How to Find a Good Lawyer
If you have encountered a legal problem that is fairly complicated or involves quite a bit of money then you probably don’t want to try and handle the situation without a lawyer. If you’re trying to choose a criminal lawyer or find a family law attorney there are a few things that you should keep in mind. Your local attorneys will do more than just give out advice like letting you know DUI consequences. They also know the system and have contacts that will help to expedite your case with more favor in front of a judge if it goes to trial. You want a good lawyer whether it’s a family law attorney or a personal injury lawyer. Here are some tips to help you find an attorney.
Word of Mouth
The best way to find any kind of good professional is to find someone that has been in a similar situation before and find out who they used. For example, if you have a domestic dispute find somebody who has used a family law attorney before and see what they liked and disliked about the attorney. This will also give you a better idea of how much you’re going to end up spending. However, you shouldn’t make a decision about a family law attorney or any other kind of lawyer only based on the word of someone else. Different people have different experiences and appreciate different personalities. Having said that, if someone had a good experience, chances are you will too.
Online
There are many sites that offer ways to find local lawyers. They will do searches by your ZIP Code or location as well as the type of case do you have. Most sites will ask you several questions about the case and possibly your contact information so that the lawyer can contact you. Other sites will offer a directory so that you can contact the lawyer yourself. Make sure that you use a reputable site that can confirm that every attorney on the list has a valid and current license and has a good reputation with the Bar Association. Searching for a lawyer this way can be a little overwhelming because you have no idea which one to pick but in these cases, you can contact several and hold interviews to find out which lawyer is going to be right for you.
Business referrals
If you have a workers comp case or something involving a company whether for or against you, they will likely have a lawyer on retainer. If you’re going against the company, you will not be able to use their lawyer as this would be a conflict of interest but if the business is on your side they may be willing to refer their lawyer to you. Alternatively, you may be able to simply speak with any business person such as a banker or an accountant who regularly comes into contact with lawyers and then they can refer you on.
Once you have started your search and narrowed your choices down to a few lawyers, then you can start your interviews. Here are some things to keep in mind once you get to that point.
Make sure that the lawyers you were choosing specialize in your type of case.
There are general lawyers but they may not know a lot about your particular area. Your best bet is to find a lawyer who already knows the field.
Ask questions pertaining to your case such as how many cases have they had that are similar to yours and how many have they won.
This will help you determine whether or not you have a good chance of winning with this lawyer. You can also ask in general how many cases have they won and this will show you how committed they are to their clients.
Ask all the same questions to each lawyer so that you can compare their answers.
This will help you determine differences between lawyers that you interview. If you ask all different questions then you won’t be able to look at them side by side.
Look for key characteristics in the lawyers such as listening skills, confidence and knowledge.
All of these things are important as well as other characteristics that you think the lawyer should have.
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