Introductory Article 

After having practiced law for over a decade, there are two things that I can always count on hearing when someone finds out that I am an attorney. First, people can't help but share their favorite lawyer joke with me. Second, I find that people commonly ask me the same types of legal questions over and over. My friends with young children often ask me, “Should I have a will?” People looking to start up a business ask me, “How do I form a company?” Folks who have been in a car accident ask me, “What steps should I take to deal with the insurance company?” These sorts of questions are very common ones that I get asked on a daily basis.

While I may not be great at retelling the lawyer jokes that I hear, I have grown accustomed over the years to helping answer people's questions on the various legal matters that are important to them. It is for this reason that I have teamed up with the Community Chronicles to introduce a new monthly column entitled “Ask the Attorney.” Each month I will answer questions submitted by readers about areas of the law they have questions about. I'll try to select questions that I feel would be most helpful to as many readers as possible. You can still send me your lawyer jokes as well. You never know when I might use one for the column. I look forward to hearing from all of the readers and providing answers to your questions.

Donnie O'Pry is a personal injury attorney in Lafayette, Louisiana who specializes in automobile and on the job injuries.  Donnie has been nationally recognized for excellence in these fields and has won numerous “top attorney” awards in Louisiana.  Please email your questions to [email protected].