Prepare like a Lawyer: Secrets for Protecting Yourself and Your Money

Be Ready for Anything Prepare Like a Lawyer will teach you how to anticipate, and succeed in, disputes by taking on the mindset of a lawyer. Don't be a Victim All too often, people are taken advantage of because they aren't prepared for disputes or don't know their own rights. Lawyers are an expensive remedy when you run into trouble, especially in instances when the stakes are relatively small: a landlord who refuses to return a security deposit, a company that won't honor its initial price, or a contractor who is reluctant to complete work on time. It's in this gray area of charges ranging from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars that companies are able to nickel-and-dime consumers to produce a steady flow of wrongful profits. In a world of red tape, eight-point font, and hundred-page user agreements, ordinary consumers are put at a serious disadvantage; companies, government institutions, and bullies with too much free time rule at the expense of individuals who lack the time and knowledge to safeguard their interests. The key to redistributing power is effective preparation. Professional Techniques for Personal Troubles Prepare Like a Lawyer shows how you can prepare, organize, and address disputes with the systematic approach of a lawyer. It will guide you through every stage of dispute resolution from effective organization of evidence to negotiating a settlement, and it addresses special problems that arise when dealing with different types of opponents, from corporations to the government, police to landlords. This advice is especially pertinent now, in an era when corporations and other large institutions have unprecedented power. Written by a lawyer, Amanda Carroll, and a political scientist, Marcus Schulzke, Prepare like a Lawyer presents a systematic approach to consumer protection that draws from the authors' extensive professional training and personal experience. It will teach you how to avoid common mistakes, and how to be an empowered consumer.