How to Pick an Attorney to Represent You.
front pageMost people who go see a lawyer for a legal matter have no idea what to look for in a lawyer or whether the lawyer they chose is the right one for them. Since most of people aren’t familiar with the legal world they are scared by the court system, including retaining an attorney. One of the most important qualifications a client must ask is whether the attorney graduated from an ABA (American Bar Association) accredited law school. This is a must. The next question a client should ask their {lawyer|attorney| is whether they successfully passed the bar exam.
A client must feel comfortable with their lawyer. They have to be able to trust them and if they don’t there is no true client-attorney relationship. Confidentiality is a must. Whether you decide to contact an attorney based on an advertisement or word of mouth see if the attorney offers a first time free consultation, whether by phone or in person. This first time consultation gives you the chance to see whether you have a positive rapport with the lawyer.
At the free consultation ask what you want, but make sure to ask whether your case will be handled by the lawyer’s paralegal or by the attorney him. Most law offices have underlings doing most of the work on your case and even worse you’ll rarely ever hear from the attorney to keep you abreast of your case. It’s best to find out whether the lawyer will have the most contact with you or whether his clerk will.
See if the attorney answers your questions and explains things in an easy to understand manner. If the attorney talks above your head at the free consultation things won’t be any better down the line. You want to be able to understand and comprehend in plain language what is going on with your case.
Make sure that terms of the retainer are clearly set forth in writing. There should be a contract you sign to hire the attorney. Read it over and ask questions before signing. Terms should be clearly spelled out in the contract along with how much attorney and court costs are as well as any other costs involved in your situation. Most attorneys don’t work on a contingency basis, that is they won’t wait to get paid until you win your case. So you want to know what you owe your attorney before retaining their services.
Lastly, do you feel comfortable with this lawyer? If you don’t then you may not tell your lawyer important pieces of information that they can use to help you because you’re scared that you can’t trust them. If they aren’t answering your questions at the free consutlation they won’t later either. attorney