Useful Lawbook for Everyday Life
The old expression, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” tells only part of the story. No knowledge at all can be even more dangerous.
When it comes to legal information, even a little knowledge can go a long way, especially if you know how to use it. And that means more than trying to impress your friends during cocktail party chatter.
Understanding the law can help you deal with many everyday situations and challenges, from buying insurance to buying a car. It is even useful when you are already represented by a lawyer. The more you know, the better client you can be.
“You and the Law,” a new, large-format (8 1/2x11), 608-page book published by the American Bar Assn., and written by more than 15 experts, is a good way to learn the law. Of course, no single book, even one as large as this one, can tell everything consumers need to know.
One key element is to know when and how to use a lawyer, and this book has an entire chapter devoted to that subject. Of course, “you do not need a lawyer every time you become involved with the law,” as the authors note early on, while explaining how to get help from sources other than lawyers.
When people think of the law, they usually think about the court system, which is explained in some detail in one chapter, but much of the law exists outside the court system.
The law enters into nearly all aspects of daily living. It is there in some way every time you write a check, sign a document, move into a new house or apartment, start a new job or business, or use a credit card--even when you get married.
The legal system touches much more than criminal and civil trials. Courts are necessary to resolve significant civil disputes that cannot be resolved by some other means such as settlement, arbitration or mediation. Questions come up every day that require legal information to answer, but will never wind up in the courts.
And the question-answer format of this thick resource helps you quickly find the information you need.
“Read before you sign” warns one page that summarizes typical language in a lease. What makes this analysis different from similar warnings in other self-help books is that it contains a detailed explanation of typical clauses in a lease and then describes what the provision would say in a “pro-landlord lease” and what it should say in a “balanced lease.” Those tips will help readers understand and negotiate their own leases.
Many of the laws that govern our lives are state statutes and court decisions that are not the same everywhere. That’s one of the pitfalls of writing a consumer law text that promises “instant help for hundreds of common legal problems.”
The authors help solve that problem by providing charts with specific information on a state by state basis, showing differences in such areas as spousal property ownership rules, child restraint laws and accident report filing requirements.
Each chapter concludes with a section telling the reader where to find more information, including free or inexpensive publications, government agencies or other groups. There is a useful glossary and index.
You can buy this book from a bookstore or send a check for $19.95 plus $3.95 for shipping and handling to American Bar Assn., Order Fulfillment/PC235-0019, 750 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Ill. 60611.
