Jim Morrison was right. People are strange, when you’re a stranger. It’s hard to know who to trust in this big, lonely world. Finding the right legal representation for you and your family can be especially difficult (or, incredibly simple, if you read this article before consulting attorneys).
Lawyers are like Charon. No, not in that they’re hell spawn. They’re like tour guides, worldly navigators through the great and complex legal waterways, without whom it might be too treacherous to continue. When considering counsel, it’s only wise to consider other’s opinions (reviews, friends, family, coworkers, companies, and anyone else who may know the lawyers in question) and look into their credentials (via the local/state bar website).
A good attorney will listen to your wishes with an open-mind, ensure you’re treated fairly by the legal system/other side, and help you understand where you’re headed at every step in the case. You’ll want to find someone who’ll look out for you best interests AND get along well with you and/or your family throughout the lifetime of your case.
Identifying whether an attorney may be overly aggressive in strategy for your needs, totally disinterested in doing their job, a heavy-hitter despite their age/experience, or entirely compassionate for everyone under their legal wing, is imperative.
You should feel confident in your choice of attorney well before pen hits paper.
Know Your Case & Budget
First things first: what are you trying to achieve? And for how much?
Need someone to dispute a contract? Divorce a particularly unruly ex? Write your last Will and Testament? If you’re looking for a lawyer, make sure you know what your case entails (even if it’s just the superficial bits, the attorney will outline the incidentals before the ink dries, anyway). That way, you’ll know who you need to be looking at: ones experienced in your area of need.
It’s equally important to know your budget. Most of the time, the quality of an attorney is directly proportional to their fees. There are good attorneys at lower rates. Do your research right and you’ll definitely find them.
Recommendations from friends, Lawyer Referrals, & Helpful Socials
The Holy Trinity of attorney-finding advice. Ask friends, ask lawyers for recommendations and interview lawyers yourself, and/or check social accounts (as well as your local Bar Admissions website.). More on that below.
A Brief Note On Attorneys Fees:
Lawyer fees tend to be set up one of three ways: hourly, a one-time flat rate, or a percentage of anything won in court. If it’s hourly, ask for an estimate of the hours and potential total cost. The exact numbers vary from firm to firm, locale to locale, practice area to practice area, and, especially, case to case. The more complex the case, the more time it may take to resolve and thus the more expensive it’ll be.
Ask Those You Trust
Direct Referral From Friends, Family, And Perhaps Everyone Else
Direct referral from friends, family, colleagues, businesses (like insurance agents, bankers, and/or specific agencies dealing in real estate, elderly care, the VA, etc.), alumni network, career-oriented social media platforms, etc. is always a good way to find an attorney. Businesses especially have a vested interest in giving out useful recommendations, as they aren’t going to risk their reputation on poor performers.
Ask your extended circle for recommendations. Research their bar credentials (disciplinary action, current standing, etc.), previous employment/experiences on LinkedIn or trials attached to their name, and check out other peoples’ reviews left on their Google (or Yelp) business page. Find a lawyer you feel is worthy of your trust.
Remember that an attorney’s track record isn’t a guarantee (whether or not those you know won their case and sing praises to them on the regular). Even the greatest of lawyers make bad calls, and even a history of positive outcomes doesn’t guarantee yours.
Ask An Attorney
Indirect Referrals
Good lawyers take the case and learn on the fly, great lawyers refer out.
No one knows a lawyer like another lawyer. Local lawyers, especially, know other local lawyers. And great lawyers make waves other lawyers notice. If you were to ask a lawyer: if they were in your shoes, who’d they choose to represent them? They wouldn’t hesitate.
A lawyer’s personal recommendation is surefire. They wouldn’t risk their own reputation sending you to someone that’d make them look bad, after all.
Be sure to mention your budget when asking for referrals.
Interviewing Lawyers
It couldn’t hurt to interview a few attorneys (especially ones recommended by friends and other lawyers). Consultations can be pricey, so be sure to research each lawyer before scheduling such.
Ask about their experience with cases similar to yours, ask about fees, ask about success rates, ask about anything relevant you can think of (maybe look up questions online, beforehand). Treat your time talking with each lawyer like you’re the head of HR, interviewing them for a job. ‘Cause that’s exactly what you’re doing.
Choose an attorney who’s transparent, perhaps even bluntly honest with you. Someone who understands where you’re coming from and makes you feel confident in your potential for success.
If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, you could sit in on a few trials (courts being public proceedings) and watch lawyers work their magic. Make sure you go early and choose a department you think your case may eventually end up in if it goes to trial. If you find ones you like, ask them for a business card or look them up. (This method is probably best for litigation and criminal defense cases).
Social Sites For Finding Lawyers
The Power Of The Internet
Check out sites like: Avvo, RocketLawyer, LegalZoom, Yelp, Reddit, and each person’s/company’s Google business page. Anywhere reviews are common are a good spot to research previous cases.
Contact your local or state Bar Association for assistance. They can help you figure out which type of lawyer you need for your specific case, as well as provide you with referrals. Utilizing the local/state Bar’s website and google, you can cross-check that list of names, ensuring good standing and positive reviews/articles regarding other cases they’ve handled. You can also look on LinkedIn to see how much experience they have in their specific practice area, contact previous employers, etc.
Additionally, you can try checking online archives of local papers for stories regarding cases similar to yours. If the plaintiffs/defendants won, perhaps their attorneys may be of assistance to you.
Signs Of An Unethical Attorney
Finding trustworthy counsel isn’t easy. As previously stated, be sure to check your state’s licensing website to find out whether they’re in good standing (and, in some cases, if they’re even an attorney at all). A history of disciplinary action is most assuredly a sign of an unethical attorney.
Avoid “ambulance chasers.” The way in which attorneys are legally permitted to advertise is highly regulated. It’s not legal to solicit clients directly for business, clients must contact a firm to initiate any sort of partnership. If an attorney were to hand out business cards at the scene of an accident, such would be considered an ethical violation in most jurisdictions. If they don’t care for the rules, why would they keep in line for your case? They could potentially be leaving you with a bigger headache than the Honda Civic had, slamming into the back of your vehicle at that red light, bouncing your head off the wheel.
Don’t trust anyone who’d ask you to sign blank documents or won’t allow you to review case filings before submission. This isn’t a proprietary industry, nothing related to your case should be kept away from you.
Important to know (in general, ethicality aside), when you’ve made your decision:
- Review and save your case files. It’s important that your forms are submitted with the correct personal data, so check over things like date of birth, names, and address, before they’re filed. Typos can delay the processing of forms and, in certain cases, you can even be held liable for inaccuracies. Keep a copy of every submission for your records.
- Tell your attorney the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. Depending on the type of case and/or relevance, your past may come up. Attorneys craft the perfect strategy for you based on the information you provide. If you give them an incomplete or lie-laden account, you WILL get bad advice.
Trust Your Gut
Common sense will take you a long way. Trust your gut, it’ll tell you when you’re dealing with someone out of their depth, utterly disinterested, overtly reckless or unfeeling, or whatever else you may feel isn’t the right fit for you.
We Have Your Back
Although searching for a compatible representative that’ll put you and your family’s interests at the forefront may appear daunting, our experienced attorneys will always work tirelessly to resolve your case or refer you to the best of the best for your needs. You deserve someone who’ll fight relentlessly, tactically for the best possible outcome. Contact us today.
Check out some of the legal services Noble Legal Firm has to offer you here.
It is great to do some research and find a good lawyer who offers affordable rates. My friend just mentioned the other day that she is planning to file for divorce as she is no longer happy with her marriage. I will suggest to her to reference this article before hiring a divorce attorney for her case.
I’m glad you talked about lawyers and how to find the right one for you. In my opinion, we must talk to several lawyers and compare them before choosing one. If I were to run a hospital, I’d definitely need to work with a specialized attorney, so I’d follow your tips. Thanks for the advice on how to evaluate a lawyer when looking for one.
Stephanie, I am so grateful for your article explaining the best ways to find the right attorney for your case. I agree with your statement that it would be important to choose a professional that is properly experienced in the practice area of your case. My uncle needs to find a civil litigation attorney as soon as possible, so I will share this tip with him.
I thought you made an interesting point when you talked about how common sense will take you a long way when you are trying to find a family lawyer. I would think that it would be a good idea to avoid working with an attorney that has taken on too many cases. A lawyer that is working with too many clients will probably have a hard time giving you the attention you need.
I like that you mentioned making sure that you know of any consultation fees a lawyer may have before meeting with them. My wife is looking for a lawyer to have on retainer for her business and she wants to meet with a few different perspective options. I will be sure to research their consultation fees before we schedule a meeting with them.
Awesome website you have here.
Very important information for us new to such things. I’ll definitely have to make a call.
Just what I needed! Thanks.
You really have to account for a lot when looking for any type of service provider. But at the end of the day, what your gut says matters most.
Thanks for pointing out that you should ask about their experiences and find that one that has handled a similar case like yours before. I will share this tip with my best friend to help her hire a good divorce lawyer. She just wants to file for this now after finding out about the affair of her husband since last year.
It’s difficult to find educated people for this topic, but
you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks.
Great tips, especially for those in need of legal representation.
I like the idea if of talking to the Bar Association in my state. I need a good lawyer for my case. One that has a history of winning with my type of cases.
I was injured in an accident, and I’m not sure what to do about it. It makes sense that I would want to get a lawyer who specializes in this. That would be a good way to ensure that I handle things right.
It was really helpful when you said to find a good attorney that will listen to your wishes. My sister was at my house for a visit last night, and she was telling me about how she wants to find an attorney to help her with her divorce. I’ll make sure to pass this information along to her as she searches for a divorce attorney that can help her with her situation.
My brother needs to find a traffic law attorney. I appreciate your suggestion to get referrals from friends or family. I’ll definitely pass this tip along to my brother so he can find a good attorney.
It’s good to know that you need to ask for referrals. My dad is needing to find a business attorney. I’ll pass these tips along to him as he searches for one to hire.
Great article!
You make a great point about making sure your lawyer doesn’t engage in ethical violations. My sister needs a lawyer to defend a breach of contract issue. I’ll have to get her someone with a good portfolio.
Very useful info. Will definitely bookmark this page.
Hmm it looks like your website ate my first comment (it was extremely long), so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say: I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger, still fairly new to everything. Great piece, by the way~
Excellent post.
Ay great stuff
It really helped when you talked about divorce lawyers and how to find the best one for you! Recently, my sister said she wants to get divorced. I want to help my sister find a qualified attorney for her case, so I’ll be sure to read and share your tips! Thanks for the advice on meeting with different lawyers before choosing one!
I run a conservation group and we recently needed to find someone to file an injunction. This article was invaluable. Thank you!
Keep on working, great job!
Valuable knowledge.
Good write-up. Very thorough insight on how to best find the right lawyer for you.
Keep writing!
Right here is the right website for anybody who wants to understand legal topics. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally will need to… Haha). Great stuff!
Thanks for finally talking about how To find the right attorney for you. Loved it!
Extremely useful and entertaining article. Will definitely keep it in mind when searching for an attorney.
Great website.
Cool
Super helpful info
I really like reading your posts. Keep up the good work! I’m sure many people are searching around for this sort of information, you could aid them greatly.
I just stumbled upon your site and Ive got to say, really digging it. Looking for a business attorney, will keep you guys in mind.
My partner and I stumbled over here from a different web address and I thought we might as well check things out. We’re in need of an estate lawyer, so I’m very glad we did. Never knew there were all these avenues for properly vetting attorneys. Gonna contact our state bar in the morning.
Getting pretty long in the tooth. Its the perfect time to make end-game plans.
I’ll use this advice while I seek out an estate planning attorney.
Thanks,
Nigel
There is definitely a great deal to learn about this topic. I really like all the points you made.