Whether you have been injured as a result of an accident, accused of a crime, or need to secure a divorce, you have to take great care to find an attorney that is both competent and affordable.
Navigating in the unfamiliar, and often complicated, legal world can be confusing, frightening and can cost you a lot of money in terms of legal fees and lost settlements. The smart legal consumer must learn how to find a lawyer that will competently represent them without breaking the bank.
Fortunately, there are many reputable attorneys offering their specialized services to thousands of persons each year. So educate yourself before you hire an attorney
So, educate yourself, get some advice and don’t be afraid to talk to a few different law firms to see which suits your individual needs best.
Get A Referral From A Friend
When trying to find a lawyer, relying upon the referral of a trusted friend is reliable way to narrow your choices.
Perhaps you know someone that has had a similar legal problem as you. If so, do not hesitate to ask them for the name of an attorney with a good reputation.
However, be careful.
Sometimes, people exaggerate the results obtained by their attorney. Focus, instead on other less tangible factors, such as client contact, speed of resolving the case, personal contact with the lawyer and so forth.
All experiences, both good and bad, are vital to make an informed decision when conducting an attorney search.
Searching Internet Referral Services
With the advent of the Internet, it would seem that your first course of action would be to simple open your browser and type “find lawyer” or “find attorneys” in the search engine and see what comes up.
However, you must be a bit more discriminating when using the internet to find an attorney.
Indeed, the Internet provides a very useful resource due to the number of online referral services and the fact that most reputable law firms have some sort of online presence. Therefore, I think that the internet is best used after you have narrowed your choices down to a few select lawyers or law firms.
I advise potential clients to Google the firm to find out exactly what types of cases that they handle as well as news articles that might mention the firm or one of its lawyers.
Client Service: Find Lawyers That Treat Their Clients Well
A reputable attorney should be able to file or defend your claim and make the experience as simple and stress free as possible.
The key trait that should be expected of any reputable attorney is that he or she keeps the client abreast of developments in their case or other legal matter. Whether they do this by phone, email or formal correspondence varies from firm to firm.
But, it should be done on a regular basis.
In addition, when looking for competent legal representation, try to find lawyers that have reputations for effectively handling things such as gathering reports or other evidence, obtaining medical records, securing witness statements and searching for additional witnesses. All of these things are crucial, especially when they are needed as evidence in the case at the time of trial.
Legal Fees: Finding A Lawyer You Can Afford
Typically, an attorney will expect payment in one of three ways. You will pay a flat fee, an hourly rate or a contingency fee.
Flat Fee
Typically, an attorney will charge a flat fee for drafting documents such as deeds, wills and powers of attorneys. Where you have a small, uncomplicated legal matter, find lawyers that are willing to charge a flat fee for their services.
Ask if photocopying and other out-of-pocket expenses are covered by this flat fee.
Often the total bill is the flat fee plus these out-of-pocket expenses. A flat fee is usually offered only if your case is relatively simple or routine. While lawyers will not set a flat fee for litigation, they can usually give a good estimate of the costs at each stage.
Contingency Fee
In a contingency fee arrangement, a lawyer agrees to represent you and to get paid only if you win, then takes his or her fee as a percentage of what you are awarded.
Whether a lawyer can and will agree to this type of gamble may depend more on the type of case than the type of lawyer.
Common sorts of cases that lawyers will take on a contingency fee are those involving personal injuries, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, malpractice, and other cases in which there are likely to be substantial recoveries. If your case was taken on a contingency fee, you will not have to pay, up front, for the expenses associated with litigating the case.
The law firm will recoup the expenses from any settlement or verdict obtained when you win the case.
If you have a case involving substantial personal injury or that has the potential for large amounts of damages, you should be able to find an attorney who will take the case on a contingency fee basis if the claim is meritorious.
Hourly Fee
In this arrangement, the attorney will charge you for each hour (or portion of an hour) that he or she works on your case.
Some attorneys charge different hourly rates depending on whether the matter can be handled in the office or in court.
Before you agree to a given hourly rate, find out how much experience your attorney has had with your type of case. A less experienced attorney will require more time to complete your case. If your attorney is less experienced in the matter, he should, likewise, charge a lower hourly rate.
In addition, large law firms in cities will charge higher rates than small rural law firms because of the difference in overhead.
Do not hesitate to ask your lawyer what is included in the hourly rate. A higher hourly rate should include the services of secretaries, messengers, paralegals, and law clerks if they will be working on your case. If their services are billed separately, they should certainly be billed at a lower rate. Be advised that costs and out-of-pocket expenses are billed in addition to the hourly rate.
Get The Fee Arrangement In Writing
Regardless of the type of fee arrangement, you should not hesitate to ask for a detailed written fee contract. If you find an attorney with a good reputation, you will probably not even have to ask. He or she will already have a standard fee contract for each type of fee arrangement. Read it carefully and ask the attorney to help you understand any unfamiliar terms.
The only stupid question is the one that you do not ask.
Learning How To Find Lawyers Is Not Difficult
However, you must be prepared to do the research and ask a lot of questions before selecting an attorney. Regardless of the type of legal matter, finding a lawyer can be stressful and confusing if you have not laid the groundwork for success.
So, do some research before signing with a particular firm and assist them in honestly evaluating the merits of your case. This will minimize wasted time, money and effort to you and your family.
