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Help You Help Clients: FindLaw's Metro Pages Provide Local Laws

By William Peacock, Esq. on April 15, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Scenario #1: You took a DUI defense case for a fixed fee. She's a first time offender, no record, barely over the limit, but the case is strong. It's probably going to plead out, right? This case should not take a lot of time, except someone needs to spend hours answering every single one of her questions. You know this type of client -- the freaked out emails/phone calls/texts come every hour. Scenario #2: There are fourteen courthouses in Miami, Florida, some state, some federal. Your client has both a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge, and a child custody dispute. Somehow, he ended up at the federal courthouse. How do you get him where he needs to go? Whether your client needs a general overview of the law, a local perspective, or simply a map to the courthouse, we're making your job easier -- starting right now.

Mini Guides: The Prep Work

You could spend a two-hour consultation walking your client through the basics of family law and custody disputes, or the steps of a DUI case, or you could send them some background information before you even meet -- freeing up time during the consultation for more specific and important questions. Our comprehensive collection of free articles covers the basics of DUIs, divorce, estate planning, bankruptcy, and a whole lot more. Check them out, print them, and prepare for more intelligent, educated questions than, "So what does DUI stand for?"

Metro Pages: Local Laws

A scared client knows nothing about bail, arraignment, discovery, and all of the other steps of a criminal case. You'll tell them about all of this during your initial consultation, but when people are stressed, it tends to go in one ear and out the other. You could explain the same things, over and over. Or, you could print out our local Metro pages covering criminal case basics. For example, our Gainesville, Florida page walks your client through:
  • Booking and Bail
  • Classification of Crimes (felonies, misdemeanors, and everything in between)
  • Case Flow (arraignment, pre-trial conferences and motions, trial, plea bargain, sentencing)
  • Key Players (Police, Prosecutor, Defense Attorney, Judge)
Or maybe your client got a DUI in Daytona Beach. They'll want to know about ignition interlocks, lost licenses, potential penalties, and required rehab. Again, you'll almost certainly explain all of this to them, but it's a lot of information to retain. Check out our local pages (Florida, Georgia, Alabama). Print out the relevant information. Give it to your client. It might just save you from answering a few dozen panicked emails and phone calls.

Courthouse Pages: Maps, Contact Information, and More!

Never underestimate your client's ability to get confused. Will they show up to court in proper attire? You'd be surprised. And will they show up to the right courthouse? With federal and state courthouses, and sometimes separate criminal, civil, and family facilities, it's easy to get lost. Heck, in Miami alone, there are fourteen courthouses. Even in Gainesville, there are four. In the largest metropolitan areas, where it is more likely that your client will get lost, we have local courthouse pages, with the names, addresses, contact information, and descriptions of what type of cases are heard at that branch. There's no guarantee that your client won't get lost anyway, but you can reduce the chances of a missed court date by printing out your local courthouse page and circling the correct court in bright red ink. Related Resources:
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