This article is an informed, but very opinionated, discussion of why it is difficult when you need a lawyer.

I Need Justice. Can a Lawyer Help Me?

Lawyers take an oath to serve justice. Not to serve themselves or their inflated egos. Not to serve their law firm or profits. And definitely not to serve their reputation. Remember Gandhi?  He was originally a lawyer before he used nonviolent resistance to lead India to independence from colonial rule. Before that, Lincoln was a lawyer who believed in justice enough to put an end to slavery. These are the ideals that lawyers strive to uphold.

Lofty Ideas Are Great But Help Me

Justice, for me, is not abstract idea. Lawyers need to help people who look to them for help. When someone you care about looks to you for encouragement or support, it is natural to help them. Lawyers shouldn’t treat potential clients any differently than their family and friends. Lawyers should help people for the simple reason that the person asks for help.

I think taking cases is what really serves justice. Lawyers serve justice by taking cases and consultations rather than serving on committees or volunteering.

I Need a Lawyer But They Won’t Answer My Calls or Emails

If you need a lawyer, you need to realize that lawyers specialize. They don’t do it all. They are worried about malpractice so they won’t help you with an issue that they don’t know well. When you look for a lawyer, look for a specialist who understands cases like yours.

What does it mean that lawyers specialize? It means they can refuse to take your case on a whim because it makes them uncomfortable. I dislike that idea as much as I dislike that sentence but lawyers hide behind such flawed logic.

I Need a Lawyer in Idaho

Idaho does not have many lawyers in relation to the total population. South Carolina is at the bottom but Idaho is very close and not improving much. Idaho has about 2.07 lawyers per person. In 2024, the American Bar Association said Idaho was the second worst in terms of lawyers per capita. If you need a lawyer in Idaho but can’t find one, it might be the lack of lawyers.

Is there a solution? Yes, but it requires you to unplug your kids from video and teach them to read and write well so they can get into law school one day.

I Can’t Find a Lawyer

Here are some other options:

• For monetary disputes under $5,000, you can sue in Small Claims Court without a lawyer. Look at this Idaho Court Assistance Office guide for more information.
• If your parent died and both of these are true you can use a Small Estate Affidavit and skip probate court:
  • Your parent did not own any real estate (did not own a house)
  • Your parent’s assets are less than $100,000 (this amount does not include beneficiary designations your parent established with banks or brokerage accounts)
• There are free online forms to complete an Idaho Advance Directive for Health Care and an Idaho Durable Power of Attorney for Finances. These forms allow someone to act on your behalf if you lack capacity to make decisions. Choose someone you trust.
• For estate planning issues, whether you need to create or update a Will, or create a Revocable Living Trust, you may contact me for a free initial consultation.