Do you have a lawyer?

Yes. I’m married to her.

Can I guess from your details that you mean to ask “Do you have a lawyer on retainer?”
I use possessive pronouns about the professionals and tradespeople I use regularly, but they are not on retainer; “my” accountant, “my” plumber, “my” doctor, “my” lawyer for example. None are on retainer, but I stick to the same one for whatever work.

No. I know lawyers who I could go to, some are friends through work, some are lawyers I know personally. I know I could get a question answered for free, but I don’t have one waiting in the wings. I also don’t throw around phrases like “I’ll ask my lawyer.” I feel like when people use phrases like that, it’s either to make themselves sound impressive or to intimidate people (“you’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”).

No, I don’t have a lawyer on retainer but I have cell phone numbers of four different lawyers. Any one of them they would respond.
Oh I’m also an acquaintance with three judges in the county and 6 police officers.

Ha ha, love this question! We have a doctor at work that is always outraged about something and is always saying “I’ll call my lawyer”. Huge joke at work. I hired a lawyer to do my will one time only. He is not on speed dial.

@Tropical_Willie: I have cop friends too, but they’re not expert in law. They know criminal laws, but not everything related to law. Even lawyers don’t know all law – a real estate lawyer may not know criminal law, a defense attorney may not know estate planning law.

@jca
That’s the reason for three of the four lawyers, they are defense attorneys. The fourth wrote our wills.

Nope. We did at one time, but that was eons ago. It was kinda neat – we paid him a nominal fee every month, and he’d write a letter one time about damn near anything, then charge more if it was something that needed to be pursued. It was an amusing power to have.

@canidmajor No, I did not mean on retainer. Certainly, having a lawyer on retainer qualifies for the Q, but I just meant a lawyer who you readily call if you have a legal question or concern who has done some work for you previously. I would assume the average person doesn’t have a lawyer on retainer unless it’s for something very specific like a divorce.

Ah, then, no one “waiting in the wings”, but someone I consult from time to time on the more complex matters that are not easily researched myself. And I still use the possessive, as she is my first go-to.

@Muad_Dib That’s interesting. How did you come to having that lawyer in the first place?

I had a lawyer for a while that I’d use for contracts. She recently joined a large law firm and her prices went through the roof. Checking with a lawyer for every little thing is incredibly expensive.

My husband’s friend was doing Primerica sales for a while, and the “lawyer in your pocket” was one of the services they sold.

No.

Nope.

No, I lead a simple life and don’t need one.

I did once, but he died years ago and I’ve had no need of one since.

I’ve worked daily with lawyers for the past ten years, and my oldest, best friends are lawyers.

So I don’t have a lawyer but I’ve had expert legal advice for my meager needs. I’ve successfully represented myself in small claims court court with their support .

If had more serious needs I would pay another lawyer and not lean on my friends.

That’s for me personally. We do have a lawyer for my mother. She can no longer manage her affairs and we are working with an attorney to put her house in a trust, sell the property, and use the proceeds for her benefit.

I hired a lawyer once.
I also have a couple lawyer acquaintances.

I hired an attorney a year ago. He lied through his teeth to me on the first conversation (I found out six weeks after I hired him). I kept him on because it would have thrown us off our schedule and cost us a fortune as a result. But he was a jerk and I was always wondering if his advice to us was to promote himself or help me with my needs!

Yikes!
How DO you find a decent attorney???

Yes, I subscribe to a legal service that makes minor issues extremely affordable. It has worked really well for me, and transformed my relationship towards consulting lawyers from difficult and annoying to rather easy.

I have also engaged some lawyers one-on-one, and I agree with the common wisdom that it is very important to make certain you are compatible with your lawyer before committing to one. Many lawyers understand this and offer free initial “get-to-know” conversations and brief consults.

@snowberry A decent lawyer?
That’s a nearly extinct species.

I would not hire any lawyer who did not offer a free consultation.