Open the
form in your document file, fill it out and save it adding your last
name to the file name. Then email the completed forms to mnavarrete@cccba.org;
or you may print them out and mail them to Maria Navarrete, LRIS
Coordinator, 704 Main Street, Martinez, CA 94553. Any
questions, please feel free to call Maria at (925) 370-2542.
About the Lawyer Referral and Information Service The Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is a public service of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, a non-profit organization. Our LRIS is certified by the State Bar of California (Certification #0018), and meets American Bar Association Standards. Our staff handles thousands of calls each year from members of the public who contact us with legal-related problems. The clients are carefully screened to determine whether a consultation with an attorney or a referral to another agency is the most appropriate course of action. When it is clear that the caller would benefit from consulting with an attorney, a 30-minute consultation is scheduled with an LRS panelist who has met specific experience requirements, maintains malpractice insurance coverage, and who practices in the geographic and subject matter areas that match the client's needs. Nearly 4,000 client consultations are scheduled with members of our Lawyer Referral Service each year. Why Should You Join the Lawyer Referral and Information Service?We do the marketing for you: We get thousands of calls each year from people who are looking for legal representation. Rather than place expensive ads in the yellow pages, magazines, legal directories or other publications hoping that prospective clients might need your services someday, your nominal annual LRS registration fee gives you access to the people who really need your help today. You are not gambling that they might need your services in the future; they need it now. LRIS referrals are paying clients: The days when mainly low-income clients and lousy cases showed up
to LRIS appointments are history. Since 2000, annual fees collected from clients referred by our LRS, as
reported by our panel members, have been in excess of $1 million. Although not every case leads to a
paying client, there can be rewards realized even from prospective clients who only come in for a
consultation. An initial consultation can lead to a long and profitable attorney-client relationship,
as well as future referrals to colleagues, friends and family. As an adjunct to our LRIS, the CCCBA sponsors a program that offers reduced fee representation in Family Law and Housing matters. Clients are carefully screened to determine whether or not they financially qualify for this program. It is designed to fill the gap between those who qualify for pro-bono legal services and those who can afford an attorney's regular fee. Although the initial consultation is free, participating attorneys may require a retainer and charge a moderate hourly fee within program guidelines. Family Law Alternative Resolution Program (FLARe)Also an adjunct to our LRIS, the FLARe program provides a mediation alternative for domestic partners who agree to attempt resolution of their dispute using this process. A 90-minute session at a much-reduced rate is offered to give clients the opportunity to either resolve a limited issue, or to determine whether or not mediation would be useful in attempting to resolve their entire marital dissolution, including child custody, etc. The FLARe program is never offered where domestic violence is a factor. Limited Representation Panel (Unbundled) This program is the newest adjunct to the LRIS. Currently set-up for family law matters only it exists in much the same manner as any other panel,
although callers are thoroughly screened by the LRS interviewer and
need to “pass” a comprehensive eligibility checklist. Unlike other referrals obtained via the
LRIS, the half-hour consultation
may be primarily reserved for an accurate description of limited representation
services and additional screening of client eligibility by the attorney, rather
than direct advice and assistance. |
|||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
