How to Find a Good Lawyer

Finding a good attorney can be the most important step you need to take to win a case and it’s not a difficult task, but it will take time to find it. Do your best to find an attorney who has had similar legal experience in the past and who you can get along with. The results you get will be well worth the time it takes to find the right attorney, as they are more likely to help you win your case.

Table of Contents

Looking for Potential Lawyers

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e6/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-1-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-1-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e6/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-1- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-1-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Determine the type of attorney you need. It would be better to find an attorney with expertise in the area relevant to your case (e.g. professional standards law, bankruptcy, etc.). It’s also a good idea to find a lawyer who specializes in litigation and law in your area. This will make the attorney the best representative of your interests. Some areas of law include: ^{[1] X Research Sources}

Bankruptcy laws. Lawyers specializing in this area will help you when you have financial difficulties.
Criminal law. Criminal attorneys are important if your case involves a crime or criminal act.
Disability specialist. In the United States, these specialists can handle Social Security issues and/or veterans’ injury claims.
Trusts and legacy. In the United States, attorneys with this expertise handle issues such as estate planning, meeting low-income Medicaid (Medicaid) program requirements, estate inventory, overseeing for elderly parents or grandparents.
Marital Act. Marriage and family attorneys deal with issues such as separation, divorce, prenuptial agreements, child adoption, guardianship, custody, and child support.
Personal injury law. In the United States, personal injury attorneys deal with cases of violations of medical standards, dog bites, vehicle accidents or injuries caused to anyone by another person’s fault.
Labor Law. Labor lawyers will help your business develop labor regulations, handle cases when employees denounce the enterprise for illegally terminating the labor contract or when the enterprise is sued.
Small and medium enterprise law or company law. If you’re looking to start a business, an SME lawyer or corporate attorney is your best bet.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/3/35/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-2-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-2-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/3/35/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-2- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-2-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Contact the bar association for information on qualified attorneys in your province. In the United States, state bar associations keep all public records of complaints and disciplinary action against attorneys licensed to practice in that state. Most local bar associations offer referral services to assist you in finding the right attorney for your case-related needs.

In the United States, you can find the bar association’s website online by selecting your state on the State & Local Bar Association online site provided by the American Bar Association. ^{[2] X American Bar Association Trusted Source Go to Source}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/26/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-3-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-3-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/26/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-3- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-3-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Review the list of attorneys online. Many online sites offer free reviews of businesses. In the United States, you can use the following online sites for reviews of attorneys: LegalZoom, Rocketlawyer, LawTrades, and Avvo.com.

Some online sites like LawHelp.org focus on helping low-income people find a lawyer.
Cross-check reviews from various online sites. This will help you avoid any bias in the reviews you find.

Choosing a Lawyer

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/b/bf/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-8-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-8-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/b/bf/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-8- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-8-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Make an appointment with all the attorneys on your list. Contact each attorney and schedule a consultation. Most attorneys do not charge for consultations. However, some people may ask you to pay a small fee. Make sure you know if you’ll need to pay fees, and don’t make an appointment with an attorney who isn’t upfront about these details.

Most attorneys offer a free consultation. Reach out to these people before you make an appointment with a fee attorney for your first consultation.
In the United States, if you don’t live in the same state as your attorney, you can schedule a consultation by phone instead of in person. However, since you will usually want an attorney to be present at the hearing with you, try to find a local attorney to represent you.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/9b/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-9-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-9-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/9/9b/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-9- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-9-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Write down questions about the attorney’s field of practice. You can find basic information about lawyers online, such as the length of practice, the law school they attended, etc. For questions asked in face-to-face meetings, ask about relevant issues. to your case. The right attorney will have no problem answering your questions, being unwavering and sure of his answer. Questions to ask should include the following: ^{[4] X Source of Research}^{[5] X Source of Research}^{[6] X Source of Research}

How to calculate service fee. You should ask whether the attorney charges by the hour or sets a flat rate. In the United States, flat rate pricing is common in many areas of practice, such as marriage and family.
Time to complete the job. You should ask how quickly you should expect the attorney to get the job done. Your attorney most likely won’t be able to give an exact number, but he/she can tell you about the timelines needed for similar cases in the past and you can expect the case to be. When will yours be resolved?
Success rate. You will probably want to know the attorney’s track record in similar cases in the past. Attorneys cannot guarantee results for you (ethically, they are prohibited from doing so), but you should have an idea of the outcome you can reasonably expect. You can also consult previous customers. Understand that attorneys only provide client information with their permission, so it’s likely you won’t be able to immediately consult them.
Readiness level. You should ask how soon the attorney can start the case. You should also find out your primary point of contact throughout the case resolution process. Will you hear from an assistant or junior colleague? You need to know who you will contact when you have questions about the case.
Offenses. If the attorney has ever committed misconduct or was reprimanded – in the United States, you can find this information on the state bar association’s online site – ask them about it. In some cases, violations may not be serious, such as failure to pay bar union fees on time. You need to consider whether the violation is serious enough to cause concern.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/60/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-10-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-10-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/6/60/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-10- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-10-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Bring documents or information to the meeting. Your attorney may ask you to bring certain documents, but you should also bring things that you think are important to the case. Gather all of these documents in advance and make sure you know where they are on the day of your meeting.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e6/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-11-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-11-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e6/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-11- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-11-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Join the consultation. Meet or talk with each attorney you have chosen. Take notes during your conversation with your attorney so you remember what they say and your first impressions of them. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Remember that you are interviewing that lawyer for a job. Treat your meeting like a job interview. If you feel that an attorney is not listening or answering your questions, choose another attorney.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/f/f4/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-12-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-12-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/f/f4/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-12- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-12-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Choose an attorney that makes you feel comfortable. In addition to experience and a solid understanding of the law, choose a lawyer that you think will suit you and be comfortable working with.

If a lawyer makes you feel uncomfortable, you should choose someone else to represent you.
Also consider whether the attorney can answer your questions well. If the person hesitates, uses too much “legal jargon,” or doesn’t meet your needs, choose another attorney.
If there is more than one attorney that meets your criteria, choose the one you feel most comfortable with.

Cost Consideration

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/52/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-13-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-13-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/52/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-13- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-13-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Understand how a lawyer’s services are charged. In the United States, there are generally three ways to calculate service charges: fixed cost, dependent cost, or hourly cost. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

A flat-fee attorney will set a fee (sometimes an upfront fee) to handle the entire case, regardless of the number of hours worked involved. A few examples of cases that typically charge a flat fee are criminal cases, bankruptcy or family relationship cases (such as divorce or custody), drafting legal documents, such as will or trust document.
The dependent attorney does not charge a fee, unless the attorney recovers the funds for the client, whether in the form of mediation or litigation. The attorney will receive a certain percentage of the recovery amount, usually between 30 and 40 percent. Some of the cases that are subject to an additional charge include personal injury cases, employment discrimination and others that have the potential to recover large sums of money from a corporation or business.
Attorneys charge an “invoice” hourly rate for hours worked and charge clients based on hours worked for the client. Typically, hourly fees are applied to businesses or corporations that have litigation-related claims. In addition, individuals may also be charged an hourly rate for lengthy or complex proceedings. ^{[9] X Research Source}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/6f/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-14-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a- Good-Attorney-Step-14-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-14- Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-14-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Negotiate a fee. Figure out what you can afford, and ask if your attorney can handle the case for that amount. Furthermore, you should tell the attorney that he or she needs notice before doing anything related to your case that leads to over budgeting.

Note that even if your budget is accurate, if the case becomes particularly complicated or takes longer than originally anticipated, you may have to pay higher attorneys’ fees.
If you are unable to pay the full amount of your attorney’s fees upfront, ask about financial arrangements that work for you, such as a payment plan. Many attorneys are happy to work with you based on your financial needs. ^{[10] X Research Source}
There are a few ways lawyers can help low- and middle-income people find legal advice. In the United States, many law firms allow you to pay a “matching fee” to your income, which means you pay a fee proportional to your allowable income. ^{[11] X Trusted Source American Bar Association Go to Source} Sometimes you can even barter by exchanging goods or services (e.g. online website design, gardening) with legal advice. physical. ^{[12] X Research Source} This depends on the individual attorney.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/4/44/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-15.jpg/v4-728px-Find-a-Good-Attorney- Step-15.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/4/44/Find-a-Good-Attorney-Step-15.jpg/v4-728px-Find- a-Good-Attorney-Step-15.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser -output”></div>”}

Draft a letter of engagement or prepayment agreement to hire a lawyer. Your attorney will provide this letter or agreement. This is a contract between you and an attorney that defines the nature of the legal relationship you are entering into and the terms and conditions of that agreement.

The above conditions should include the fee you are obligated to pay, the fee the attorney charges you, and the minimum amount of time to bill. Note: the minimum amount of time to bill is six minutes, not 15 minutes. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Advice

Consider firing your attorney for any of the following: omissions in your statement or missed hearing dates, refusal to update your case status, failure to answer the phone, and email, not being direct or honest when you ask questions.
To get the best out of your case, work with an attorney. Always provide all required documents, and don’t miss hearings – if you live in the United States. A good attorney will certainly assist you in your case, but they can’t do much without your cooperation.

Steps

Looking for Potential Lawyers

Choosing a Lawyer

Cost Consideration

Advice

Related Posts