How to Find a Good Lawyer
- Conducting Candidate Interviews. One of the best ways to assess a lawyer’s legal ability is by interviewing them. ...
- Consulting the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Martindale-Hubbell is a great resource for information about a law firm and its lawyers. ...
- Asking Other Attorneys. ...
- Conducting a Background Check. ...
- Touring the Lawyer’s Office. ...
Full Answer
How can I find the best lawyer for my case?
Sep 09, 2019 · There are many ways to find a reliable lawyer. One of the best is a recommendation from a trusted friend, relative, or business associate. Be aware, however, that each legal case is different and that a lawyer who is right for someone else may not suit you or …
How do I find a reputable lawyer?
Here you can find simple practices to find the best lawyer. Ask Friends “Nothing beats getting a referral from a friend. Arguably the best way to find a good lawyer is by word of mouth. Ask …
What is the best way to select a lawyer?
Jul 01, 2021 · To find a good attorney, start by going to websites like Avvo.com to check out online reviews of attorneys in your local area. Alternatively, contact your local bar association …
How can I get assistance with finding a lawyer?
Find Them Trough Local Bar Associations or Legal Aid Services. Another amazing way of finding yourself a trusted lawyer is through your local bar association. In most places, there will be …
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.
Tips on Hiring a Good Lawyer for Your Legal Needs
Sally A. Kane wrote about legal careers for The Balance Careers, and is an attorney, editor, and writer with 20 years of experience in legal services.
Word of Mouth and Referrals
Word of mouth and referrals from friends, relatives, neighbors, business associates, and acquaintances are the best way to find a lawyer.
Local Bar Associations
Another great resource for finding a lawyer in your area is your local bar association. Most county and city bar associations offer lawyer referral services to the public although they do not necessarily screen for qualifications. The American Bar Association also maintains a database which offers assistance to consumers seeking legal help.
Other Lawyers
Lawyers can often recommend other lawyers in the legal community who can assist you with your specific needs. Legal circles are small and most lawyers will know several other lawyers who specialize in the practice area for which you seek advice. Lawyers are also aware of other lawyer’s reputations in a particular practice field.
Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory
Available at your local public library or law library, this directory of lawyers is an authoritative resource for information on the worldwide legal profession. Martindale-Hubbell also offers an online lawyer locator service which contains a database of over one million lawyers and law firms in 160 countries.
Internet Resources
A number of for-profit directories on the Internet offer search vehicles through which you can find a lawyer. A few of these sites are lawyers.com, legalmatch.com, attorney.locate.com, lawyershop.com, attorneyfind.com and attorneypages.com.
Legal Aid Services
If you need a lawyer but cannot afford one, you can contact your local legal aid office, an organization that provides free or pro bono legal assistance to low-income individuals in non-criminal matters.
Find A Lawyer And Do a Background Check
When you are finding a lawyer, always check the background. You should know whether the lawyer’s license is currently valid and whether there are restrictions on his/her practice.
Know These Terms
Retainer agreement: Some firms use the name of Engagement Letter. This is the contract between you and the law firm/lawyer. It explains what the lawyer is going to do for you. Further, it explains how much they will charge.
Find A Lawyer And Book a Consultation
Consultation is the first conversation with a lawyer. You can discuss your legal issue with them and ask them questions. At ClearWay Law, this is normally a free 15-minute conversation during which you can get legal advice from the lawyer. You want to make sure the lawyer understands your situation before the consultation.
Find A Lawyer And Confirm The Fee
You need to know what you will be charged for legal services. Sometimes, a higher rate does not indicate competence to properly resolve your issue.
Talk To Several Lawyers
Lawyers have different strategies and personalities. That is why you should talk to several lawyers before choose one. You want to hire a lawyer that you can feel comfortable with. Further, you want a lawyer that is amazing at communication. And of course, you want to compare the fees.
Conducting Candidate Interviews
One of the best ways to assess a lawyer’s legal ability is by interviewing them. Most attorneys will provide an initial consultation—usually an hour or less—at no charge. Below are a few questions to consider:
Asking Other Attorneys
Lawyers know the skill and reputation of other lawyers. Attorneys may be able to provide information about a fellow lawyer that you may not find in a book or online, such as information about a lawyer’s ethics, competence level, demeanor, practice habits, and reputation.
Conducting a Background Check
Before hiring any lawyer, contact the lawyer disciplinary agency in your state to confirm that they are in good standing as a member of the bar. For an online listing of each state's lawyer disciplinary agency, review this directory of lawyer disciplinary agencies.
Expert Q&A
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Tips
Consider firing your attorney for doing any of the following: missing filing or court dates, refusing to give you updates on the status of your case, not answering phone calls and emails, and not being honest and forthright when you ask questions.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by Srabone Monir, JD. Srabone Monir, Esq., is an Attorney based in New York. She received her JD from the St. John's University School of Law in 2013, and has used her legal training in positions for 32BJ SEIU, the New York Legal Assistance Group, and Disability Rights New York.
Choose Someone You Feel Comfortable Talking To
When you are sitting down and talking to a lawyer you will need to sell them some pretty important factual things in order for them to be able to help you. You will have to talk about the plan and any possible outcomes. What you need to ask yourself is if you are comfortable with talking to them and sharing every single detail with them.
Find Out How Many People Will Be In On The Case
There is nothing that will leave people feeling uncomfortable than the sincerity of what is going to be happening with their case and how many people there are going to be involved in figuring it out.
Do You Even Need a Lawyer for Your Case?
You can’t be afraid to ask the will layer an honest question such as if there is a need for getting a lawyer for your situation. People will often consult lawyers for minor legal problems which sometimes won’t require professional help.
Ask Them What They Specialise In
A popular question that people have when they come into a lawyer’s office is to ask, “How long have they been practising law?” Although this is an important question you shouldn’t phrase it that way. It is not as relevant as people often think.
Find Them Trough Local Bar Associations or Legal Aid Services
Another amazing way of finding yourself a trusted lawyer is through your local bar association. In most places, there will be lawyers that are offered to the public even though they might not have the most experience. You can search through a database and find someone who will provide legal help.
Word of Mouth and Referrals
There is nothing that will help you more than hearing that that particular lawyer is good from a reliable source such as your friends or family. It is one of the best ways to find lawyers. But something that you have to keep in mind when you are doing something like this is to avoid hiring friends and family or friends family.
Choose Offices That Are Conveniently Located
Another important thing that not a lot of people actually think about when they are picking their lawyers is their location. It is in no one’s interest to travel an hour just to get to the lawyers’ office, especially if you need to meet to go over small details. That is why you should always choose the best one in your radius.
Search for Attorney Recommendations
Your first and best option is to ask friends and family members if they have any recommendations for a lawyer, as they can provide personal insight that no other source can match. Ask them what traits they liked in the attorney and which characteristics they disliked. Were they satisfied with the ultimate outcome of the case?
Look for Lawyers Who Fit Your Divorce Needs
Every couple’s divorce is different, and you should ultimately let your divorce’s unique needs influence what type of divorce attorney you use. If you and your partner disagree on nearly every aspect of their separation, for instance, you should seek out a lawyer with experience in more contentious cases.
Gather a Short List of Attorneys and Schedule Consultations
Once you’ve identified what you need from a lawyer. Don’t settle on the first lawyer you find; instead, take the time to interview at least a few prospective divorce lawyers. Most attorneys offer free consultations, and you can use those meetings as a way of seeing if you and the attorney are on the same page.
Word of Mouth and Referrals
Word of mouth and referrals from friends, relatives, neighbors, business associates, and acquaintances are the best way to find a lawyer. These individuals have no vested interest, financial or otherwise, in recommending a certain attorney and can communicate any positives or problems they encountered in their dealin…
Local Bar Associations
- Another great resource for finding a lawyer in your area is your local bar association. Most county and city bar associations offer lawyer referral services to the public although they do not necessarily screen for qualifications. The American Bar Association also maintains a databasewhich offers assistance to consumers seeking legal help.
Other Lawyers
- Lawyers can often recommend other lawyers in the legal community who can assist you with your specific needs. Legal circles are small and most lawyers will know several other lawyers who specialize in the practice area for which you seek advice. Lawyers are also aware of other lawyer’s reputations in a particular practice field. Keep in mind, however, that lawyers often receive referr…
Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory
- Available at your local public library or law library, this directory of lawyers is an authoritative resource for information on the worldwide legal profession. Martindale-Hubbell also offers an online lawyerlocator service which contains a database of over one million lawyers and law firms in 160 countries. To find a lawyer, you can search by practice area or geographic location.
Internet Resources
- A number of for-profit directories on the Internet offer search vehicles through which you can find a lawyer. A few of these sites are lawyers.com, legalmatch.com, attorney.locate.com, lawyershop.com, attorneyfind.com and attorneypages.com.
Legal Aid Services
- If you need a lawyer but cannot afford one, you can contact your local legal aid office, an organization that provides free or pro bonolegal assistance to low-income individuals in non-criminal matters. Check the white pages of your telephone directory or type in “Legal Aid [insert the name of your county of state]” into an Internet search engine to find local legal aid providers …
Conducting Candidate Interviews
One of the best ways to assess a lawyer’s legal ability is by interviewing them. Most attorneys will provide an initial consultation—usually an hour or less—at no charge. Below are a few questions to consider: 1. What experience does the lawyer have in your type of legal matter? 2. How long have they been in practice? 3. Wha…
Asking Other Attorneys
- Lawyers know the skill and reputation of other lawyers. Attorneys may be able to provide information about a fellow lawyer that you may not find in a book or online, such as information about a lawyer’s ethics, competence level, demeanor, practice habits, and reputation.
Conducting A Background Check
- Before hiring any lawyer, contact the lawyer disciplinary agency in your state to confirm that they are in good standing as a member of the bar. For an online listing of each state's lawyer disciplinary agency, review this directory of lawyer disciplinary agencies. You should always check references, especially if you located the attorney through the Internet. You can also check a lawy…
Touring The Lawyer’S Office
- You can tell a lot about an attorney from their law office. Request a brief tour of their office, beyond the office or conference room where you met with the lawyer. Is the law office neat, orderly, efficient and well-run? What kind of support staff does the lawyer employ? Does the staff appear friendly and helpful? Is the lawyer’s office local and easily accessible? Is a large portion o…
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