Hiring a lawyer is not as glamorous or easy as movies and television shows want you to believe. Finding the right lawyer can take time and energy, and can at times be stressful and complicated. You don’t want to hire just any lawyer, but one that is honest, has a good reputation, is quick to respond, and will be able to give your case their full attention. More importantly, the lawyer you hire must be within your price range. If finding the best lawyer to represent you is getting to be too overwhelming, just follow our advice and you’ll have an attorney working on your case in no time!
Where Should Your Search for a Lawyer Begin?
Stumped about where to start? Today, most lawyers have a website and are easy to find online. You can easily ditch the phone book, which might only include lawyers’ phone numbers and addresses, in favor of the internet, which can display a more detailed profile of lawyers, including information on their specialty, their court history, reviews by clients, testimonials, and more. Even if a friend has recommended that you hire a particular lawyer, you will easily be able to look up that lawyer’s credentials on the internet before you decide to meet with them.
What to Look for in a Lawyer
There are many important qualities to look for in any lawyer that you want to hire. The attorney you choose has to be familiar with local and federal laws and should have some experience in the law specialty and court that your case requires. In other words, make sure that if your case deals with criminal law, your lawyer has a history with criminal defense law. If your case will be seen in family court, make sure your lawyer is specialized in family law. If you were injured, there are many lawyers out there who are experts in defending victims of car accidents, workplace injuries, or any other type of personal injury.
In addition, the right lawyer will have a good professional track record, will be available to work on your case as soon as possible or as needed, and is someone that you feel is trustworthy. A high level of current legal knowledge is also necessary, as well as a proven ability to negotiate and problem-solve. Passion for your case is also something to look for in any attorney that you meet.
Book an Initial Consultation Free of Charge
If you are not able to determine all of these qualities from the lawyer’s online profile, you can look into whether the attorney’s firm offers an initial consultation with a lawyer for free. You can often set up these types of appointments online or through email or phone. Along with viewing a lawyer or firm’s online profile, meeting an attorney in person is a great way to determine whether or not they are right for your case. During your consultation, make sure to monitor the lawyer’s body language. Whether they meet your eye, take the time to hear your case, appear to actively listen and ask questions, or seem to take an interest in your case will help you decide.
The attorney that you choose to hire should clearly exhibit all of these important qualities, and should also have significant experience in the type of litigation that your case requires. You should be able to know from looking at their online profile and from your first meeting with the lawyer that they are trustworthy, professional, and knowledgeable.
How to Decide between a Large Firm or Small Firm
You may have seen many commercials about a large firm in your area on TV, or heard about them on the radio, but does that mean that they are the best option? Not necessarily. There are pros and cons to choosing between a large firm and a small firm. On the one hand, a larger firm might have better resources and more lawyers to choose from. However, because they have more clients, larger firms might not be able to give your case the time and attention it deserves. By choosing a smaller firm, you might have more luck getting faster one-on-one consultations with your lawyer. There is no right answer, and no one firm is ever the same, however. So do your research. The choice is yours to make.
Why Look for Your Attorney Online?
Finding an attorney online is the easiest option because it can save you time and help you narrow down all of the potential attorneys that could be right for your case. Online, you can compare multiple offers without having to leave your home or call anyone for referrals. Not only will you be able to avoid the stress of multiple unproductive meetings in the middle of your day, you can avoid wasting hours of your time.
Online searches for lawyers in your area are likely to give you hundreds of results, especially if you are from a major metropolitan area. After all, there are more than 1.3 million licensed lawyers in the United States, according to the American Bar Association. [1] Although you may be stressed by the number of possibilities, you will easily be able to narrow down your results by checking out each attorney’s online profile or website and previewing their case history. You can also filter your results by viewing lists posted by the websites of lawyers’ unions in your area, as well as organizations such as the American Bar Association. This is the best way to accumulate all of the information you need to find a reputable lawyer that will make a big difference to the outcome of your case.
Just searching online for top lawyers will give you more results than you know what to do with, which makes it impossible to check them all and find the best one. That’s why you need either filter for your location or use attorney databases that cover your part of the country or your city. Fortunately, the best lawyer directories [2] will have a filtering option according to country or city. Better yet, you might also be able to rank lawyers based on referrals, apart from comparing profiles, rates, and so on.
Moreover, if the lawyer is located close to your home or where your case will be argued, it will be much easier and convenient for you to meet with them.
Start Searching for a Lawyer Today
You don’t have to put off finding an attorney any longer. You only have to do an online search to get a list of the top lawyers in your area and compare their services. Our best advice? Do your homework and ask a lot of questions. Make sure to ask any lawyer you are thinking about hiring about their past experiences, their success rate with former cases, and, of course, don’t forget to mention your budget. Don’t hesitate, the right lawyer for you is just around the corner!
[1]https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2018/05/new_aba_data_reveals/
[2]https://www.lawyerlegion.com/promote-your-law-practice/directory-of-attorney-directories/
