Every client who receives legal services from an attorney should always be aware of their basic legal rights, which every professional attorney should adhere to.  Client rights are not always respected in many situations, so it’s very important for anyone who may become involved in any legal process to be aware of these important details and be ready to demand them and enforce them if needed.

If you find that your attorney for either the defense or the prosecution has breached any of these ethics, it is your legal right to safely report this to the professional bar association or governing body within that particular state.

Clients’ legal rights are as follows:

Costs: The costs of legal services are not set in stone.  Clients have a legal right to bargain over the proposed rates and any related lawyer fees before signing an agreement or any form of contract.  This is an important legal right because most clients are under the false impression, especially when dealing with issues related to the law that these legal fees are also set by laws.  This is not the case – clients have a legal right to discuss and negotiate down those fees and rates.

Number of Staff: Clients have the right to be informed of the number of legal staff who will be working on a case at once and the maximum cost of those services.  This is a legal right that provides clients with the peace of mind that they are aware of the maximum hourly rates they can possibly incur from signing a contract for legal services from a particular firm.

Form of Payment: When signing a legal contract, clients have the right to know beforehand what form of payment is expected for legal fees and expensive.  Clients legally should be free to ask questions regarding how much of the retainer will be spent and how it will be spent.

Estimated Cost: Any client who wants it has a legal right to obtain a reasonable estimate of all expected future costs.  For example, if your lawyer needs to spend more than the retainer in order on your behalf in preparing a case, you have a right to know, periodically, how much has been spent.  Clients also have the legal right to decide how much money actually gets spent to prepare a case.  This would also be included under the right to negotiate overall legal costs.

Status and Settlement: Clients have a right to ask for, and receive a sufficient answer, regarding status updates about the progression of the case.  Clients also have the right to the final decision regarding whether or not to finally settle the case.

Legal Documents: Legal clients have a right to all of the original documentation that you’ve provided to your lawyer, or that your lawyer received from an outside source in relationship to your case.  This includes all documents that your lawyer receives from opposing counsel.  The lawyer must forward any requested documents in a timely manner.

Court Proceedings: Legal clients have a right to be present at every single court conference related to the case.  This right includes access to every meeting held with judges and attorneys, including private meetings in the judge’s chambers, unless the judge orders otherwise.