The answer is always "maybe", but the bill is always "due upon receipt" and gets longer for every question asked and "maybe" answeredLuggo1 wrote:I try to use...IAALIANYL
I
Am
A
Lawyer
I
Am
Not
Your
Lawyer
and the answer is always "maybe"
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Return to “Why Post "I am not a lawyer...?”
- Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:54 pm
- Forum: General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion
- Topic: Why Post "I am not a lawyer...?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 7950
Re: Why Post "I am not a lawyer...?
- Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:04 pm
- Forum: General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion
- Topic: Why Post "I am not a lawyer...?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 7950
Re: Why Post "I am not a lawyer...?
RPB wrote:If you have ever been investigated for UPL, you would too.Abraham wrote:Is posting "I am not a lawyer" really necessary every time someone offers their opinion?
Are we all so afraid of litigation we need to post such a disclaimer ?
Am I the only one who finds this unnecessary?
Or, am I wrong and we should always post INAL to keep legal ramifications at bay?
Perhaps, if it is necessary we could start a sign up sheet stating we're not lawyers thus eliminating the need to post such disclaimers?
Opinions?
It's in my signature because:
I'm retired from 25 years in a law office.
I was accepted to law school.
I took law school courses with law school textbooks taught by Law school professors at a law school.
I tutored quite a few people who are now lawyers.
I was given special dispensation to give jury arguments in Court "inside the bar" in certain cases.
I was a member of a division of the State Bar.
Many many years ago, I was once investigated for UPL, though that was cleared up in my favor. I always worked under the close supervision of an attorney and gave him the best I could when he asked me what to do. We won every appeal except one (about 20/estimated) and every Supreme Court case we paticipated in (about 5)
I do not want to be mistaken for an Attorney, I have relatives who are, and I can make lawyer jokes now that I couldn't if I was one.
That's my layman's opinion, not a legal opinion, and worth every penny you paid for it.
I learned the IANAL construct in real estate agent and Realtor training. As Realtors, we constantly deal with contracts and other legal documents but we must make VERY CLEAR VERY OFTEN that we are not attorneys and are not offering legal opinions. I tell my clients all the time that if they have questions beyond the scope of what I can and will tell them, that it is their option (one I strongly recommend they pursue) to seek legal counsel to further explain a legal concept relating to a real estate contract. To fail to do so can get us real estate agents and Realtors into a mess of hot water; everything from UPL to lawsuits by all parties involved in a transaction on grounds of "but you said ..." . When I first noticed others writing IANAL on the forum, it was just natural for me to continue the practice.
- Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:58 pm
- Forum: General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion
- Topic: Why Post "I am not a lawyer...?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 7950
Re: Why Post "I am not a lawyer...?
Ropin wrote:I don't think it hurts to have it on there; those of us who visit regularly know fairly well which posters are legal gurus and which posters are giving opinions without a legal background. However, it behooves us to remember that there are countless folks who pop in everyday from various search engine queries, and most of those folks know nothing about any of us.
The IANAL disclaimer is a fair way to warn folks who wouldn't know otherwise when an opinion is just an opinion, and should not be taken as firm advice/counsel. Especially when you consider that we're all trying to promote responsible gun ownership and carry...I'd hate to think that a lame-brained idea or suggestion I threw out one day (possibly even tongue-in-cheek) was taken to heart by someone who subsequently got in deep trouble for it...whether they try to sue me for it or not is irrelevant.
My two cents.