Lawyers can do a lot of things but you have to remember that they are not miracle workers. They can only work within the parameters of the law and even then, it can be difficult to get the results that you want. Here are a few ideas that might be able to tip the scales in your favor a little bit.
Pick a Specialist Attorney
There is every kind of lawyer that you think of from wrongful death lawyers to criminal defense to personal injury lawyers and more. So, for example, if you work at a restaurant the oven malfunctioned and caught on flames and you got injured, there are actually burn injury lawyers that can help you. Or if someone you know received the wrong treatment while in the hospital and passed away from it, a wrongful death lawyer is who you need. The reason you want a specialist is because they already have experience, knowledge and expertise in the field that could help you. In every profession, you learn as you go and the law is no different. The more cases like yours that they have been through, and preferably won, the better chance that your case will have.
Pick the Right Lawyer and Trust Them
Whether you are hiring a private wrongful death lawyer or from a personal injury law firm, you need to make sure that you get the right lawyer. Just because a car accident lawyer knows all about that particular field doesn’t mean he’s the right lawyer for you. You need a lawyer that believes in you and that you can trust. You should be able to be open and honest with your lawyer. This is incredibly important to the outcome of your case. The reason being, is that if you do not trust your lawyer you will probably be questioning every decision that he or she says and the at fault party will see that you are not a united front with your lawyer and can play on that.
Follow the Instructions You’re Given
If you have chosen a lawyer that you can trust, that specializes in your field, then the next step is to make sure that you do as your told, for lack of a better term. You can’t just sit back and expect your lawyer to do everything for you. They will likely need you to get medical transcription, attend doctors’ appointments, sit through interviews and depositions and attend settlement meetings, etc. Whatever you can do to help you case is what you should do. Working together with your lawyer is the only way you’ll win. Remember that your attorney is not going to give you ‘busy’ work.
Find a Lawyer that Accept Contingency Fees
This means that the lawyer only gets paid after you win your case. If they lose you the case then they don’t get anything either. While most lawyers are honest and have integrity, and hopefully you picked one of these kinds, it’s an added incentive if you know you have worked for free if you lose. Usually how that works is that the client will agree to giving a percentage to the lawyer once they have won the case and received the settlement. These fees are usually between 30% and 40% of your winnings. This can sometimes be a little more than you would have paid per hour and sometimes a little less, depending on how difficult or easy the case was and how many hours were put into it.
Get a Free Consultation
In order to find out how difficult your case is going to be, which will help you decide whether to find a lawyer that accepts contingency fees or works by the hour, you can get a free consultation. All good lawyers from wrongful death lawyers to accountant lawyers should offer a free consultation. During the meeting you’ll tell them your situation and they can let you know if you have a case or not. If the case proves to be very difficult, it might be a good idea to find a contingency attorney, otherwise, paying a lawyer by the hour might work out to be cheaper for you.