Most Americans skip hiring lawyers because hourly rates exceed $200 to $380, even for critical issues like bankruptcy, tax disputes, and divorce. A legal services network addresses this affordability gap.
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The legal process and the court system can be intimidating, and knowing our legal rights and responsibilities under the law can sometimes be confusing and even subject to interpretation, which is why there are times in our lives when we all need the help of an experienced attorney to counsel us and protect our legal rights and to keep us out of trouble with the law. But professional legal advice and representation is very expensive. In fact, the average hourly billing rate of a partner in a U.S. law firm is more than $380 an hour. Even small law firms outside the major cities will typically charge at least $200 an hour. So for most of us, the cost of legal advice and representation is simply not affordable. That's why most Americans do not call an attorney even when we should, like for credit collections or bankruptcy filing, an IRS audit or income tax levy, a divorce or child