Legal Guide

Need an Attorney Fast? Here’s How to Raise the Funds Required

If you believe that you will soon be involved in a lawsuit, whether as a complainant or defendant, it’s important to consider the legal aid you’ll need and how you’ll be able to afford it. You may be able to access pro bono or reduced-price representation depending on the availability of these resources in your local area, but this is not guaranteed. Furthermore, you may prefer to use a professional with experience of cases similar to yours. If you have a particular attorney in mind, you need to be sure that you can pay them, whether or not they will be representing you on a no-win, no-fee basis. In this article, we’ll reveal a few ways in which you may be able to put the funds together to pay the right legal specialist for you.

Confirm the Amount Required

The first step is to do your research. Ask your chosen attorney for their fees, but be aware that there may be additional charges depending on the length of the lawsuit and the duties they will need to undertake as part of it. You can also research the average costs involved in similar cases. If you win, your opposition may be ordered to pay your fees for you, but it’s important that you do not rely on this outcome.

Take Out a Loan

If you know you will soon have the funds required to hire legal aid but cannot currently access them, you may consider taking out a short-term loan to ensure you are covered financially. Be careful when following this route, as some options involve considerable interest rates which could send you into greater debt.

Sell Off Assets

Do you own shares? Bitcoin? Property? As a last resort, you may wish to sell off some of these assets to cover your costs. You don’t necessarily have to do this straight away, but you will need to check how long it will take you to exchange them for cash and whether or not they’ll entirely cover your attorney’s fees.

Refinance or Remortgage

By re-mortgaging property, you may be able to release a significant amount of equity that can be used to pay legal fees. Be sure that you have a suitable amount of equity available before doing so, as you risk falling into severe financial difficulty if you are not careful. You can also refinance any student loans you may have with a private lender. This is recommended if you need to save money off your monthly expenses, but in a situation where every penny counts, you may find it a valuable move. With a combination of extending the terms and a lower interest rate, extra funds can add up quickly over the span of a few months.

Find an Attorney with a Payment Plan

There are legal advisors who are willing to help many of their prospective clients out with a payment plan. Remunerating an attorney on this basis will help you to pay in installments and spread the cost, making the expense more manageable. The type of payment plan available will vary from firm to firm.


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