WHAT ARE THE SIGNs OF A BAD LAWYER or CROOKED LAWYER

rey · Jan 2, 2023

Question to anyone that has deal with law firm or lawyer in the past … also if there are any lawyers here feel free to answer

There are some CIVIL COURT legal matters ( real estate , inheritance , Lawsuit , etc etc etc ) that I most likely need help with within the next few months in DR, however I am pretty sure I won’t be able to afford a HUGE law firm like gúzman Ariza which I understand it has a very good reputation and it is trustworthy… MY question is to y’all is are there any precautions that me as a CLIENT can take in order to NOT get screw by a Dominican lawyer ?

My Dominican friend told
Me NOT to sign anything meaning a contract between “client & attorney” and just hire the lawyer for the JOB you need him for and pay him his dues…that way he can NOT have any power over you as far quitting his services or leaving him OR him having a power attorney over you …,

Any other precautions one may take to assure you will NOT be a victim of a “shady lawyer” ?

malko · Jan 2, 2023

That title reads like the beginning of a joke 🤣🤣🤣

william webster · Jan 3, 2023

If the lawyer is good at being 'crooked'...... you'll never know...... there will be no warning signs !!

Gadfly · Jan 3, 2023

Lawyer named el tiburon, calls you pal, winks, flashes a gold tooth, while avoiding eye contact.

NachoBroadway · Jan 3, 2023

rey said:
Question to anyone that has deal with law firm or lawyer in the past … also if there are any lawyers here feel free to answer

There are some CIVIL COURT legal matters ( real estate , inheritance , Lawsuit , etc etc etc ) that I most likely need help with within the next few months in DR, however I am pretty sure I won’t be able to afford a HUGE law firm like gúzman Ariza which I understand it has a very good reputation and it is trustworthy… MY question is to y’all is are there any precautions that me as a CLIENT can take in order to NOT get screw by a Dominican lawyer ?

My Dominican friend told
Me NOT to sign anything meaning a contract between “client & attorney” and just hire the lawyer for the JOB you need him for and pay him his dues…that way he can NOT have any power over you as far quitting his services or leaving him OR him having a power attorney over you …,

Any other precautions one may take to assure you will NOT be a victim of a “shady lawyer” ?

In my experience a bad lawyer sign is the lack of communication, such as not responding to emails within 24 hours.
Even if you don't know the answer, acknowledge your client and highlight that you are working on an answer. That frustration was something I can't deal with in any type of relationship. I went against my sister's wishes on lawyer choices because she is cheap and the end result was always frustration. With DR lawyers, it is you get what you pay for. You either fly Emirates or you fly Spirit.

rey · Jan 3, 2023

NachoBroadway said:
In my experience a bad lawyer sign is the lack of communication, such as not responding to emails within 24 hours.
Even if you don't know the answer, acknowledge your client and highlight that you are working on an answer. That frustration was something I can't deal with in any type of relationship. I went against my sister's wishes on lawyer choices because she is cheap and the end result was always frustration. With DR lawyers, it is you get what you pay for. You either fly Emirates or you fly Spirit.

Great input

drstock · Jan 3, 2023

If he asks for the entire fee up front, refuse. If he won't work without it, walk away. Something up front to cover costs is acceptable in my opinion.

rey · Jan 3, 2023

What’s the situation with those contracts they want you to sign … anyway to avoid that , specially IF you do not want to feel attach for life to this lawyer just cause you wanted him to help you buy a real estate or any legal paperwork

chico bill · Jan 3, 2023

As Will Rogers said:

A vision, without a plan, is just a hallucination.

You need a plan

DR fan1990 · Jan 3, 2023

There is this American expat from Sosua on YouTube who has been living in DR for years, and he always says that when Dominican lawyers work with gringos/foreigners, it's patriotism first, work second.

Meaning Dominicans always look out for their fellow Dominicans interests... so for instance, a Dominican lawyer would never go against another Dominican lawyer's legal advice that was given to you, even when said legal advice is detrimental to you the foreigner.
So forget about going to different Dominican lawyers for a second advice.

He went on to explain that based on his experience here, they protect one another when dealing with gringos, they always have each others back due to their sense of patriotism, so your needs and priorities as a gringo will always come last.

I was shocked when I heard him say that.

malko · Jan 3, 2023

Many, many lawyers seem to have gotten their law degree in a cereal box.

Do as much as you can on your own, w/o a lawyer.

fuchs4d · Jan 3, 2023

malko said:
Many, many lawyers seem to have gotten their law degree in a cereal box.

Heard more than once that for the graduation the purchase receipts of the law books must be presented. The books must not be read, only purchased.
And of course for the admission money is required.

So really the only requirement to get started is some money.

My observations is that there are greedy criminal characters calling themselves lawyers.

However, there are some exceptions and serious good lawyers exist even in the D.R..

Best way to find the good guys is to ask for recommendations and user stories.

Alexander

Fabio J. Guzman · Jan 6, 2023

I suggest that you ask for recommendations from friends or family who have dealt with Dominican lawyers before, as well as with your embassy, which usually has a list of reputable practitioners.

You should also make sure that the lawyer you choose specializes in the type of case you want him to handle.

Communicate with the lawyer and see how and when he or she responds. Meet with him or her and get a feel their personality and approach to handling cases. Usually lawyers in the DR won’t charge you for an initial meeting.

Finally, when you retain a lawyer, make sure to get an agreement in writing with a set fee, a payment arrangement aligned with work performance, and a way-out clause in case you decide to fire him.

Manuel01 · Jan 6, 2023

rey said:
Question to anyone that has deal with law firm or lawyer in the past … also if there are any lawyers here feel free to answer

There are some CIVIL COURT legal matters ( real estate , inheritance , Lawsuit , etc etc etc ) that I most likely need help with within the next few months in DR, however I am pretty sure I won’t be able to afford a HUGE law firm like gúzman Ariza which I understand it has a very good reputation and it is trustworthy… MY question is to y’all is are there any precautions that me as a CLIENT can take in order to NOT get screw by a Dominican lawyer ?

My Dominican friend told
Me NOT to sign anything meaning a contract between “client & attorney” and just hire the lawyer for the JOB you need him for and pay him his dues…that way he can NOT have any power over you as far quitting his services or leaving him OR him having a power attorney over you …,

Any other precautions one may take to assure you will NOT be a victim of a “shady lawyer” ?

That's easy !... with some very few exeptions they are easy to spot : Being Dominican and Lawyer

bob saunders · Jan 6, 2023

rey said:
Question to anyone that has deal with law firm or lawyer in the past … also if there are any lawyers here feel free to answer

There are some CIVIL COURT legal matters ( real estate , inheritance , Lawsuit , etc etc etc ) that I most likely need help with within the next few months in DR, however I am pretty sure I won’t be able to afford a HUGE law firm like gúzman Ariza which I understand it has a very good reputation and it is trustworthy… MY question is to y’all is are there any precautions that me as a CLIENT can take in order to NOT get screw by a Dominican lawyer ?

My Dominican friend told
Me NOT to sign anything meaning a contract between “client & attorney” and just hire the lawyer for the JOB you need him for and pay him his dues…that way he can NOT have any power over you as far quitting his services or leaving him OR him having a power attorney over you …,

Any other precautions one may take to assure you will NOT be a victim of a “shady lawyer” ?

Well, you often get what you pay for. Better to pay a reputable and decent lawyer more money than to pay over and over again to poor ones.

aarhus · May 16, 2023

DR fan1990 said:
There is this American expat from Sosua on YouTube who has been living in DR for years, and he always says that when Dominican lawyers work with gringos/foreigners, it's patriotism first, work second.

Meaning Dominicans always look out for their fellow Dominicans interests... so for instance, a Dominican lawyer would never go against another Dominican lawyer's legal advice that was given to you, even when said legal advice is detrimental to you the foreigner.
So forget about going to different Dominican lawyers for a second advice.

He went on to explain that based on his experience here, they protect one another when dealing with gringos, they always have each others back due to their sense of patriotism, so your needs and priorities as a gringo will always come last.

I was shocked when I heard him say that.

Some truth to this. Especially the elite law firms in Santo Domingo. It also applies to tax accountants who will never push back dealing with the dgii.

windeguy · May 16, 2023