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Is my lawyer any good?
from: Derek Miller Choosing a lawyer can be a difficult task, so here are a few
guidelines to help you. The first thing you need to remember is
that you do not need a personal lawyer like you need a tax
adviser or a family doctor. Lawyers should be chosen for
specific tasks such as when selling property, when you are
making a will or when
divorce or separation. Lawyers should be used when you are in a
crisis situation such as personal injury has occurred or in a
wrongful death situation.
So, choosing the lawyer depends partly on the work to be done.
There are many lawyers in the phonebook and each of them may
specialize in a different area. When choosing a lawyer do not
look at his or her age, good and bad lawyers come in all ages.
Some people will look at what school the lawyer attended; this
is not a good suggestion. Many of the top schools have turned
out less than top lawyers. In personal matters the issue of
small firm versus large firm sometimes comes up, this is really
relevant.
There are a few things that you should look for in a good
lawyer. What really matters when choosing a lawyer is the
person. Look for a someone who has common sense, someone that
knows what they are talking about: you will determine this
either on the phone or in your first meeting. A very important
factor that you should check for is discretion, is this lawyer
discreet in his business. Make sure you obtain references and
check them. Make sure the lawyer you have chosen is appropriate
for the circumstances. An excellent real estate lawyer could
make a very poor divorce lawyer.
A very important issue in choosing a lawyer is his competence.
Is he a good lawyer or bad? This can be hard to determine, so
this is where obtaining references comes in. Don't just relay on
word of mouth! Obtain every reference you can and check them out
in detail. While at your first meeting ask questions; make sure
he or she has handled the type of case that you need assistance
with. Check to see what the results were in his former cases.
Did he win or lose. How where the cases handled? Where they
handled professionally? These are all valuable questions that
will help you get the best lawyer for you case.
Beware of lawyers who try to get to get personally close to you:
all legal relationships should remain on a professional
relationship at all times.
Also don't forget that lawyers come with hefty price tags; it is
very advisable to set up a pay-as-you-go agreement, preferably
on a monthly or quarterly basis. This way when it comes time to
pay, you can ask yourself if you are receiving the best deal for
your money. Since all these fees are coming out of your pocket
it is very important at all times to deal with your lawyer in a
business like fashion until you are satisfied with the services.
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