Lawyers are by no means all the same, and whatever situation you find yourself in where you require a lawyer, you need to do research. After all, there are lawyers who may not deal in the particular area of law you need.
Before you hire a lawyer, be sure you understand precisely what you’ve both agreed to. We look at things you need to be aware of before hiring a lawyer.
Payment arrangements
When needing to hire the services of a lawyer, you want to know if you can afford the attorney’s fees. Law firms usually charge fees by means of an hourly rate, a retainer fee or they can propose a flat or fixed fee. This is when they have a good idea about the scope of the work involved in your case.
There is also the contingency fee arrangement where your lawyer gets a percentage of whatever money you receive as a resolution of your case. If you can’t afford hourly fees, it can be a good idea to negotiate a contingency fee with your lawyer.
There are lawyers who have a payment plan and you can make regular installments. Do research as not all lawyers work the same way.
When your lawyer search is too slow and limiting
When you need a lawyer, you wish that you could just speed things up and find the right one to get your case moving. How and where will you find a good lawyer? LawTally is a lawyer directory that connects consumers and lawyers.
You’ll find lists of lawyers in all practice areas. LawTally allows you to then shortlist lawyers in your area. You’ll find lawyers based in the very city you’re in. You’ll learn exactly what area of law they practice in as well as some information about their law firm.
It provides a profile of the lawyers plus their contact details. As a visitor to the site, you can also share your experiences of lawyers by leaving a review. Finding a lawyer on LawTally seriously saves you a tremendous amount of time.
Experience from the right lawyer
When you start researching lawyers, you want to see their experience. The reason for this is that no lawyer can know everything about every area of law. If, for instance, your business has specialized legal needs, you won’t be looking for the services of a criminal defense lawyer who defends those charged with a crime.
You want a lawyer who has the skills and experience to spot key pieces of information that will support your case. You also want a lawyer who is sure and confident and doesn’t dither with your case because of a lack of preparation.
The best lawyers use different resources to glean all the knowledge and information they need to get the full picture of your case.
Reputation
Lawyers rely heavily on their reputations. When you are searching for a good lawyer, you’ll gravitate towards those with a good reputation – those that are reliable and trustworthy and keep their law language simple. Who wants a badass lawyer who gets pleasure in talking a legalese-type language so that you’re left clueless?
Award-winning law firms are those that have done well and that manage to keep their doors open in extraordinary times. Integrity is rare in the 21st century but in the legal industry, your word is your bond. You want to know that the lawyer you hire has taken the Bar exam and that they have graduated from an accredited law school.
Better still, you want to see the accreditation posted on the firm’s website. Each state has a bar association that regulates the practice of law in that state.