|
|
The issue is a hot one! If the United States Constitution provides for the appointment of counsel, in any civil case where a party proceeds "in forma pauperis", then how is the attorney to be paid for work done?
Surely, nobody expects the attorney to work for free! But what is "reasonable" compensation? And what about the costs that are associated with civil litigation, generally, such as the ink it takes to draft the documents? Any legal matter costs money, time, and effort. So how is the attorney to be paid?
Or, should the attorney be paid at all? Does the attorney have a legal requirement to provide services where there is no purse from which to draw funds?
YOU DECIDE!
The following articles deal precisely with these concerns and others. Read them through. Feel yourself as the plaintiff, the person suing. Feel yourself as the defendant, the person being sued. Feel yourself as the judge, the presiding officer of the court. Be the appeals court justice! You decide.
If the law says that the person suing "in forma pauperis" gets a free attorney, should we care about how the attorney pays for providing such service? You decide.
If the attorney whines that other expenses preclude their ability to fund your free attorney service, should we care? You decide.
This is a serious matter. These are serious concerns. We have laws that require conduct of humans, but does not say how to pay for them. Should we care? You decide.
Your Right To A Free Lawyer And How The Lawyer Is Paid
What Happened To Your Right To Counsel?
alan joseph samson
sallykish@aol.com
