Everyone has to deal with a legal issue at some point in their life. And when this happens, your decisions could have a major impact on your personal and financial future. Very few decisions carry as much weight as choosing an attorney to represent you.
While there are helpful websites like halt.org that can make the attorney comparison process easier, it’s important that you don’t rely exclusively on online tools and that you conduct thorough research before committing to a particular law firm. Take the time to meet with multiple attorneys in person, and don’t be afraid to ask tough questions about their experience.
If you’re not sure what exactly to look for in a lawyer, read on for a list of a few of the top factors to consider:
Experience
One of the factors that matter most when choosing a lawyer is their experience. In what field do they specialize? For how many years have they been practicing law? Do they have considerable litigation experience?
By identifying the lawyer’s primary area of practice, you can gauge their relative knowledge of the case law and statutes pertaining to your case. If their primary focus is divorce, for example, but they’re willing to take your personal injury case, it may be better to look elsewhere for representation.
It is also important to find out how many cases the attorney has handled that are similar to yours. What were the outcomes? Does the lawyer have a lot of positive reviews from people who had cases that were similar to yours?
Cost
The fees of the attorney is of course a factor on the forefront of most people’s minds when it comes to hiring a law firm, but it shouldn’t be your primary consideration. Not all lawyers are good at what they do. Some are overworked, inexperienced or just incompetent. A law degree does not make you a good attorney, and the best ones are able to charge a higher fee because they deliver superior results.
Having a bad lawyer can be a nightmare. Mistakes can easily be made that delay the proceedings or that compromise the outcome of your case. You may have to chase them around to get answers to your questions, and calls may go unreturned.
All that said, cost should still be a topic of discussion during the initial consultation. Find out if the lawyer works on a contingency fee basis and, if so, which fees are continent–and which are not contingent–on the outcome of the case.
Location
While it’s better to have a good attorney than a bad one even if the latter is closer to your home, it’s helpful to have a lawyer who’s closeby. You may need to attend multiple face-to-face meetings, bring documents and complete other tasks that require you to go to their office. In the digital age, however, most of those tasks can be completed online, so finding a lawyer in close proximity is not as important as it used to be. Just make sure they give you direct access to their personal cell phone and that they don’t have reviews that point out a lack of correspondence.
