How to Choose the Right Lawyer for Different Situations

Choosing a lawyer who will handle your legal issue, be able to represent your best interests and make the best use of your time and money is a critical decision which needs some serious evaluation. You want to find the right person but making the decision can be overwhelming – just look into the yellow pages and you will find a large number of names. Then there are those who come out with their own ads on TV, print and radio. But it doesn’t mean that visibility will guarantee you the results you want and you certainly do not want to be paying an arm and a leg for their professional fees. So how do you choose?

Here are some practical and general tips to consider when you’re faced with this difficult decision:

• First, select the category or field of law that you believe you need representation for. For marital issues, it’s family law, for personal injury and accidents there’s civil law, tax issues, there’s tax law and so on. If you do not know the category of law, there are public listings for specific areas such as divorce, tax, automobile accident, etc. This will help you narrow down your search.
• You may also consider asking for referrals from friends, relatives, work colleagues or associates who have been faced with similar issue as yours and hired a good lawyer who was able to help them. Nothing is better than an actual success experience that comes from someone you actually know or trust to give a good opinion of the lawyer’s skills and services. Keep in mind, however, that your case may have different merits than theirs and be open to a different approach.
• Aside from referrals, you can consult the yellow pages for listing, do an Internet search or look up your own community’s lawyer referral service to make your own list.
• Once you have made a list of some names, it’s time to study their credentials. Usually these lawyers would have a website or you can go to your local Law Association and get a report, if available on the names you have selected. Consider their legal associations, the services which they claim to provide, if there are available testimonials or feedback from their past clients, who their past clients are. This will give you more or less a good idea if their public personality matches a good track record.
• Sit down with the lawyers in your shortlist and discuss your issue in general terms. If money is a concern for you, make sure to be able to also touch this in your discussion. The lawyers should be able to give you an estimate of how much the whole process will entail and how much time it will take for your case to be resolved. Have a list of questions for the lawyers you are seeing – ask them about past cases, how long they have been practicing law, what kinds of legal problems or obstacles do they meet when handling cases like yours.
• Consider the lawyer’s staff and his office. If you can, try and visit their offices and get a feel of the team that he has. The biggest ones do not necessarily mean they can represent you better. The staff members of the law office should be able to treat you with respect and give you the attention you need.
• Don’t settle on getting the first lawyer you are able to meet with. Remember that you need to make an informed decision and you can only do so when you are able to see all the possible options for your issue and what, in your best judgment, will work for you.

Here’s an example of a specific issue and how to search for the right lawyer in the case of an automobile accident case. With the abovementioned tips, you can add the following important considerations:

• Automobile accident lawyers have their own speciality – there are motorcycle accident lawyers, train accident, 18 wheeler accident and so on. Choose some that claim to be well-versed in your type of accident.
• Always check to see if they are a member of any law organization or association.
• When you sit down for a discussion with the lawyers in your short list, ask for their success rate. It helps to know the ratio of how many cases they have handled and how many of those had favorable results. More than that ask about the settlement claims they have made and how many of those have they successfully obtained.
• Make sure to discuss fees. Some automobile accident lawyers will agree to get their fees from a portion of the accident insurance settlement (called contingency basis). Others might work on a flat fee or on hourly rates. It is important to determine how the lawyer plans to handle the expenses of the case and compare them side by side. Then you can make a choice.

To find a Tax Attorney, you also need to remember the following:

• Tax attorneys can help you resolve thorny tax problems. If your concern is a complicated one, you may want to look for a lawyer who is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or has a Master of Laws in Taxation. It helps that your lawyer is specially qualified and has Tax Court experience.

search before you engage the services of a lawyer. Read up on specific family laws that may affect your issue, they vary depending on the place where you live. This is also a good way to come up with a set of questions you can ask the lawyers you will be screening. Remember that in cases like this, the lawyer needs to also be a good strategist as he has to give you a plan of action on how you can get the results you want, from settlement to custody and separation of properties.