For folks who need to find a lawyer, a new resource

LegalMatch.com is a new free web service that offers a matching service for folks who need to find a lawyer. I get these from the home page: You, as the legal consumer send information about your legal problem and location. The system will send your notes to pre-screened attorneys who practice the type of law you need, in the area you need. You will be contacted with offers from the lawyers, and can choose from the offers, knowing ahead of time what the lawyer will charge you. There is no obligation to hire a lawyer through the service. You don't disclose any personal information until you have made a decision about selecting a lawyer. You don't pay anything to the website, only after you have agreed on terms with your lawyer. And all the lawyers are in good standing with their relevant bar associations, and pre-screened by the website. Legal Match offers a consumer rating system from previous users, as well, and allows you to rate your own experience.

In addition to the lawyer-matching service, Legal Match offers what they call a "law library." This consists of short articles written in easily accessible non-legal language explaining legal concepts. There are not links to statutes or other resources on the site. But it does offer decent explanations on the links that I explored. It looks like a nice consumer resource that might be very helpful for pro se patrons and for courts that need to help lay people deal with legal matters by linking them up with lawyers. It also looks like a good way for lawyers to market their services. The site has a recommendation from the Better Business Bureau, which I liked.