If you have any health problems, you consult a doctor. There is usually no problem to find one, depending on your preferences and financial situation, you will probably make an appointment at the nearest district clinic, use the insurance, or visit a private medical institution.
The situation is different if you need a specialist to solve a legal problem, a lawyer. There are no law firms operating territory principle and insurance normally does not cover legal fees.
Meanwhile, in comparison with health-related problems, the qualified resolution of a particular legal problem often has no less, if not more, fateful significance for a particular person. Paradoxical as it may seem, but imprisonment, loss of property and other possible consequences of legal disputes and criminal cases are experienced by people much more difficult than loss of a tooth or even a sight. When courts, investigators and other attributes of a legal conflict appear in your life, the first and one of the most important issues that have to be resolved is the search and selection of a lawyer.
It should be borne in mind that in Latvia not any lawyer is a licensed lawyer (member of a Latvian Bar), but only one who, after passing the qualification exam and taking the oath, was assigned the status of an attorney at law (zvērināts advokāts). External confirmation of the status of a lawyer for a particular person is a lawyer’s ID document issued by the Bar, as well as the presence of this person in the register of a Latvian bar association. This register is publicly available and is constantly updated.
The fact that a person has the status of an attorney at law (zvērināts advokāts) is an additional guarantee of a higher qualification of a lawyer. Seeking help from an attorney at law also gives you additional guarantees of protection against unprofessional or illegal actions. Your relationship with an attorney at law, documents and information transferred to him will be subject to legislative preferences regarding attorney secrecy and confidentiality.
While it is up to you to decide who to choose to resolve a particular legal problem, it should however be borne in mind that a non-licensed lawyer is not allowed to participate in certain legal capacities. Only an attorney at law has the right to defend a client in criminal proceedings (investigation of a criminal case and court hearings). Law enforcement officers will not communicate with a lawyer who does not have the status of an attorney at law.
Also only attorneys at law can represent a client in certain categories of civil cases as well at certain stages of civil proceedings.
Additional Information
For more information, please contact NJORD Riga office at riga@njordlaw.lv, tel. +37167313315, @ Lawyer Latvia
