Lawyer Referral Service in Dade County

The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) is managed by the Dade County Bar Association (DCBA) in Miami, Florida. The DCBA LRS is Miami’s largest and most prestigious lawyer referral service.

This public service provides referrals to individuals and businesses looking to hire a private attorney practicing in Miami and the surrounding areas of Miami-Dade County.

Contact Information

Contacting the Lawyer Referral Service in Clearwater, Florida

If you call or come into the office, a trained staff person will talk with you about your situation. The staff person will then refer you to a qualified attorney on the appropriate panel. When requested, the service might be able to refer you to an attorney that speaks a foreign language.

If you do not have the funds to hire a private attorney or you do not have a legitimate legal issue, then the service will not make a referral. When possible, the staff will refer you to another type of service that might be able to help you solve the legal issue. 

When a referral is appropriate, the DCBA LRS collects the $50 referral fee directly before making the referral. After processing the payment and entering the person's information into their system, the service will send an email to the referred attorney to let them know that the person will be calling to make their initial consultation.

The person is instructed to contact the attorney directly to schedule the first appointment. The LRS may also survey clients after the referral.

The service does not have referrals to pro bono or free attorneys. Instead, all of the attorneys that participate in the service will charge reasonable fees for the legal services provided.

One of the benefits of using a LRS managed by a local bar association is that all of the attorneys that participate in the LRS are pre-screened for their good standing with the Florida Bar. The attorneys in the LRS also carry professional malpractice insurance with limits not less than $100,000.

In exchange for paying a $50 fee, you will receive up to half an hour with a knowledgeable attorney with experience in handling your type of legal issue. During the consultation, you can talk with the attorney about your legal concerns and the attorney fees needed for additional services. If the first attorney cannot meet your needs, you will receive a referral to a second attorney for another consultation at no additional charge. The $50 fee is not refundable.

Attorneys that participate in the service must return the membership application, submit proof of malpractice coverage, and pay a non-refundable registration fee. The registration fee for members of the Dade County Bar Association (DCBA) is 150.00 and the fee for non-members is $350.00.

Participating attorneys must follow the LRS Procedures & Requirements. The attorney chooses panels based on their interests and experience in the given practice area of the law.

Finding a Criminal Defense Attorney in Dade County, FL

If you need to find a qualified attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida, then consider the benefits of using a lawyer referral service sponsored by the local bar associations. These lawyer referral services in Florida provide an important service to the community on a non-profit basis. 

The Dade County Bar Association (DCBA) manages the larger and most prestigious lawyer referral service in the area. These public services provide many benefits over finding attorneys on the internet or through commercial online legal directories.

This article was last updated on Friday, November 6, 2015.