Top Ten Proven Methods for Hiring a Great Lawyer #1
Top Ten Proven Methods for Hiring a Great Lawyer #1
5 Essential Strategies for Hire a Great Lawyer
Do you remember the old days of internet shopping? When you would put in your personal information, then cross your finger and pray that the right item would come, in a reasonable time, and at the right price. Chances are you do a lot more shopping online now that it is safe and predictable. Most people feel the same sense of uncertainty when hiring a lawyer. Taking a risk when the stakes are low is fine, but when it comes to your business or your money be prepared. Take the mystery and fear out of hiring a lawyer by following these five simple steps:
1. Ask the attorney to provide you with some examples of related work.
They may only provide select items so you cannot use their examples to proceed on your own. Still, you should be able to detect if the lawyer truly has the experience that you need or is just trying to sell themselves to get your business. Use your best judgment!
2. Do a Background Check! Some lawyers may want to file away their past and forget about it, but you want to know what youre getting into up front. Start by checking the Attorney Registration. Also check the Disciplinary Commission. Finally, go to Martindale-Hubbel at www.Martindale.com to get peer reviews.
3. Ask how will they get help when they need it? A single attorney likely cannot handle every matter him- or herself. Check to make sure that they have appropriate support. No lawyer knows everything.
4. Ask your lawyer about their experience with alternative dispute resolution. Alternative dispute resolution can save you time and money! A great lawyer knows when to litigate and when not to.
5. Ask how much of the work the attorney you hire will do himself and how much will be handled by lower level attorneys. It is far more cost effective for an attorney to delegate work that requires less expertise to lower level attorneys and paralegals with lower hourly rates. But, you also dont want a lawyer who is sleeping on the job letting his teammates carry his workload. Communication and delegation are the keys.