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Attorney Tom OlsenLegal Self Help
Attorney Tom Olsen
People often call me with problems that, although very bothersome to the caller, do not justify the expense of hiring an attorney. For example, the mechanic did a poor job of repairing your car, you neighbor's dog barks all night, you loaned a friend $500 or your ex-spouse is continually 30 minutes late in dropping off the children. When you consider that I charge $200 per hour for my time, which is typical in the legal community, you can see that it quickly becomes cost prohibitive to solve these small, but annoying, problems through an attorney. The good news is that there are some other resources available to you.
First, I recommend the Citizen Dispute Settlement Program (CDS) operated through the Orange County Bar Association. It is available to all residents of Orange and Osceola Counties. CDS is an alternate method for people to satisfactorily resolve their disputes without expensive legal action or long delays in the court system. CDS uses only attorneys as mediators and they donate their time free of charge. CDS also has a Family Law Mediation Program (FLM). FLM is set up to assist people already divorced or in the process of divorce. FLM charges $10 per session. To reach CDS or FLM, call 423-5732. If you are a resident of Seminole County, the Seminole County Bar Association has a similar program at 834-0530.
Second, I recommend you call Clark Howard, the "Consumer Warrior". He can be heard on AM 580 WDBO on weekdays from 3 to 5. If you cannot get through to him, he has a consumer hotline you can call at 404-892-8227. He is very good at solving all types of consumer issues.
Third, if your dispute involves less than $5,000, you can try small claims court. The clerks will give you the forms, help you fill them out and tell you how to proceed. However, don't forget that getting a money judgment against someone is usually the easy part. In Florida, collecting that judgment is usually hard or impossible. You might have the best success turning the matter over to a collection agency on a contingency fee basis.
Finally, don't forget that you have access to free legal answers and advice on my weekly radio show "Olsen on Law". My radio show can be heard on Saturday's and Sunday's from Noon to 1:00 on AM 580 WDBO. You can also email your brief questions using the link above.
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