When you need help with a legal matter, seeking free legal advice can prove to be a valuable method of getting the information you need. The internet offers a large selection of free legal advice on websites and blogs for almost any legal matter imaginable. And while many of these sites are reputable and offer accurate advice there are those that are questionable and should not be taken at face value.

Here are some tips you should use to find free legal advice online.

Find a blog or website that is relevant to your specific situation- Law is a complicated subject matter that can greatly vary according to the case, location, and other variables. Look for free legal advice on websites that offer information that is relevant to your case and location, and that is not general in nature.

Identify the source of the information being provided- The law can not and should not be freely interpreted by laymen or women. Only an experienced and professional lawyer should offer legal advice regardless if it is free or not. Authors of all articles who are offering advice should be listed clearly as well as a hyperlink to their contact information and credentials. You should also be aware of who is sponsoring the site and what if any services they are offering other than just advice.

Look for specific references to laws and legal cases- The more a site utilizes the law and cites sound examples; the more likely they are to be reputable. By citing examples and specific cases it demonstrates that an effort has been made to conduct thorough research and to substantiate the information that is provided on the site.

Provides access to actual legal attorneys and professionals- No matter which free legal advice website or blog you use, you should ultimately seek legal advice in-person from a licensed lawyer. A strong free legal advice website should include contact information for lawyers that can provide you assist via phone and in person which is exactly what you'll need at the end of the day.

Only use sites that are secure-The internet can be a dangerous place at times and there are people out there who look to steal your information. Therefore being diligent in protecting your information should be a priority at all times. You should only enter your personal information on websites that utilize Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology which will provide encryption of your data and sites that also clearly display a privacy notice.

How to avoid being hounded by sales calls

Only provide your email address, if you get pestered just block the emails and you won't get any more from the company. It is advisable to give an email address that you don't use as your main one.

If you do give them your telephone number, when the company rings you make it clear to them that you do not wish to receive countless sales calls and be pestered, ask them to add this request to your notes not forgetting to take the name of the person you spoke to including the time of the call. If they do breach this agreement ask to speak to a manager and provide them with the name of the sales person who promised you no sales calls. Be firm!

Make sure the site you fill the form in from does not pass on your details to third parties. You should be able to find this on their privacy policy page. If you cannot find a privacy policy page, email the company and ask them why they do not have one.

There are a few good legal advice companies who are fully aware of their client's position and offer a no hassle guarantee. They pride themselves on being there when you need them and don't hassle you when you don't need them. Rather than contacting the first free legal advice company that you find on the internet, it will be worth while taking your time to browse and find a website that clearly states that they will not hassle you or pass your details to third parties.