Car Negotiation Coach

Given my recent post about negotiating legal services, I thought it’d be interesting to follow up with a post about how to find a lawyer.

If you’re still finding lawyers through the Yellow Pages, from a billboard or a park bench, then you may need to rethink how to find a lawyer. All a big advertisement proves is the attorney has a big marketing budget. Some of the best attorneys never have to pay for an ad. They simply network and receive strong word of mouth referrals.

Whether you like their profession or not, lawyers are important, so it’s essential that you retain an attorney that’s right for the job. She should be professional, intelligent, and possess specific experience in the area of law for which you need help. Their price should be commensurate with experience and in line with expectations for the type of job they will be hired to perform.

Attorney Search Through Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is the best place to start a proper legal search. Ask your colleagues, family, and Facebook friends if they know any quality lawyers they can recommend.  And when looking for specific types of lawyers, take advantage of people you know in that industry. For example, if you’re looking for a real estate lawyer be sure to ask your realtor and if you’re trying to find a patent lawyer, ask other entreprenuers who may have filed a patent, etc. etc. Referral candidates are already a step above a lawyer you would find in an advertisement–because at least one person is vouching for them.

Attorney Search Through Local Bar Associations

Most counties have a local bar association. Most of these county bar associations also have referral lists that are split up into the different areas of law. This can be another great place to find a good lawyer.

After you find a few potential lawyers, now you need to do a little digging to find the one that’s right for you.

Vetting an Attorney

You want a lawyer that’s honest, experienced, has a strong work-ethic, and fair rates. Try performing some google searches on each of the prospective attorneys to see what turns up, both good and bad. Check out their website and see if you get a good or bad vibe. See if there are any famous/noteworthy cases that the attorneys have been involved with, and if so, how they turned out and whether it appears to you that they did a thorough job in performing their duties.

Once you’ve narrowed down your search to 2 or 3 attorneys, call up and see how you’re treated by their staff as a prospective client. First, is there someone there to answer the telephone or call you back in an expeditious manner? If you call during regular business hours and the attorney picks up the telephone himself, then that could be a sign they are new or struggling financially, or it could just mean they can offer great rates because they don’t need to support the extra overhead. Once you’ve set up a conference with the attorney (note: many attorneys will charge you for an initial consultation), then the next step is to prepare so that your first meeting can be helpful for both you and your prospective attorney.

Here are some things to consider during your initial consultation:

1. Does the attorney’s staff seem friendly and helpful? Do they appear to like their job and the attorney(s) they work for?
2. Did the attorney respect your time by starting the meeting on time or shortly thereafter?
3. Did the attorney give you his or her undivided attention during the initial consultation?
4. Did the attorney listen to your concerns and appear competent in answering any and all questions that you threw his or her way?
5. Did the attorney provide you with solid feedback on whether or not you have a case, or what the next step in the process should be in moving the case/transaction forward?
6. Did the attorney provide a retainer agreement that simply and effectively laid out the costs, rights, and responsibilities involved for both you and the attorney should you retain him or her for the case/legal matter?
7. What did your gut tell you about the attorney?
8. Can you afford the retainer amount and did the attorney give you a rough estimate, if asked, about the expected cost involved in pursuing the legal matter and/or case?

Final Steps

See if you can ask around town about the attorney’s reputation. Hiring an attorney is usually an important decision; and therefore, one that you should not take lightly. Perhaps it will take a few initial consultations with different attorneys before you can fully make up your mind about who is the right lawyer for the job. There’s nothing wrong with being picky about an important decision such as which attorney you will hire.

Conclusion

Today’s attorneys are rarely “general practitioners.” Most attorneys practice in one to three areas of law, and have therefore specialized much like doctors. Hiring an attorney is one of the single most important decisions in any legal proceeding, and hopefully you will have some solid connections providing you with strong referrals. Remember that ultimately, the decision is yours as to which attorney you will ultimately hire.

What advice do you have for how to find a good lawyer?

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