Is there a forum for legal matters?

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kayanco
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Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by kayanco »

Hi,

I'm curious if there's a forum for discussing legal matters? A high quality or good repute forum like this one, but for legal stuff.

(I understand that BH forum doesn't allow non-financial related legal discussions; I'm only asking for forum suggestion and not looking to discuss anything here).

Thank you
totallystudly
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by totallystudly »

Probably depends on the topic, consume law there are several. International patent law, I can't think of any.
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Pajamas
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Pajamas »

If you have a simple question you can get advice here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/

but it's not a discussion forum.
brandy
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by brandy »

One is
https://www.expertlaw.com/forums/forum.php

There must be others, google legal forums, or law forums
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Smorgasbord
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Smorgasbord »

For the niche of patent prosecution I suggest http://www.intelproplaw.com/ip_forum/index.php.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by ResearchMed »

brandy wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:18 pm One is
https://www.expertlaw.com/forums/forum.php

There must be others, google legal forums, or law forums
Thanks.

This looks both helpful and interesting... another time sink :wink:

RM
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GCD
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by GCD »

ResearchMed wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:47 pm
brandy wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:18 pm One is
https://www.expertlaw.com/forums/forum.php

There must be others, google legal forums, or law forums
Thanks.

This looks both helpful and interesting... another time sink :wink:

RM
Wow. I'd be leery of that site and probably others as well. The very first thread I clicked on had people giving bad legal advice in very authoritative tones. I can't say the entire site is that way, but internet legal advice is probably worse than what you pay for it. Legal stuff is one area where going cheap can really come back to bite you.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by LadyGeek »

For cross-border (US / Canada) tax and immigration issues, Serbinski Accounting Firms is recommended often - both here and in our sister Canadian forum Financial Wisdom Forum.

If nothing else, I like the forum's layout. :wink:
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kayanco
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by kayanco »

Thank you for making these suggestions everyone. I'm grateful for your responses!
TheGreatDane
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by TheGreatDane »

You get what you pay for with free legal advice from anonymous people who are probably not lawyers licensed to practice law in YOUR state. You're generally better off having a lawyer friend/colleague that you can bounce something off and, if he/she doesn't know, at least he/she can send you in the right direction.

The cloak of anonymity online allows people who have no idea what they're talking about to speak with authority on every subject and there's really no way for you to separate fact from nonsense.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by tmcc »

also be wary of disclosure of your legal issue in a public forum (internet). if you end up in arbitration or court, that may be a serious issue if you gave away key details to try to drum up a free lunch to save on fees.

if the counterparty finds your thread, rest assured they will use it against you. you can probably get a free consult from someone local to you who will refer you to someone that has experience in the specific matter you're experiencing.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by c.coyle »

tmcc wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 5:51 am also be wary of disclosure of your legal issue in a public forum (internet). if you end up in arbitration or court, that may be a serious issue if you gave away key details to try to drum up a free lunch to save on fees.

if the counterparty finds your thread, rest assured they will use it against you. you can probably get a free consult from someone local to you who will refer you to someone that has experience in the specific matter you're experiencing.
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alfaspider
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by alfaspider »

As a lawyer, I would never give advice in such a forum and I would be very suspicious of any lawyer who does. You open yourself up to malpractice risk and potentially prejudice a case because a public post is not privileged. If you are getting legal advice from a non-lawyer, it's probably a case of the blind leading the blind.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by brandy »

I read forums to get other's thoughts, experiences, ideas, knowledge, viewpoints. I know little about so many things, forums are one way for me to get other people's thoughts and ideas, even knowledge about that subject I'm trying to learn about. I've gained a broader base on a few situations in this site, things I hadn't thought of, no one had expressed, that have helped me in a few aspects of my life.
It's always helpful to have broader knowledge about anything, until one's own thoughts and knowledge are firm enough to carry one on.
The threads about the DEATH BOOK, wills and trusts, end of life issues, etc have really been helpful. I've learned from many others: I have been looking at refrigerators. I now have other things to consider--no longer want french doors...The OATS/oatmeal threads... Via forums, though the information may be reliable or not, the opinions of actual users can help me in my understanding. As far as legal forums and even medical, they help me formulate questions to get answers to, and help make my time with the $$$$ lawyer or doctor more informative and productive.
I've been able to contribute to a few threads, based on my knowledge and experiences. No, MY information is NOT the last word, may not be the best or most complete, but combined with several others, can help someone. I am not any kind of professional, never claimed to be. I hope the fellow who asked about running with his dog --and maybe many other people (and dogs) are out there learning to canicross and bikejor, even cart! I hope my knowledge and experiences helped make more happy people and pets. A tired dog is a happy dog! And dry-land mushing. HIKE!!!
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kayanco
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by kayanco »

TheGreatDane wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 5:49 am You get what you pay for with free legal advice from anonymous people who are probably not lawyers licensed to practice law in YOUR state. You're generally better off having a lawyer friend/colleague that you can bounce something off and, if he/she doesn't know, at least he/she can send you in the right direction.

The cloak of anonymity online allows people who have no idea what they're talking about to speak with authority on every subject and there's really no way for you to separate fact from nonsense.
Very useful perspective. I appreciate this.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by oldcomputerguy »

totallystudly wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:05 pm Probably depends on the topic, consume law there are several. International patent law, I can't think of any.
Not since Groklaw shut down :(
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kayanco
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by kayanco »

alfaspider wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:49 am As a lawyer, I would never give advice in such a forum and I would be very suspicious of any lawyer who does. You open yourself up to malpractice risk and potentially prejudice a case because a public post is not privileged. If you are getting legal advice from a non-lawyer, it's probably a case of the blind leading the blind.
Can you please recommend a way or process to find a lawyer for a particular issue. Is there something like Yelp for lawyers? I mean on Yelp I can see ratings and read reviews. Anything similar for lawyers? I'm not familiar with any method for finding a good attorney.

Thanks.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by alfaspider »

kayanco wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:44 pm
alfaspider wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:49 am As a lawyer, I would never give advice in such a forum and I would be very suspicious of any lawyer who does. You open yourself up to malpractice risk and potentially prejudice a case because a public post is not privileged. If you are getting legal advice from a non-lawyer, it's probably a case of the blind leading the blind.
Can you please recommend a way or process to find a lawyer for a particular issue. Is there something like Yelp for lawyers? I mean on Yelp I can see ratings and read reviews. Anything similar for lawyers? I'm not familiar with any method for finding a good attorney.

Thanks.
I'm afraid there's nothing really equivalent to yelp. There are services that purport to do that, like Avvo, but I wouldn't put significant stock in the Avvo ratings. They are based on factors that are easy to manipulate, and don't really speak to quality.

Some of the best resources for finding an attorney are other attorneys in a different specialty. If you know any lawyers in the relevant locale, they might be a good place to start. For matters relating to large businesses, Chambers and Partners is a good resource to recommend firms, but I assume that you aren't looking for that sort of expertise if you are posting about selecting a lawyer here.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Rupert »

alfaspider wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:22 pm
kayanco wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:44 pm
alfaspider wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:49 am As a lawyer, I would never give advice in such a forum and I would be very suspicious of any lawyer who does. You open yourself up to malpractice risk and potentially prejudice a case because a public post is not privileged. If you are getting legal advice from a non-lawyer, it's probably a case of the blind leading the blind.
Can you please recommend a way or process to find a lawyer for a particular issue. Is there something like Yelp for lawyers? I mean on Yelp I can see ratings and read reviews. Anything similar for lawyers? I'm not familiar with any method for finding a good attorney.

Thanks.
I'm afraid there's nothing really equivalent to yelp. There are services that purport to do that, like Avvo, but I wouldn't put significant stock in the Avvo ratings. They are based on factors that are easy to manipulate, and don't really speak to quality.

Some of the best resources for finding an attorney are other attorneys in a different specialty. If you know any lawyers in the relevant locale, they might be a good place to start. For matters relating to large businesses, Chambers and Partners is a good resource to recommend firms, but I assume that you aren't looking for that sort of expertise if you are posting about selecting a lawyer here.
+1. Yes, the services that purport to rate the quality of legal services are about as reliable as the services that purport to rate the quality of doctors. I would not choose a cardio-thoracic surgeon based on a RateMyMD review, and I would not choose a lawyer based on Avvo or like sources. (As for Avvo in particular, they've been hounding me by email for years to "validate" my review or ranking or whatever, and their emails promptly get deleted. I feel bad for non-government lawyers who actually have to care about such stuff. I have no idea what Avvo actually says about me.)

The best way to find a good lawyer is still by word of mouth. If you don't know any lawyers, ask your friends, family and co-workers for referrals. And then interview the lawyers. You don't have to stick with the first one you talk to.
RIMDBogle
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by RIMDBogle »

I find no postings in 2021 in expertlaw forum.

Is this expertlaw forum dead ?

Thanks for sharing .
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by anon_investor »

alfaspider wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:49 am As a lawyer, I would never give advice in such a forum and I would be very suspicious of any lawyer who does. You open yourself up to malpractice risk and potentially prejudice a case because a public post is not privileged. If you are getting legal advice from a non-lawyer, it's probably a case of the blind leading the blind.
+1.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by chazas »

alfaspider wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:49 am As a lawyer, I would never give advice in such a forum and I would be very suspicious of any lawyer who does. You open yourself up to malpractice risk and potentially prejudice a case because a public post is not privileged. If you are getting legal advice from a non-lawyer, it's probably a case of the blind leading the blind.
This exactly.
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anon_investor
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by anon_investor »

brandy wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:30 am I read forums to get other's thoughts, experiences, ideas, knowledge, viewpoints. I know little about so many things, forums are one way for me to get other people's thoughts and ideas, even knowledge about that subject I'm trying to learn about. I've gained a broader base on a few situations in this site, things I hadn't thought of, no one had expressed, that have helped me in a few aspects of my life.
It's always helpful to have broader knowledge about anything, until one's own thoughts and knowledge are firm enough to carry one on.
The threads about the DEATH BOOK, wills and trusts, end of life issues, etc have really been helpful. I've learned from many others: I have been looking at refrigerators. I now have other things to consider--no longer want french doors...The OATS/oatmeal threads... Via forums, though the information may be reliable or not, the opinions of actual users can help me in my understanding. As far as legal forums and even medical, they help me formulate questions to get answers to, and help make my time with the $$$$ lawyer or doctor more informative and productive.
I've been able to contribute to a few threads, based on my knowledge and experiences. No, MY information is NOT the last word, may not be the best or most complete, but combined with several others, can help someone. I am not any kind of professional, never claimed to be. I hope the fellow who asked about running with his dog --and maybe many other people (and dogs) are out there learning to canicross and bikejor, even cart! I hope my knowledge and experiences helped make more happy people and pets. A tired dog is a happy dog! And dry-land mushing. HIKE!!!
Be careful with legal forums. I have been a lawyer for quite a while, and I can say there are a lot of terrible lawyers out there. So posters on an anonymous legal forum might be even worse than a terrible lawyer... caveat emptor!
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Godot »

anon_investor wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 2:03 pm
brandy wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:30 am I read forums to get other's thoughts, experiences, ideas, knowledge, viewpoints. I know little about so many things, forums are one way for me to get other people's thoughts and ideas, even knowledge about that subject I'm trying to learn about. I've gained a broader base on a few situations in this site, things I hadn't thought of, no one had expressed, that have helped me in a few aspects of my life.
It's always helpful to have broader knowledge about anything, until one's own thoughts and knowledge are firm enough to carry one on.
The threads about the DEATH BOOK, wills and trusts, end of life issues, etc have really been helpful. I've learned from many others: I have been looking at refrigerators. I now have other things to consider--no longer want french doors...The OATS/oatmeal threads... Via forums, though the information may be reliable or not, the opinions of actual users can help me in my understanding. As far as legal forums and even medical, they help me formulate questions to get answers to, and help make my time with the $$$$ lawyer or doctor more informative and productive.
I've been able to contribute to a few threads, based on my knowledge and experiences. No, MY information is NOT the last word, may not be the best or most complete, but combined with several others, can help someone. I am not any kind of professional, never claimed to be. I hope the fellow who asked about running with his dog --and maybe many other people (and dogs) are out there learning to canicross and bikejor, even cart! I hope my knowledge and experiences helped make more happy people and pets. A tired dog is a happy dog! And dry-land mushing. HIKE!!!
Be careful with legal forums. I have been a lawyer for quite a while, and I can say there are a lot of terrible lawyers out there. So posters on an anonymous legal forum might be even worse than a terrible lawyer... caveat emptor!
"A lot" is an understatement!
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by ResearchMed »

anon_investor wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 2:03 pm
brandy wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:30 am I read forums to get other's thoughts, experiences, ideas, knowledge, viewpoints. I know little about so many things, forums are one way for me to get other people's thoughts and ideas, even knowledge about that subject I'm trying to learn about. I've gained a broader base on a few situations in this site, things I hadn't thought of, no one had expressed, that have helped me in a few aspects of my life.
It's always helpful to have broader knowledge about anything, until one's own thoughts and knowledge are firm enough to carry one on.
The threads about the DEATH BOOK, wills and trusts, end of life issues, etc have really been helpful. I've learned from many others: I have been looking at refrigerators. I now have other things to consider--no longer want french doors...The OATS/oatmeal threads... Via forums, though the information may be reliable or not, the opinions of actual users can help me in my understanding. As far as legal forums and even medical, they help me formulate questions to get answers to, and help make my time with the $$$$ lawyer or doctor more informative and productive.
I've been able to contribute to a few threads, based on my knowledge and experiences. No, MY information is NOT the last word, may not be the best or most complete, but combined with several others, can help someone. I am not any kind of professional, never claimed to be. I hope the fellow who asked about running with his dog --and maybe many other people (and dogs) are out there learning to canicross and bikejor, even cart! I hope my knowledge and experiences helped make more happy people and pets. A tired dog is a happy dog! And dry-land mushing. HIKE!!!
Be careful with legal forums. I have been a lawyer for quite a while, and I can say there are a lot of terrible lawyers out there. So posters on an anonymous legal forum might be even worse than a terrible lawyer... caveat emptor!
We've used any non-official online legal "sources" (including suggestions/comments here on BH) as a *start*, and then search on those terms/etc., until we find the actual legal cases, decisions, etc. (We never seriously rely upon anything "non-official", legal or otherwise.)
And then starts the adventure of reading and understanding what we are reading, which often leads to more searches and sources.
But we enjoy it, and find most of it fascinating.

RM
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anon_investor
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by anon_investor »

ResearchMed wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 2:10 pm
anon_investor wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 2:03 pm
brandy wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:30 am I read forums to get other's thoughts, experiences, ideas, knowledge, viewpoints. I know little about so many things, forums are one way for me to get other people's thoughts and ideas, even knowledge about that subject I'm trying to learn about. I've gained a broader base on a few situations in this site, things I hadn't thought of, no one had expressed, that have helped me in a few aspects of my life.
It's always helpful to have broader knowledge about anything, until one's own thoughts and knowledge are firm enough to carry one on.
The threads about the DEATH BOOK, wills and trusts, end of life issues, etc have really been helpful. I've learned from many others: I have been looking at refrigerators. I now have other things to consider--no longer want french doors...The OATS/oatmeal threads... Via forums, though the information may be reliable or not, the opinions of actual users can help me in my understanding. As far as legal forums and even medical, they help me formulate questions to get answers to, and help make my time with the $$$$ lawyer or doctor more informative and productive.
I've been able to contribute to a few threads, based on my knowledge and experiences. No, MY information is NOT the last word, may not be the best or most complete, but combined with several others, can help someone. I am not any kind of professional, never claimed to be. I hope the fellow who asked about running with his dog --and maybe many other people (and dogs) are out there learning to canicross and bikejor, even cart! I hope my knowledge and experiences helped make more happy people and pets. A tired dog is a happy dog! And dry-land mushing. HIKE!!!
Be careful with legal forums. I have been a lawyer for quite a while, and I can say there are a lot of terrible lawyers out there. So posters on an anonymous legal forum might be even worse than a terrible lawyer... caveat emptor!
We've used any non-official online legal "sources" (including suggestions/comments here on BH) as a *start*, and then search on those terms/etc., until we find the actual legal cases, decisions, etc. (We never seriously rely upon anything "non-official", legal or otherwise.)
And then starts the adventure of reading and understanding what we are reading, which often leads to more searches and sources.
But we enjoy it, and find most of it fascinating.

RM
That is good, as long as your are not relying on that. Be careful, depending on the area of the law, reading some cases is not nearly comprehensive enough.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Parkinglotracer »

kayanco wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:26 pm Hi,

I'm curious if there's a forum for discussing legal matters? A high quality or good repute forum like this one, but for legal stuff.

(I understand that BH forum doesn't allow non-financial related legal discussions; I'm only asking for forum suggestion and not looking to discuss anything here).

Thank you
Not to upset anyone here but i can't help reading these responses and think of the first time someone recommended going to an on line forum to get financial advice - i would guess the financial advisors would have said "be very, very, very careful" in the famous words of Elmer Fudd.

and of course one should always be skeptical of any advice they get. In most things in life "Skepticism is the path to the truth." lol.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by anon_investor »

Parkinglotracer wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:04 am
kayanco wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:26 pm Hi,

I'm curious if there's a forum for discussing legal matters? A high quality or good repute forum like this one, but for legal stuff.

(I understand that BH forum doesn't allow non-financial related legal discussions; I'm only asking for forum suggestion and not looking to discuss anything here).

Thank you
Not to upset anyone here but i can't help reading these responses and think of the first time someone recommended going to an on line forum to get financial advice - i would guess the financial advisors would have said "be very, very, very careful" in the famous words of Elmer Fudd.

and of course one should always be skeptical of any advice they get. In most things in life "Skepticism is the path to the truth." lol.
Except legal advice is very jurisdiction specific. The laws of one jurisdictions may be the exact opposite of another. Also most lawyers usually only have a narrow scope of expertise. So a tax lawyer is likely not going to know landlord-tenant law and vice versa.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by chazas »

People online often state legal conclusions with great certainty when they’re completely wrong. I’ve had people argue with me about things wheee I’m a nationally recognized and published expert, giving worthless links as evidence. I had a friend once tell me he knew better because he read the NYT.

So be very, very wary.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Parkinglotracer »

anon_investor wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:31 am
Parkinglotracer wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:04 am
kayanco wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:26 pm Hi,

I'm curious if there's a forum for discussing legal matters? A high quality or good repute forum like this one, but for legal stuff.

(I understand that BH forum doesn't allow non-financial related legal discussions; I'm only asking for forum suggestion and not looking to discuss anything here).

Thank you
Not to upset anyone here but i can't help reading these responses and think of the first time someone recommended going to an on line forum to get financial advice - i would guess the financial advisors would have said "be very, very, very careful" in the famous words of Elmer Fudd.

and of course one should always be skeptical of any advice they get. In most things in life "Skepticism is the path to the truth." lol.
Except legal advice is very jurisdiction specific. The laws of one jurisdictions may be the exact opposite of another. Also most lawyers usually only have a narrow scope of expertise. So a tax lawyer is likely not going to know landlord-tenant law and vice versa.
good point
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Parkinglotracer »

anon_investor wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:31 am
Parkinglotracer wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:04 am
kayanco wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:26 pm Hi,

I'm curious if there's a forum for discussing legal matters? A high quality or good repute forum like this one, but for legal stuff.

(I understand that BH forum doesn't allow non-financial related legal discussions; I'm only asking for forum suggestion and not looking to discuss anything here).

Thank you
Not to upset anyone here but i can't help reading these responses and think of the first time someone recommended going to an on line forum to get financial advice - i would guess the financial advisors would have said "be very, very, very careful" in the famous words of Elmer Fudd.

and of course one should always be skeptical of any advice they get. In most things in life "Skepticism is the path to the truth." lol.
Except legal advice is very jurisdiction specific. The laws of one jurisdictions may be the exact opposite of another. Also most lawyers usually only have a narrow scope of expertise. So a tax lawyer is likely not going to know landlord-tenant law and vice versa.
and another excellent point
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by JBTX »

brandy wrote: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:18 pm One is
https://www.expertlaw.com/forums/forum.php

There must be others, google legal forums, or law forums
Seems like no posts since 2020.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Eric »

chazas wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:47 amPeople online often state legal conclusions with great certainty when they’re completely wrong.
And unfortunately, that's true even on bogleheads.org. There's a poster who comments on legal topics who is mostly right most of the time, but always speaks with great certainty -- even in the minority of cases where he is way off-base. It's really a shame, as he does make good contributions, but that just gives him the credibility to do more harm when he's wrong. (FWIW, I don't think he's actually a lawyer.)

As a general rule, I would be wary of anyone who comments regularly on legal topics without using qualifiers (like, "as a general rule" ;-) ). At the federal level, tax law is littered with exceptions, so it's hard to legitimately say much of anything without using the word "generally." At the state level, estate and trust law varies from state to state, so no one should be making absolute pronouncements on those issues without making note of that.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by dukeblue219 »

Incomplete or "halfway decent" investing advice on BH isn't particularly dangerous. You might end up with less (or more) in your retirement account than planned, but you probably won't end up broke, either.

Incomplete, inaccurate, or non-applicable legal advice can land you in prison or keep someone else out of it.

Big difference.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by waterlife »

Nolo isn’t a forum, but I have learned a lot from their legal books.
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by CascadiaSoonish »

alfaspider wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 1:22 pm
kayanco wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:44 pm Can you please recommend a way or process to find a lawyer for a particular issue. Is there something like Yelp for lawyers? I mean on Yelp I can see ratings and read reviews. Anything similar for lawyers? I'm not familiar with any method for finding a good attorney.
I'm afraid there's nothing really equivalent to yelp. There are services that purport to do that, like Avvo, but I wouldn't put significant stock in the Avvo ratings. They are based on factors that are easy to manipulate, and don't really speak to quality.
I wish there was. I'm working with an eldercare attorney in Florida who holds the elder law certification, and as best as I could tell seemed to have their act together. Turns out they aren't very good about reading and thinking through the material I'm sending them, they've sent me documents intended for another client, and they have been replying with price tags rather than answers to my follow-up questions.
Horologium
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by Horologium »

anon_investor wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:31 am
Also most lawyers usually only have a narrow scope of expertise. So a tax lawyer is likely not going to know landlord-tenant law and vice versa.
This.

I married into a large family. At first, my wife’s brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. all thought it was great having a lawyer in the family that they could call for free legal advice and/or representation. I quickly learned that I had to disabuse them of such misconceptions.

I worked in the legal department of a megacorp and had a specific area of expertise. I did not have the time, nor any inclination, to learn about real estate closings, traffic laws, contractor/builder disputes, etc. (I did help my mother-in-law (how do you say “no” to your wife’s mom?) with a real estate matter. But, after spending a couple of days on it, I engaged a local real estate atty as “co-counsel” to *assist* me.). There was some grumbling about my unwillingness to help out, but they all got over it and the requests eventually ceased.
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anon_investor
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Re: Is there a forum for legal matters?

Post by anon_investor »

Horologium wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 12:19 am
anon_investor wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:31 am
Also most lawyers usually only have a narrow scope of expertise. So a tax lawyer is likely not going to know landlord-tenant law and vice versa.
This.

I married into a large family. At first, my wife’s brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. all thought it was great having a lawyer in the family that they could call for free legal advice and/or representation. I quickly learned that I had to disabuse them of such misconceptions.

I worked in the legal department of a megacorp and had a specific area of expertise. I did not have the time, nor any inclination, to learn about real estate closings, traffic laws, contractor/builder disputes, etc. (I did help my mother-in-law (how do you say “no” to your wife’s mom?) with a real estate matter. But, after spending a couple of days on it, I engaged a local real estate atty as “co-counsel” to *assist* me.). There was some grumbling about my unwillingness to help out, but they all got over it and the requests eventually ceased.
Sounds like my current situation (in-house attorney of a megacorp and with a specific area of expertise). I don't know anything about real estate law, and friends and family used to ask me for help all the time. Luckily, I have a classmate at a small firm that does real estate matters, and I send them his way, and he always gives them a "friends & family discount" 8-) .
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