Top Theodore, AL Administrative Law Lawyers Near You

Do You Have an Administrative Law Problem?

Administrative law governs administrative government agencies, which are any city, county, state or federal governmental agency. As each agency likely has its own set of rules and regulations, an experienced Theodore administrative law attorney will be able to help you maneuver through the system and help you see what your rights are.

Types of Administrative Law Cases

Administrative agencies on any level of the government can have the power to issue licenses and grant permits. Lawyers specialized in administrative law can help you if you are dealing with a dispute on a permit, such as a building permit, or a license to perform some type of work, such as a contractor’s license.

Administrative law attorneys are also able to help you make the appropriate complaints against certain agencies should your rights have been violated. This is such a large and complex area of law, and you owe it to yourself to not try and handle an administrative law issue on your own.

Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney

• How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
• How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
• What is the likely outcome for my case?

In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.

What to Expect from an Initial Consultation

• Seek to determine whether the attorney can represent you. There is no one-size-fits-all legal solution and it may turn out your needs are better served by an attorney in a different specialization.
• It’s important to find a legal ally who is both competent in the law and someone you can trust to protect your interests.
• Discuss how the practice’s billing works and discuss possible additional charges or fees that may arise during or after the resolution of your case.

An attorney consultation should provide you with enough information so that you can make an informed decision on whether to proceed with legal help.

How will an attorney charge me?

A reputable attorney will be very upfront about how he/she will charge you. The three most common fee structures that attorneys use to charge for their services are:

• Bill by the hour
• Contingent fee agreement
• Flat fee agreement

Depending on your specific legal situation, it’s possible that only one type of fee structure is available. For instance, criminal defense attorneys almost always bill by the hour. In a flat fee arrangement, an attorney accepts a one-time payment to help you resolve your issue. With a contingent fee agreement, the client pays little to nothing upfront and the attorney receives a percentage of the money recovered if you win your case.

Common legal terms explained

Personal jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority over a person, in order to bind that person to the judgment of the court, based on minimum contacts. International Shoe Co v. Washington is a landmark Supreme Court case outlining the scope of a state court’s reach in personal jurisdiction.