If you have ever looked for online free legal advice Reddit may have been one of your first go-to sources. The popular site has an entire sub-Reddit dedicated to individual posts related to legal questions and concerns. Hundreds of thousands of people flock here every day to browse through trending posts and get legal advice on Reddit. What they might not realize is that Reddit clearly states the following:
“A place to ask simple legal questions. Advice here is for informational purposes only and should not be considered final or official advice. See a local attorney for the best answer to your questions.”
Unfortunately, when it comes to legal advice Reddit has been a site that users trust a little too much. Take for instance a man who asked for advice concerning a divorce with his wife. A fellow Reddit user replied saying that he did not need to hire for a divorce lawyer; rather, all he needed to do was contact all the family law firms in the local area and discuss his case — and then, legally, they would not be able to work with his wife due to a conflict of interest. The man contacted about 30 different firms, and his wife had to seek legal counsel outside of the area. The man’s plan backfired when her lawyer found out what he had done. He was motioned to pay a portion of his wife’s legal fees. The man then turned back to legal advice Reddit had to offer to ask users what he should do now. This is just one example of many that when it comes to online legal advice Reddit is not always the ideal solution.
Hot Legal Tips for Finding Good Legal Advice
Relying on legal advice, especially from forums like Reddit, can be risky. This is not to say you should avoid these sources, but rather to be aware of misguidance. If you have a serious legal matter, you may want to consider the following Hot Legal Tips:
Legal Matters are Unique and Require Unique Advice
No matter how common you might believe your legal problem to be, every situation is inherently unique. You bring your own history, financial assets, and even emotional attachments to the table. Asking for legal advice online is similar to asking a mechanic to explain how to change the breaks in a car without saying which kind of car you are trying to fix. Sure, you might be able to figure it out along the way, but you also risk serious problems if you miss something that is specific to your make and model.
In general, if you are looking for legal advice Reddit users may expect to see only a brief explanation of the situation rather than an in-depth, detail-oriented description that a lawyer would expect to have. Even a paragraph is usually not enough to provide a person with solid legal advice. Factor in the various federal, state, or local laws, and you could easily find yourself in a legal conundrum.
You Get What You Pay For
With legal advice, you really do get what you pay for. Reddit is free and anyone can offer his or her two cents. However if you did not pay anything, and are not taking advantage of free consultations with a real lawyer, you cannot act surprised when things don’t work out. The internet is rife with false information and deliberate “trolling” that could point you in the wrong direction. Before you get legal advice Reddit has to offer, please consider a complimentary consultation with a local law firm.
The Wrong Knowledge Can be a Dangerous Thing
Finally, if you try to implement a law you have learned online, and don’t fully understand how it works, you could face all kinds of obstacles, setbacks, or additional legal troubles.
By choosing to have a lawyer, you can ensure you get the right advice when you need it most. Rather than looking towards legal advice Reddit users try to provide, look towards Hot Legal Tips – a site wholly owned by real lawyers.