If you have a legal issue, the chances are the matter is urgent. So, it is all too easy to rush into finding legal representation and end up making a poor choice.
Below, we explain how to avoid doing this. We aim to help you to hire an attorney to take you through the entire process. One that will find a way to assist and inform you regarding your legal issues.
Look for someone with the right type of experience
Top of the list is narrowing down your options by seeking out a lawyer that has experience of dealing with your specific problem. Fortunately, most legal professionals list the areas they have worked in most on their websites. So, it is fairly easy to create a list of legal firms in your area that could potentially help you.
Seek personal recommendations
It is also worth speaking to your friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members. Usually, you will find that at least a few of them have been through a similar experience and will happily tell you who they used.
Check their qualifications
If a particular lawyer appeals to you, take a few minutes to make sure they are qualified. In most cases, that means going to the relevant bar council website, keying in their name and making sure they are on the database. Virtually every country has a way of keeping track of who is qualified to practice law. It is easy to find out what that is and use it to check that any lawyer you are thinking of hiring is qualified. This article may also help you with this stage of your research.
Research their reputation
Once you are sure they are a real lawyer, you can start to dig a bit deeper. Ideally, you want to learn more about their reputation before hiring them.
Using a simple internet search or two you can usually uncover press stories as well as articles they have written. It is also worth going to some of the review websites and seeing what former customers say about the service that they have received. Of course, if you do this, you have to be aware of the fact that some firms use fake review services to boost their reputation. But, it is not too hard to spot those that have done this. You can find out about 10 ways to do that, by clicking here.
Carry out an initial consultation interview
Most of the decent firms offer some sort of free consultation service. It makes sense to take advantage of this and ask each lawyer a selection of questions. Do your best to ask each one the same ones. This will make it easier for you to carry out a like-for-like comparison and make the right choice.
Meet face-to-face before hiring
Lastly, it is wise to meet your lawyer face-to-face. Taking the time to do that provides you with the chance to get a gut feeling for whether they are right for you. It also enables you to spot those lawyers that talk a good game but are working out of horribly disorganized offices. A sure sign that they are too busy or are not able to keep track of things effectively.
