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Posted on October 24, 2007 by Jason Petrina | Posted under News and Society
How to Find a Good Lawyer
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Some lawyers work hard for their clients - and some just collect their client's money and do little else. How will you know for sure how hard your lawyer will work for you? You have to do your homework to find out which one's you can trust, and which one's you should avoid. Like doctor's, lawyer's have specialties. If you've committed a crime, you need a criminal lawyer. If a crime has been committed against you, you may not need a lawyer. The District Attorney in your area may represent you, depending on the nature of the crime committed against you. If you are suing someone for damages, you need a trial lawyer. If you need a lawyer to help you make a will or handle a domestic matter, you need a family lawyer. If you need a lawyer to look over or draw up legal documents pertaining to your business, you need a business lawyer. If you are the owner of a major corporation, a corporate lawyer is probably what you need. But if you are not a large corporation, you may be better off going with a legal firm that is small - having one or two lawyers. A small firm will be able to give a small business owner, or a private citizen more personalized service. Start your search by asking other people or business owners who they recommend. Make a list and get the contact information for these lawyer's. Call the lawyer's offices and set up an appointment to visit with them. You may be able to talk to some of the lawyer's directly when you call on the telephone, but most calls will be screened by a secretary. When you meet with the lawyer's for the initial consultation, tell them what your needs are, and what you would expect from them - and then listen to them talk. Let them tell you what they can do for you. Let them tell you their success rate. Find out what their fees are. After the initial consultation, check the lawyer's out. Go to the courthouse and look up specific cases that they mentioned. Go the library and look through the microfilm of old newspapers for your area, or any other area that the lawyer has practiced in, and read past news stories about cases that involved your potential lawyer. Call your local bar association to check the lawyer's membership standing, and call any law firms that the lawyer has been a part of in the past. Then, when you've narrowed your list down, call the lawyers on your list and see how easy it is to get past the secretary and get them on the phone. Have a 'few additional' questions to ask to make the call legitimate. Keep in mind that these lawyers will have other clients. They are busy people and they have court dates that they cannot miss. If the secretary tells you that the lawyer is in court, or with another client, ask when a good time to call would be, or leave your number and ask that the lawyer return your call as soon as possible. See how hard it is to get your lawyer on the phone. It is important to have good communication with your lawyer. If your lawyer makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, you should keep looking. If you don't feel like you can believe what your lawyer is telling you, again, look for another lawyer. This professional will be an important person in your life, and you must be able to talk openly with him or her, and you must be able to trust and depend on the advice that they give you. About The Author: Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com |
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