Help! I Need an Attorney: What to Look for When Choosing a Lawyer

Nobody ever really wants to get a lawyer, just like how nobody ever really wants to have to see a doctor. But situations where you really do need an attorney’s help can come up, and when one does, it can be a real challenge to find the right lawyer.

In some ways, finding a lawyer can be a lot more intimidating than choosing a doctor, although you could say the process is very similar. Depending on your problem, you’ll want to find an attorney who specializes in a particular case. If you have a toothache, let’s say, you go to a dental clinic. If you have a problem with your visa, you go to the Immigration Law Group.

Or, you may not necessarily have a problem but need help with a certain process—just like how some people who don’t actually need a facelift will want to go to an aesthetic clinic. Someone who would like to open a branch of their company in another country would go to Davies and Associates or a firm that handles such cases.

Apart from the kind of problem or situation that you have, there are other things to consider or look for when choosing a lawyer. Remember, choosing the right attorney can spell the difference between winning your case and getting justice for yourself, or possibly having to pay a huge fine or even go to prison.

10 Things to look for in your potential attorney

1. Look for someone you feel at ease with and who you feel you can trust. Again, just like a doctor, you’re going to have to tell this person everything—which can be pretty embarrassing. If you don’t feel like you can be completely frank with the attorney, then maybe you should keep looking.
2. Look for a lawyer who really cares about your case, or at least genuinely appears to be interested in helping you. It’s so important to feel like this lawyer will be committed, will truly do everything possible to help you win, and would never do anything to hurt your case or take on any clients or cases with a conflict of interest.
3. Look for a lawyer who can explain things to you clearly and completely, in a way you can easily understand—not just about your case but the way the case will be handled, from preparation to resolution.
4. Look for a lawyer who’s been recommended to you by someone you know well, ideally someone whose situation is a lot like yours. As much as possible, you don’t want to look for a lawyer based only on ads. And you definitely don’t want to entertain lawyers who randomly reach out to you out of nowhere to offer their services, whether that’s online, over the phone, or in person (at least, not without a whole lot of careful consideration).
5. Look for a track record in the kind of case you want your lawyer to handle. If it’s a problem with your home, for instance, you’ll want your lawyer to have handled at least a decent number of real estate cases. If you want to expose fraud at your workplace, you’ll want a firm like the Bothwell Law Group which has won several whistleblower cases.
6. Look for a lawyer in your area whose office you won’t have a problem visiting quite a few times, or who won’t find it difficult to come and see you. You’ll also want your lawyer to be licensed to practise in the state you’re in, and to be certified by your state in the kind or area of the law you need for your case.
7. Look for a lawyer whose services you can afford, and who’ll be upfront and transparent about how much it’ll cost you overall to pursue your case till the end. Your lawyer should be able to break this cost down for you so you know exactly what you’re paying for, and as well as tell you how long your entire case will take. If you need to, you can find low cost or even free legal services in your area.
8. Look for a lawyer who has a written agreement that lists all these fees and services clearly. Apart from having a document handy you can refer to, this is also a great way to gauge the transparency of your potential attorney. You’ll also want your lawyer to be able to give you copies of all the documents related to your case.
9. Look for a lawyer with a decent, professional website which clearly describes what the lawyer does, as well as the lawyer’s credentials, and makes it easy for you to find the information you need. Ideally, the website will have feedback or testimonials from clients.
10. Look for a lawyer who will give you a first interview, and if there is one, find out whether you will have to pay for that initial, exploratory meeting. Some lawyers will give that to you for free, especially if the purpose of the interview is to find out whether you even need a lawyer for your situation in the first place.

Wait! Bear this in mind before you hire that lawyer

If you find what you’re looking for in a particular lawyer and you’ve managed to schedule an initial interview, remember that just because you had that first meeting, doesn’t mean you’re obliged to hire that lawyer right off the bat.

While there are many empirical bases for choosing a lawyer such as the 10 things to look for, above, get a feel for whether the lawyer is right for you and trust your gut.

Even if the lawyer was recommended to you by someone you’re close to and was in practically the same boat as you, take heed: Just because a lawyer was right for that person, doesn’t mean that same lawyer will be the right fit for your particular case.

Consider how some cases like those involving personal injury or a whistleblower lawsuit can drag on for years. You’ll want your lawyer to be someone who will see your case all the way through and someone who you can see yourself working with all throughout. However urgent your situation is, choosing your attorney carefully will definitely be worth your time.