HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT LAWYER
There are many things to consider when searching for a lawyer. We will cover a few things to consider when you are trying to find a lawyer to represent you. One of the main things to consider when searching for a lawyer is that you are not looking for a friend. The things you look for in a friend may not be the things you need in a lawyer.
WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN SEARCHING FOR A LAWYER
1. Don’t select a lawyer based solely on an ad you saw on TV. The flash and hype used on TV is meant to impress you, but it doesn’t really impress the judges.
2. Don’t hire a lawyer based solely on an ad in the phonebook. This doesn’t mean to not hire a laawyer from the phonebook as nearly every reputable lawyer will be listed. BUT, we are saying don’t base your decision on a flashy phonebook ad. The flashy ads may represent a great company…then again…they may not.
SEARCHING ONLINE
The best place to start when looking for a lawyer is to search for a lawyer online. However, don’t just hire the first lawyer that you see an ad for. You may even see ads for lawyers on this webpage. Once you have found a lawyer that you are considering, be sure to check the reviews of that lawyer.
FIND REFERENCES
Another great place to check is with people you know. As your friends, family, and acquaintances. Word of mouth is a great form of advertising for lawyers. If you do find a lawyer that is recommended by someone you know. Come back to this site and search for reviews in the search box we provide.
SPECIALTY LAWYERS
A VERY important thing to consider when searching for a lawyer is what the lawyer’s specialty is. If you are looking for a lawyer to represent you for a DUI case, you certainly do not want a lawyer that specializes in family law…even if this layer is a close family friend. He or she will be very unfamiliar with how to handle your case, and it is YOUR life at jeopardy. Some types of lawyers to consider are: criminal defense lawyers, personal injury lawyer, DUI lawyers, family lawyers, real estate lawyers, intellectual property lawyers, entertainment lawyers, trademark lawyers, etc. The list goes on and on. be sure to hire a lawyer that fits your needs exactly.
PAYMENT
Most lawyers will operate on one of two different forms of payment, hourly rate or percentage. If you are hiring a lawyer to represent you for legal work like handling the sale of a home, criminal defense, DUI, etc., you can expect to pay on an hourly basis. Be sure to explain your expectations CLEARLY in the beginning as any extra hours of legal work can cost you a lot of money. If you are paying a lawyer on an hourly basis, you can usually expect to pay a retainer. If you are required to pay a retainer to your lawyer, as them for an itemized statement of what you can expect. Never pay everything up front.
If you are in a civil case where you are suing someone, then you can usually expect to pay a percentage. Basically your lawyer will take a precentage of the settlement. You will find this is common for things like personal injury cases. The lawyer will not get paid if you don;t win the case, so they are very motivated to do the bestjob and represent you as well as they can. If you are seeking a lawyer for a case like this, and they are wanting only to work on an hourly basis, then it is more than likely because they don’t feel that you have a very strong case. If that is the case, you may want to rethink your entire case.
KEEP TRACK OF THE PROGRESS OF YOUR CASE
You need to make sure you know exactly what your lawyer is doing or plans to do for your case. Keep in touch with them on a regular basis to kep up ewith your case. Be sure to hold them accountable to the schedule.
LEGAL ASSISTANTS AND PARALEGALS
Most firms will use legal assistants and paralegals to help work on your case. When you are getting your case set up, ask if they will be using these assistants to help handle your case. If they do, you need to make sure these savings are passed on to you as the hourly rate for the assistants is much lower than the lawyer’s