how do i find a lawyer who is not a shark

Do Some Research You can run an attorney search at databases such as Avvo and Martindale Hubbell, which provide information such as practice areas, location, disciplinary records, and lawyer reviews. You might also consult your local or state bar association’s attorney directory, which is a list of lawyers in your area.

Full Answer

How to find a lawyer in your area?

How to Find a Lawyer. 3. Run an attorney search at databases such as Avvo and Martindale Hubbell, which provide information such as practice areas, location, disciplinary records, and lawyer reviews. 4. Consult your local or state bar association’s attorney directory, which is a list of lawyers in your area.

How to find a good lawyer to hire?

How to Find a Lawyer 1 Tap Your Network. Ask around among your family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances to see if they know of any attorneys they could recommend. 2 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Lawyer. Now that you have some attorney options, it’s time to choose. ... 3 More Considerations When Hiring a Lawyer. ...

Do I need a lawyer for my Small Business?

No matter what kind of business you run, you're likely to need a lawyer's help eventually. Here are some things you need to know about the business of lawand what you should reasonably expect from a lawyerin order to make the right decision. The terms "lawyer" and "attorney" have a lot in common, but not all lawyers are attorneys.

Why won't my lawyer take my case?

Why do attorneys refuse to take cases?

What does it mean when a lawyer sets off alarm bells?

What to do if an attorney promises a particular outcome?

How to survive if you get too far away from your sweet spot?

Do lawyers want to take your case?

Can you pay a lawyer if you won?

See more

About this website

Why are lawyers referred to as sharks?

For years lawyers have been celebrated for aggressive and often times, unreasonable negotiations and fighting no matter the cost. “Sharks” used to be equated to a person who refuses to back down, and most likely to hurt the other side in a divorce.

What is the best website to find a lawyer?

8 Of The Most Popular Lawyer Review Sites In 2020Google lawyer reviews. Google has quickly become a giant contributor in the world of online reviews. ... Yelp. Yelp isn't just for finding the best pizza joint in town. ... Avvo. ... Martindale–Hubbell. ... Lawyers.com. ... Better Business Bureau. ... 7. Facebook. ... NOLO.

How can you spot a lawyer?

You can run an attorney search at databases such as Avvo and Martindale Hubbell, which provide information such as practice areas, location, disciplinary records, and lawyer reviews. You might also consult your local or state bar association's attorney directory, which is a list of lawyers in your area.

How do I know if an attorney is legit?

For the public, the best way to confirm that an attorney is licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction is to contact the licensing or regulatory agency in that state that grants the bar license. In most states, the licensing or regulatory agency is managed by the state bar or the state bar association.

What's the difference between attorney and lawyer?

Attorney vs Lawyer: Comparing Definitions Lawyers are people who have gone to law school and often may have taken and passed the bar exam. Attorney has French origins, and stems from a word meaning to act on the behalf of others. The term attorney is an abbreviated form of the formal title 'attorney at law'.

What should I look for in a good lawyer?

Before hiring an attorney for legal assistance, you should consider their qualifications, location, availability, and more....Here are 10 factors you should think about when searching for a lawyer:Long or short term? ... Area of law. ... Are they highly regarded? ... Location. ... Experience. ... Size of firm. ... Cost and billing. ... Compatibility.More items...

How do I choose a law firm to represent me?

10 Factors To Consider When Choosing A Law Firm To Represent YouExperience with your case type. ... Expertise in your local area. ... Advocacy style. ... Fee schedules. ... Employment history. ... Diversity. ... Reputation. ... Communication.More items...•

What questions should you ask when hiring a lawyer?

Below are ten questions to ask your potential lawyer.How long have you practiced law? ... What type of cases do you generally handle? ... Who is your typical client? ... How many cases have you represented that were similar to mine?More items...•

Key points

A respectful divorce can lay the foundation for a thriving family post-divorce.

A respectful divorce can lay the foundation for a thriving family

The good news is that parents almost always agree about one thing: They want healthy, resilient, thriving children. They need to learn to reduce their conflict and become the best co-parents they can be.

Choosing the right divorce process is the first and most important decision

Perhaps the most important task for divorcing partners is to choose the negotiation process that they would like to use. It’s important for families to know all of their options so that they can make an informed choice of which one suits their family best.

A global community of divorcing families sharing the goal of a thriving family post-divorce

Stephanie’s goal is to create a global community of separating and divorcing families who have one common thread that joins them together—the desire to have a healthy, thriving family in two homes. As you search the internet for answers, solutions, comfort, or support, seek out resources that promote ways to divorce with respect.

Many divorce professionals want to help families thrive after divorce. Find a peacemaker, not a shark

Lawyers who are sharks are threatening and often do harm. Avoid sharks and look for a peacemaker

What happens when a shark lawyer gets a hold of a family?

When a Shark Lawyer gets a hold of a family like that, all that is accomplished is that the attorney is richer, the co-parenting relationship is destroyed and the children suffer.

Why is a dolphin lawyer so effective?

But the Dolphin Lawyer is a more effective advocate because he recognizes that good practice is more than just winning a battle at court. Rather, strong advocacy is about improving the client’s situation.

What is dolphin lawyer?

A Dolphin Lawyer seeks to understand his client’s pain so that he can help find solutions. He understands that people are coming through his door at the worst times of their lives. He doesn’t judge. Rather, he seeks to be compassionate and understanding.

Why do lawyers operate with standard operating procedures?

Many lawyers operate solely by a lawyer’s instinct to act as a zealous advocate, which actually exacerbates conflict. They operate with standard operating procedures and cookie-cutter approaches to their cases failing to tailor their approach to the individual families with whom they work.

Is a dolphin smarter than a shark?

As opposed to a shark who smells blood from miles away and mindlessly devours whatever fish crosses its path, a dolphin is smarter about how it goes about its business. As warm-blooded mammals, dolphins are very intelligent and creative hunters.

Is a dolphin lawyer a wimp?

The Dolphin Lawyer is No Wimp! Keep in mind, Dolphin Lawyering is not wimpy. A Dolphin Lawyer can be very tough in advocating for her client’s interests. The key is that she can do it with compassion and intelligence. The Dolphin Lawyer is as knowledgeable as any other attorney.

Lawyers Should Be Zealous, Not Vicious

Melville's reference actually turns the lawyers-as-sharks pejorative around: "There is the ordinary Brown Shark, or sea attorney, so called by sailors; a grasping, rapacious varlet, that in spite of the hard knocks received from it, often snapped viciously at our steering oar." Now "grasping" and "rapacious" are not complimentary words, but pursuing an end "in spite of the hard knocks received," is nearly mandatory for attorneys..

Predator or Protector?

Is your attorney zealously asserting your position? Is she seeking an advantageous result? Is she diligent? So often the adjectives we use to describe sharks -- single-minded, efficient, relentless -- are desirable assets in a competent lawyer fighting on our side.

Tap Your Network

Ask around among your family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances to see if they know of any attorneys they could recommend. Personal references can be some of the most reliable references you will find.

Do Some Research

You can run an attorney search at databases such as Avvo and Martindale Hubbell, which provide information such as practice areas, location, disciplinary records, and lawyer reviews.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Lawyer

Now that you have some attorney options, it’s time to choose. To get you started, here’s a list of questions to ask an attorney before hiring them:

More Considerations When Hiring a Lawyer

One way to get a feel for an attorney’s practice is to be observant when you go for your first consultation.

Why won't my lawyer take my case?

If the case is one which is charged by the hour or on a flat fee. There are three basic reasons lawyers won’t take the case. You are the plaintiff, and you don’t have a legitimate claim. You are the plaintiff and the lawyer knows that the legal fees will cost substantially more than you have a chance of winning.

Why do attorneys refuse to take cases?

Maybe it’s because they are too busy. Maybe it’s because they don’t specialize in that area of the law.

What does it mean when a lawyer sets off alarm bells?

These alarms tell us that there is a serious problem with you or your case. And under those circumstances, lawyers may choose not to take on your case, even if the case could be worth a lot of money.

What to do if an attorney promises a particular outcome?

First of all, if an attorney promises a particular outcome, find another attorney. There are typically too many other people involved, each having his/her own opinion of a matter, for one person to guarantee an outcome. (And the rare attorney that always wins is smart enough to never make such a promise.)

How to survive if you get too far away from your sweet spot?

If they get too far away from a routine sweet spot, legally speaking, they tend to either make mistakes or get overwhelmed. Try going further from your geographical area. Try law firms in the capital city of your state.

Do lawyers want to take your case?

The fact that lawyers do not want to take your case therefore, seems to speak more about the merits of your case. It is difficult to find a lawyer to take your case if the lawyers do not believe your case has adequate legal merit. You have not said what type of case it is or any of the facts involved in it.

Can you pay a lawyer if you won?

You have no money to pay the lawyer and would make so little even if you won that the lawyer would lose money even if they won. Your case is so bad the lawyer knows you will lose and you can't pay them yourself. There is no right of legal representation for civil cases and most civil lawyers word on contingency.

Why won't my lawyer take my case?

If the case is one which is charged by the hour or on a flat fee. There are three basic reasons lawyers won’t take the case. You are the plaintiff, and you don’t have a legitimate claim. You are the plaintiff and the lawyer knows that the legal fees will cost substantially more than you have a chance of winning.

Why do attorneys refuse to take cases?

Maybe it’s because they are too busy. Maybe it’s because they don’t specialize in that area of the law.

What does it mean when a lawyer sets off alarm bells?

These alarms tell us that there is a serious problem with you or your case. And under those circumstances, lawyers may choose not to take on your case, even if the case could be worth a lot of money.

What to do if an attorney promises a particular outcome?

First of all, if an attorney promises a particular outcome, find another attorney. There are typically too many other people involved, each having his/her own opinion of a matter, for one person to guarantee an outcome. (And the rare attorney that always wins is smart enough to never make such a promise.)

How to survive if you get too far away from your sweet spot?

If they get too far away from a routine sweet spot, legally speaking, they tend to either make mistakes or get overwhelmed. Try going further from your geographical area. Try law firms in the capital city of your state.

Do lawyers want to take your case?

The fact that lawyers do not want to take your case therefore, seems to speak more about the merits of your case. It is difficult to find a lawyer to take your case if the lawyers do not believe your case has adequate legal merit. You have not said what type of case it is or any of the facts involved in it.

Can you pay a lawyer if you won?

You have no money to pay the lawyer and would make so little even if you won that the lawyer would lose money even if they won. Your case is so bad the lawyer knows you will lose and you can't pay them yourself. There is no right of legal representation for civil cases and most civil lawyers word on contingency.