Tips and Tricks to Find a Good Lawyer

Do you know how to choose the best lawyer for your needs? It is more or less like choosing any other product or service: you need to do thorough research before opting to choose it.

However, Hiring a lawyer is a lot more expensive than shopping online. God forbid if you end up with an attorney that’s not good enough to represent your case properly in the court, you might end up watching your hard earned money going down the drain.

Every lawyer will tell you about how good they are. They might market themselves as “Picasso” of their field. But the question is how do you test them and check before hiring them?

We know you might have a lot of similar questions in your mind. We’ll help you clear any confusion and give you tips and tricks to tackle any difficulties you might encounter while looking for a lawyer. Let’s start, shall we?

How to select the right lawyer for your case and according to your needs?
First, you have to determine the type of attorney that can fight your case and best represent your interests. You should look for an attorney who has specialized expertise in the practice area of your case. It’s beat if you look for a local lawyer because he/she will be more familiar with the courts and laws of your city/state. Some different types of practices are:

• Bankruptcy law: A lawyer with experience in this area can help if you are struggling with your finances.
• Criminal law. If your case involves a crime or any illegal/unauthorised activity you should consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal law.
• Trusts and properties: For any issue related to estate planning, probating, obtaining guardianship of a parents/grandparents you need a lawyer who specialises in trusts and estates.
• Family Law. A family law attorney handles cases that involve separation, divorce, pre-nuptial agreements, adoption, child custody/support.
• Personal injury law. Personal injury lawyers handle medical malpractice cases, car accidents or injuries caused by/fault of another person
• Employment law. For employment policies or when an employee sues for termination etc.
  Small business or corporate law. When you establish a business/ startup a corporate attorney will be the best choice.

Conduct a Background Check
In this day and age, everybody is on social media which goes for all services too. if you have located your lawyer through the Internet or social media, make sure you check your references. Apart from checking the ratings online, read reviews and try to get in touch with people you can guide you about the lawyers to make sure you are making the right choice.

Contact The Bar Council for qualified lawyers in your state/city.
You need to cross check and make sure that the lawyer is licenced and eligible to take your case. You can do it by selecting your state from the State & Local Bar Associations page provided by the Indian Bar council. The state bar council keeps public records about complaints and disciplinary actions taken against lawyers licensed to practice in the state. State bar associations have free referral services that might help you find a lawyer best suited for your case. Once you shortlist several lawyers with expertise in the appropriate practice area, you should research each and every candidate personally.

Ask Other Lawyers
Lawyers generally have an idea about the skill and reputation of other lawyers in the vicinity. They might help you out to gather information like ethics, competence level, demeanour, practice habits, and reputation about a fellow lawyer that might not be easily accessible to the general public in a book or online.

Tour the Lawyer’s Law Office
You can tell a lot about a person by looking at his workspace, the same goes for a lawyer and his/her office. Request a brief tour beyond the conference room. Check the ambience, Is the professional, efficient and well-run? Take a look at the support staff? Is the lawyer’s office easily accessible? Watch for any red flags like mass confusion, weird or unhappy staff.

Conduct Interviews
Just like when you hire an employee, interviews are one of the most reliable ways to evaluate a lawyer’s judicial ability. Most Lawyers provide an initial consultation at no charge. Some questions that you should ask while interviewing them are:

• How long have they been in practice, their skills and certification?
• What is their success rate?
• What is their fee structure? Ask for a written fee agreement.
• Do they have malpractice insurance?
• Do they outsource any key legal tasks? If yes, Who would be working on your case?
• How often will you be billed and what additional costs are involved?
• Are they willing to provide references from other clients?
• How will they inform you of your case advancements?

How to hire a good lawyer at a reasonable price
How will the lawyer fee affect your case? Really cheap prices may indicate inexperience or incompetence. But one thing to keep in mind is that a higher fee does not necessarily mean that you’ll get a more qualified lawyer. Your meeting should help you narrow down the shortlisted list, just answer and check the following questions:

• Are the lawyer’s experience and background compatible with your legal needs?
• Did they give prompt and polite responses to your queries?
• Do you think they possess the expertise to handle your case? Will you be comfortable talking about your issues with them?
• Can you afford the fees? Are you satisfied with the terms of the fee agreement?

These steps can help you can select an accountable lawyer with the skills and competence required to best serve your needs.

Conclusion:
Finding a good attorney is the most important step toward winning a legal case. Although you will need to search it doesnt have to be a difficult task. Just find the lawyer with expertise and specialization in the type of case you want to deal with. Focus on the fee, your vibe and comfort level. To win your case just remember to your time and find the right lawyer to represent you in court and we promise you it’ll be worth it.