There are three good ways to find a lawyer, and many bad ways. The best way, always, is by direct referral. This is best done when you have time, and talk to your friends & family & extended circle for recommendations. This is why the old adage goes, …
Two questions, really. (1) How to find a lawyer? County bar associations often have bar referral panels. (2) Good lawyer? Your best bet is recommendations by friends, family, co-workers, others who have employed attorneys. Online surveys have selection bias, and I wouldn't rely too much on them. For example, think Yelp for lawyers.
Research ability. A good lawyer knows where to look for the applicable law and to find out what other courts have said about how that law applies (ideally your state's "high courts" -- courts of appeal or the state Supreme Court -- whose opinions control how lower courts have to …
Yes, the cost of law school is astronomical (unreasonably so, in my opinion). Student debt is no joke. That's why, outside of maybe a few law schools, you should absolutely not go to law school without some sort of scholarship. If you get a high enough LSAT you can get a …
“In my experience, a good lawyer always finds every opportunity to keep a case from being decided by a judge, and only relents on trying a case before the bench when all alternatives have been exhausted,” attorney, Jason Cruz says. “If a lawyer suggests they want to try the case in front of a judge, you should definitely speak with another lawyer before proceeding,”
“ Winning cases can be lost because of a client who lies or exaggerates just as easily as because of a lawyer who tells the client what the client wants to hear instead of what is true.” So when dealing with attorneys, don’t just look for honesty—be honest.
When hiring an attorney, a potential money pit is “expenses” outside of the lawyer’s billable hours. Expenses include everything—copying and faxing costs, hiring expert witnesses, and even traveling via private jet, points out attorney Justin C. Roberts. Some lawyers don’t just pass the charges along; instead, they charge an additional percentage fee. Whatever their method, you need to know it up front so there won’t be any surprises when the bill arrives.
Lauren Cahn is a New York-based writer whose work has appeared regularly on Reader's Digest, The Huffington Post, and a variety of other publications since 2008. She covers life and style, popular culture, law, religion, health, fitness, yoga, entertaining and entertainment.