There may come a time in your life when you need to seek legal council. Lawyers serve many purposes, and you could find yourself needing one for a real estate transaction, a divorce or even if you find yourself facing legal trouble.
If you have never hired a lawyer before, you may be unsure on how to go about it. The following tips can help you make the best hiring decision.
1. Ask for references.
Receiving recommendations from friends, family and colleagues is always a good idea. These individuals may have had direct experience with a lawyer and can tell you whom to use.
References can also tell you who to stay away from. If your friend, family member or colleague had a bad experience with a lawyer, they can let you know so that you don’t make the same mistake. Make sure you ask around, and once you have a list of recommended lawyers, use the following suggestions to help you learn more about them and whether or not they’re the right fit for your needs.
2. Perform a search.
Search engines are a powerful tool when it comes to finding a lawyer. Use relevant keywords and perform a search to help you find a lawyer in your area who specializes in the area you need help with. For example, if you need a real estate lawyer in the San Francisco area, you should use “real estate lawyer San Francisco” as your search term. This will help you generate websites for lawyers in the area who can help you.
3. Check lawyer review sites.
There are review sites dedicated to lawyers in which clients can share their experiences with certain lawyers. When you’re searching for a lawyer, turn to sites like Lawyers.com or Avvo to read reviews from real people. You can use these sites to search for lawyers in your area who focus on your specialty and then choose the lawyer with good reviews. Or, if you know the lawyer’s name, you can use these sites to search their name and see how they’ve been rated by others.
Along with reviews from other people, these sites can also give you basic information about the lawyer, including where they received their education, how long they’ve been practicing law, what they specialize in and possibly even their success rate. Make sure to check all of this information in order to make sure that you’re hiring a lawyer who has experience in your area and who has generated some good customer reviews.
4. Learn about fees and payment options.
Your budget will play a major role in which lawyer you hire, so it’s important to find out their fees up front and whether or not they offer payment options. Some lawyers may have this information directly on their website while others may have it listed on the review sites. Make sure that you know this information up front before you hire a lawyer, otherwise you can find yourself having to pay a large sum of money that you don’t have.
Choosing the right lawyer is important. In order to make the right hiring decision, use these tips to make sure that you’re hiring a lawyer that specializes in your needs and that you can afford. This will help ensure you have the best possible experience.
About the Author
Caleb Grant loves to blog about education and the law. He often gives advice to others about law office review tracking.
