As a law firm with integrity as a core value, it is important to us that you are given an accurate and complete understanding of what legal services you are obtaining and a realistic range of what the costs are likely to be. Steven Law Firm uses "no surprises" billing methodologies, which means that you should never receive a higher bill than you were told to expect. Should previously unanticipated circumstances or expenses arise, it is our first priority to discuss that with you so that you can determine whether the matter remains worth pursuing despite the additional costs.
Sometimes the costs of legal services can seem unaffordable. This page outlines some alternative legal services organizations that can help with a variety of matters. As a starting point, the Oregon State Bar also offers a referral service for legal services where you may obtain an initial consultation for a reduced fixed cost.
Oregon Criminal Cases
Oregon's public defenders are hard-working and compassionate people who care about upholding and defending the rights of the accused. Usually, if you are arraigned on a criminal charge, you will be assigned a public defender unless you are clearly too wealthy to qualify. State public defenders are generally paid on a salaried basis, and have a limited amount of time that they can spend on any particular case due to the high number of cases they are tasked with managing. Experienced public defenders may have a significantly higher level of expertise about everything and everyone in their jurisdiction than any other attorneys do, however.
Oregon's public defense is overseen by the Oregon Public Defense Commission, which has a variety of resources to help answer your questions about obtaining help from a public defender.
Oregon Civil Cases
Lawyers who provide low-cost legal services for civil matters (like tenant rights, child custody, guardianships, small-estate matters, protective orders, and so on) are often referred to as "legal aid." Oregon has a wonderful community of legal aid lawyers and workers, and the following summary at the Oregon State Bar website provides great guidance to finding out what options are available to you:
https://www.osbar.org/public/legalhelp.html