Category: Frugal Living Tips

Are you looking to hire a lawyer? Are you worried if you can handle all the fees that come with it?

Finding a lawyer is tricky considering all the factors surrounding your particular case. Moreover, the average person spends around $250 annually on legal services. 

That is an amount that not everyone readily has. 

Thus, you need to know how to pick a lawyer the right way. How do you do it? What are the key factors you need to consider in your search?

What are the strategies you need to learn to save money on legal fees and expenses? Continue reading below to find out the answers. 

The Value of Finding a Good One

Before we teach you how to pick a lawyer, let us first touch on the value of finding a good one. With so many lawyers and law firms out there, it is best to go for someone with ample experience. 

When you hire a seasoned lawyer, you can expect him/her to understand the ins and outs of the legal process. You can depend on their experience in handling a variety of cases. You can also get a fresh perspective on your case, especially when your emotions are high.

How to Pick a Lawyer

Whether you are looking to hire a child support lawyer or a DUI attorney, you need to consider some key factors before deciding. Let’s take a look at some valuable tips that will lead you to the right choice.

Determine the Type that You Need

First, you need to determine the type of lawyer that you need for your case. The key is to find an attorney who specializes in the kind of case that you have. If you are dealing with financial challenges, then a bankruptcy lawyer is what you need.

If you are facing a family turmoil, a family lawyer is the best person to help you. If you need to fix your estate and inheritance, find a lawyer who specializes in trusts and estates. If you are planning to put up a business, consider hiring a corporate lawyer.

Ask for Recommendations

Next, you can begin your search by asking for referrals and recommendations. Start with your friends and family. Talk to someone who recently hired a lawyer specializing in the area that your case falls under.

Ask for details regarding the type of services their lawyers offered. Were they satisfied with their lawyers? 

You may also consider asking other lawyers who can refer to some of their colleagues. Lawyers know how their fellow attorneys work. They can tell you about their colleagues’ work ethic, practice habits, and competence.

Mind Your Budget

Another important thing to consider is your budget. You need to have one in mind before talking to any lawyer. You don’t want to hire someone who is way beyond your price range.

It is a common notion that hiring a good lawyer means shelling out a fortune. In reality, several good lawyers charge affordable rates for their dependable services.

Consult a Law Directory

Apart from referrals and recommendations, you can also consult a law directory. Visit any of your local public or law libraries and request the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. You may also access it online.

There, you will find an extensive well of information on various law firms and their lawyers. The directory contains the names and fields of expertise of lawyers in the United States. You can also view how every law firm ranks according to peer review ratings.

Background Check Matters

Conducting background checks is also non-negotiable in your search for the right lawyer. Aside from checking the peer review ratings of the lawyers, you should also check if they received any disciplinary actions in the past.

Also, you may contact your local bar association. Find out if the lawyers you are looking to hire received any complaints about their practice. 

Additionally, most bar associations offer free referral services. They can point you to a lawyer that fits your needs and requirements.

Perform Candidate Interviews

After creating your shortlist, you can start conducting candidate reviews. You can do this during the initial consultation. Though lawyers will ask you questions about your case during this time, you can also get to know them better during the consultation.

Find out how long have they been practicing. Learn about their track record and success rate. Ask if they carry certifications or special skills.

Also, you need to get to the bottom of their fees. Find out how often they will bill you. Ask if there are other additional costs on top of the lawyer fees.

How to Save on Legal Fees

After trimming down your choices, you can start working on lowering your legal fees. Here are some tips to consider:

The Alternative Fee Arrangement

During the interview, negotiate with the lawyer and ask if he is open to an alternative fee arrangement. Though most lawyers take a flat fee, some offer an alternative billing model.

Fix Your Documents Early

You should also organize your documents in advance. Do this before meeting with a prospective candidate. Make sure to print copies of documents such as emails and receipts, among others.

Arrange them accordingly to save time.

Swap Services

Do you specialize in a specific field? Then you may consider offering a swapping of services. Some lawyers require assistance in marketing. Others need some help in bookkeeping.

Ask the lawyer if they need anything and see if you can offer the service in exchange for a reduction of the legal fees.

Take Some of the Load

Last but not least, consider taking on some of the tasks. Most people believe that the fastest way to go about their case is to let the lawyers handle everything. In reality, you can save on some legal fees if you take on some of the workloads.

Apart from preparing the key documents, you can work on providing relevant information. Make sure to consult with him/her first to avoid duplicating any of the tasks.

Make Wiser Legal Decisions   

Learning how to pick a lawyer is imperative in attaining favorable results for your case. Lowering the legal fees will also ease the burden of going through a taxing endeavor.

But you should never stop there. You should continue making wiser legal decisions in all aspects. 

We encourage you to read our different articles on law and the legal practice. We discuss topics that will help you make the best decisions for all your legal concerns.

Approximately 14 million Americans experienced some sort of visual impairment. Refractive errors cause some of these impairments, while eye diseases are responsible for other cases.

However, because we are an aging population, this figure is only set to rise. By 2050, estimates show that this number will rise to 24.4 million.

Fortunately, it is possible to correct so of these visual impairments so you no longer have to live day-to-day with poor sight. And this could vastly improve your quality of life. Still wondering “Should I get LASIK eye surgery?”

Then read on to find out everything you need to know about LASIK surgery to help you make your decision.

What is LASIK Eye Surgery? 

LASIK eye surgery is just another name for laser eye surgery. It is short of Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. This procedure targets your eye’s cornea to correct refractive eye problems using a laser.

This might sound like something from a Sci-Fi movie but you’ll be surprised how common these surgeries are. In fact, by 2018 around eight million Americans had undergone this corrective procedure.

How Does LASIK Eye Surgery Work?

LASIK surgery works by targetting the cornea of your eye. This is vital for helping you see properly. 

Your cornea helps you see by refracting light into your eye at the correct angle. This light passes through the cornea and onto the retina of your eye. This light is how our eyes process images of the world around us.

If your eye doesn’t take in light properly then this will affect your vision. This can happen if your cornea becomes damaged or is the wrong shape. But laser eye surgery can correct this in some cases by reshaping the cornea.

This means that you can correct your vision impairment without having to wear glasses or contact lenses on a daily basis.

Who Can Get LASIK Eye Surgery? 

There are several different types of LASIK surgery and each one can treat different conditions effectively. However, there are three common eye conditions that basic surgery targets. 

These are: 

• Myopia or nearsightedness
• Hyperopia or farsightedness
• Astigmatism, which causes blurry vision

These conditions can vary somewhat in their severity and this might effect if you are eligible for surgery. LASIK is ideal for patients with mild or moderate eye conditions. If the cornea is extremely misshapen you may require more extensive surgery.

There are some other conditions that may mean you don’t qualify for LASIK eye surgery. These include: 

• Suffering from an autoimmune system illness, even if you take medication for this
• Suffering from persistent dry eye
• Having thin or irregular corneas
• High pressure within your eye that is not under control
• Being pregnant or breastfeeding
• Having large pupils that dilate easily

If you find that you can get through the days only wearing corrective lenses sometimes then this might not be the procedure for you. And if you regularly play contact sports, such as football or boxing, then you shouldn’t get LASIK. Receiving a blow to the face could damage the results of your surgery.

Finally, when you can get LASIK also depends on your age. You must be over the age of eighteen in order to qualify for the procedure. 

There is no upper age limit for LASIK surgery although after forty your eyes start to deteriorate naturally. When this happens, doctors may be more reluctant to advise surgery. So it’s important to keep this in mind if you’re deciding when to get LASIK.

If you meet all these criteria then you’re good to go! So let’s take a look at what happens during a LASIK surgery.

What Happens When You Get LASIK Eye Surgery? 

There are several different types of LASIK surgery. Standard LASIK surgery is the most popular type around the world but some other surgeries include:

• Intra-LASIK surgery
• Wavefront LASIK surgery
• Epi-LASIK surgery
• LASEK surgery
• PRK surgery

LASIK eye surgery involves making a small cut at the bottom of the cornea using a blade. This means that the surgeon can lift the cornea up like a flap. After that, they use a laser to carefully remove thin layers from your cornea.

Removing these layers allows them to adjust and reshape it so that you can see better.

A typical LASIK procedure takes between fifteen and thirty minutes, so it’s over very quickly. This is something to keep in mind when considering the answer to one of patient’s most common questions: are you awake during LASIK eye surgery?

The short answer is, yes you are. This might seem daunting but doctors administer numbing eye drops so you won’t feel any pain during the procedure. If you want to distract yourself during the surgery, try listening to a podcast or audiobook.

Recovering from LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK is a pretty quick and straightforward surgery and it comes with a speedy recovery.

You will need to take the day off work as your vision will be weak immediately after the surgery. If you are planning to go home then it’s a good idea to get a friend or family member to collect you. But your vision will start to come back after a couple of hours.

This will continue to improve over the days following your procedure. While this happens it’s very important to stick to the eye care routine that doctors layout for you.

You will need to bathe your eyes regularly to avoid any risk of infection. You should also avoid all contact sports, as this could damage the results of your surgery. Some surgeries also require you to wear protective lenses for four days following your surgery.

While you recover from your surgery you may notice some visual disturbances. These include halos, particularly around bright lights, and weaker night vision. These should improve over time, so wait to see if they continue before seeing your doctor about them.

What Are the Benefits of LASIK Eye Surgery? 

For anyone who has to wear contact lenses or glasses on a daily basis, the benefits of LASIK eye surgery are clear. But there are actually more than you might realize and you don’t just have to look at LASIK before and after cases to understand them! 

As a vision correction solution, LASIK eye surgery boasts quick results. You will find that your vision is corrected on the day of or the day after your surgery. This is remarkable for surgery that takes less than an hour!

You may experience some discomfort during the procedure. However, it is pain-free thanks to the numbing eye drops.

It also is minimally invasive thanks to its short recovery time. Once your vision starts to come back you will be able to go back to work and resume your normal activities.

You may also save huge amounts of money on corrective eyewear by investing in LASIK surgery. The average surgery costs between $3,000 and $6,000 for both eyes.

This might sound like a lot but take a moment to think about how much you spend if you wear contact lenses every day. Standard contact lenses cost around $260 a year but specialist lense could cost you up to $700 a year! And reports show that some Americans spend to up $1,000 on a pair of new glasses!

So within a few years, your spending will quickly balance out. In fact, it could save you a considerable amount of money.

Finally, as we already mentioned, your eyes can deteriorate over time, which might put people off getting LASIK surgery. But the beauty of this procedure is that it isn’t a one-time thing. If your vision deteriorates with time you can revisit LASIK to help correct this.

Does LASIK Surgery Come With Risks?

No guide to LASIK surgery would be complete without outlining some of the risks. Because this surgery involves changing your eye, the most common side effects relate to visual disturbances.

Dry eye, for example, is a possible side effect. This happens when your tear duct doesn’t produce enough moisture to lubricate the surface of your eye. In some cases, this may be temporary but for some, it will become a permanent problem.

LASIK surgery can also have a negative effect on how your eye processes light. This leads to visual disturbances such as halos, starbursts or glare.

These are fairly common immediately after surgery but should go down over time. If they don’t it’s important to see your doctor as soon as possible to explore the cause of them. 

Unfortunately, some risk factors for LASIK surgery are more serious and can result in long-term problems. These include: 

• Chronic pain
• Detached retinas
• Eye infections
• Loss of vision

If you experience any of these problems then you may also find that they are difficult to correct. So it’s worth considering this before you go in for surgery. And if you have any concerns discuss them with your doctor before signing up. 

Still Wondering “Should I Get LASIK Eye Surgery?”

If you’re still wondering, “Should I get LASIK surgery?” we’ll leave you with these statistics. One surgeon reported that, out of 85,000 procedures, 96% to 98% of them resulted in 20/20 vision. A further 40% to 50% of patients found that their vision was better than 20/20 after their surgery!

For more amazing news about how medicine from around the world could help you, keep scrolling!

What do chimpanzees, horses, and elephants have in common?

All 3 animals find it easy to form friendships that last a lifetime, even outside of their own species! Us humans, also love experiencing life with our trusted friends by our side. Yet sometimes, situations outside of our control keep our friends far away from us.

Immigration proceedings are one of life’s situations that can either keep friends nearby or send them far away. Luckily, there are things you can do to help keep your close friends close.

Writing an effective immigration letter of support is a powerful way to help your friend immigrate to America. However, if you don’t know what to say in your letter, you could accidentally make their living situation worse.

Did your friend ask you to write an immigration letter to help prove their case? Read on to learn how to write a great character letter for immigration court.

Starting an Immigration Letter of Support

Before you can write the best immigration letter of support, you’ll first need to take a few preparation steps. To begin with, find out from your friend what type of immigration proceeding is taking place.

Not all immigration proceedings are the same. You’ll want to customize your letter to tailor fit the specific type of proceeding that’s taking place.

For example, if your friend needs legal help, you should use this link to learn about immigration bonds, before writing your letter. Here are some of the different types of immigration proceedings:

• Prove relationship (like new marriage)
• Confirm residency
• Confirm employment
• Providing evidence of emotional or physical abuse
• Asylum seeking

Your reference letter may also assist a friend who’s facing deportation or removal proceedings.

Have a Meeting with Your Friend

We suggest planning 1 hour to meet with your friend, either in person or over the phone. During your meeting, you’ll want to ask your friend questions to help you make the letter as personal as possible. Here are a few questions you can ask your friend:

• Have you ever worked in the United States?
• Why do you want to be a citizen?
• Do you have family members in America?

You’ll want to gather details about your friend’s character and relationship with the United States.

Naturalization Proceedings

If your friend has a passion for American history, or worked temporarily in the U.S. and loved it, talk about these things in your letter. Also, get to the heart of why they want to be in America.

Deportation Proceedings

Does your friend have family members in America? If so, this is something you’ll want to talk about. Mentioning family ties in the United States makes a strong case for your friend and their desire to be here.

Asylum-Seeking

If your friend is asking you to write the letter because they’re facing abuse or persecution, try to get as many facts as possible. Being able to site medical records or legally documented incidents of abuse, will help give your letter the validity it needs.

Proving a Marriage

If the immigration proceeding is to prove a marriage is real, talk about specific times you’ve witnessed the couple being a couple. Rather than vaguely saying you can tell they love each other, give multiple examples of their relationship. While not every account has to be a love tale, each story should help show that your friend is a genuine relationship.

Determining If You Should Write the Letter

Are you writing an immigration letter of support, to prove a marriage is real? If your not sure you’re cut out for the job, it can help to understand what type of person should be writing this letter. While you don’t need to be a skilled writer or lifetime friend, you should meet the criteria below.

Here’s who should write an immigration letter relating to marriage:

• Local to the couple
• Familiar with couple’s life
• Doesn’t have to be a U.S citizen
• Someone who knew the couple pre-marriage
• Spends time around the couple

If you don’t feel you meet the criteria above, you should be honest with your friend. A letter written by the wrong individual could end up hurting their immigration status in the long run.

If you meet the criteria above, but still have doubts, you’re probably just intimidated since you haven’t written this type of letter before. To help you overcome any self-doubt, we suggest learning how to format your support letter.

How to Format Your Letter

Now that you’ve gathered up all of the facts you’ll need, you’re ready to start writing! Here’s how you should format your support letter:

• Formal greeting
• Strong introduction
• Body of the letter
• Conclusion with a heartfelt statement

Be patient with yourself throughout the writing process. It’s normal to write several drafts, before finally writing a letter that powerfully delivers your message.

Writing a Heartfelt Conclusion

As you get ready to finish your letter, you’ll want to think of something heartfelt to say. This is the moment to leave the reader with a feeling, a feeling of how much you love your friend.

Finally, if at all possible, you should always have a notary sign your letter. This will help prove that your letter is valid, and wasn’t submitted falsely.

Pressure Free Letter Writing

Now you know more about how to write an effective immigration letter of support. Meeting with your friend before writing the letter, and formatting the letter properly, is the best way to give your friend the help they need.

Yet, it’s important to remember that even though your letter is a major responsibility, that doesn’t mean you should stress yourself out. It’s easy to get so caught up in writing the letter, that you begin to feel like the entire immigration decision will come down to you.

However, the reality is that there are many determining factors outside of your control. Instead of fretting over whether or not you wrote an effective letter, reward yourself for caring in the first place!

After finishing the letter, take some time to do something you love, just for yourself. Need a few ideas on how to have fun? Check out our Entertainment section today!

There are over 1 million doctors of medicine in the United States. 

If you’re in the market for a new doctor, you want the very best one possible. But with that many choices, it can be hard to separate the mediocre doctors from the superior doctors. Find the right doctor for you takes a little bit of time, but your health is more than worth it. 

Keep reading to discover five tips for choosing a new primary care doctor.

1. Look for Doctors in Your Area

When you’re searching for a primary care physician, you’ll want to first create a list of all the doctors in your immediate area. 

You don’t want to find the perfect doctor only to discover they’re a two-hour drive from your home. You’ll want to find a doctor that is a short drive so you can easily visit your doctor regularly. 

Use an online doctor database and enter your address to discover all your local doctors. Write down a list of all the doctors within a feasible driving distance. 

2. Consult Your Insurance Provider

Once you have a list of close doctors, you will then want to consult your insurance provider. You’ll need to check to see which doctors in your area are covered in your network. 

If you choose a doctor that’s out of network, you’ll have to pay full price for all of your appointments. With insurance, you’ll pay a co-pay fee that will be much more affordable than the full price. If you’re already paying for insurance through your employer, there’s no reason not to take advantage of it.

3. Look for, Ask for Reviews 

Once you have a few strong contenders, start looking and asking for previous patient reviews. 

You can look online at resources like Google My Business or Yelp to see what previous patients are saying. With online resources, people are more likely to be honest and open with their reviews since there is a layer of anonymity. 

Then, ask your friends and family members which local doctors they recommend. Also, ask around your workplace since your coworkers will use the same insurance provider. 

4. Schedule a New Patient Appointment

Before committing to a physician, schedule a new patient appointment to see if they’re the right fit for you. 

During a new patient appointment, the doctor will ask you basic medical questions to learn more about your needs. They’ll be able to tell you if they think they’d be able to provide the right care for you. 

This is also an appointment for you to test how comfortable you feel with the doctor. You want a doctor that you can be honest with and trust. 

Find the Right Primary Care Doctor 

Using these tips, you can easily find the right primary care doctor and make your health a priority. 

Start by looking for doctors in your area and finding out which ones are covered by your insurance. Then, be sure to ask for reviews and schedule a new patient appointment to see if they’re the right fit for you.

Looking for more ways to keep you and your family happy? Browse the lifestyle section of this blog today. 

In the United States, consumers pay around 13.30 cents per kilowatt-hour. However, this cost will vary on a location and electricity provider basis. You may think it’s next to impossible to secure the best rates, but that’s far from the truth.

We’ll tell you the best-kept secrets about choosing an electric company. It doesn’t matter where you live, you can find the best electricity provider in your area.

Don’t know how? Here are our top 5 tips to choose the best electric company today.

1. Search Online for Electricity Providers in Your Area

This tip may seem obvious, but let’s face it sometimes we stick with the electricity provider that sends us deals via email or mail. While these deals may seem like a bargain, you should always search online for electricity providers in your area. You should make a list of these companies and call them to learn more about their offers.

2. Survey the Market as If You’re Switching Providers

Consumers often prefer to stick to their current electricity company because the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. However, every year you should survey the market as if you’re going to switch providers. This approach will allow you to take an unbiased look at your different options.

3. Compare Your Current Rates to What’s Available in the Market

Before searching for a new provider, it’s important to learn everything about your current electricity plan. What’s the term of your contract? How much are you paying per kilowatt-hour?

Learning these details will help you compare your current offer to what’s available. Consider using a site to compare electricity rates in your area. Most websites allow you to search by zip code to narrow down your providers.

4. Look for an Offer That Fits Your Energy Consumption

Electricity providers run a business so their representatives may offer the option that makes them more money instead of the best package. When you contact them, you should ask them about packages that fit your energy consumption.

An example is how some electricity providers offer free nights or weekends. This offer may be the best choice if you and your loved ones spend more time at home during the weekends or nights.

5. Read the Contract and Check Their Fee Schedule

Most consumers get the short end of the bargain when it comes to their electricity bills due to their contracts. Before choosing a provider, you should read their contract and make note of any hidden fees including cancellation fees.

Make sure the term of your contract is the term you agreed. If you choose a tiered plan, you should also verify the tiers and price per kilowatt-hour matches what you discussed with their representative.

So You Learned the Best-Kept Secrets About Choosing an Electric Company, Now What?

Learning the best-kept secrets about choosing an electric company will help you lower your utility bill. Believe it or not, doing your homework will point you in the right direction to find the best electricity provider in your area.

Remember to ask their representative any questions you may have before signing their contract. It may seem difficult, but we’re confident you’ll find the best electricity company if you follow our easy to follow tips.

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