The terms lawyer and attorney are interchanged today because these two members of the legal profession have duties that often overlap. They both provide legal advice and represent clients in court proceedings. The difference however, is that lawyer refers to profession whereas attorney refers to status and qualification to represent someone and their rights.
Selecting an attorney can be difficult. You need to find the right type of attorney as well as the best one among a type suited to your needs. Sometimes a person's legal needs do not require specialist attention. It really is essential to know what you're looking for to avoid paying a lot of money for an attorney who isn't even suited to help you.
You may be dealing with serious injury, family death, divorce, crimminal charges, real estate or more. Finding an attorney that suits your needs will take several days; just think of your effort as an investment.
1 - Start early because finding a suitable lawyer could take several days. The last thing you need is a bad and inexperienced lawyer representing you due to a late and last-ditch search effort.
2 – Know what type of attorney you need
If you are reading this, you already have access to a powerful search tool; the internet. Use it to find the type of lawyer you need.
This site is a good place to start. Hearsay is one of the best ways to gain lawyer-related information.
Check in with your local Bar Association to get referrals based on the type of legal aid you seek. The BA will also know which lawyers have complaints against them.
3 – Create a short list of attorneys.
Good lawyers generally know or know of other good lawyers. If you know of one, ask for recommendations on the type that you need.
Martindale-Hubbell publishes a list of highly rated lawyers from from 34 fields of practice. The register is certainly worth a look. Your county law library should have a copy of this list, as well as many more names to look into, and perhaps add to your list.
Jury verdict reporting services also document courtroom success. This should also be available in the county law library. The Jury reports aren't as complete as the Martindale-Hubbell list but what you'll find there are measures of competency among attorneys.
Networking really is the key to finding a good lawyer. Cold calling might not appeal to you but you can some valuable names to your short list by asking lawyers who they would hire, in your position. Lawyers who organize educational programs have some of the best legal contacts around and they can, if asked, make you some fantastic recommendations.
4 – Review your short list
Approach a legislative authority such as your local Bar Association or county judge to see if either will review the short list you have created. Neither are 100% reliable though because some judges will not want to comment on certain lawyers and a Bar Association will not want to alienate its members. However, it is certainly worth the effort, asking these authorities or any other that is in a position to judge.
Procure the C.Vs and/or brochures that gives details experience and the like of the attorneys on your list. Look for press clippings (they should be able to provide these) or anything else which you can use to compare the backgrounds and success of the lawyers you have listed.
5 – Interviews
Take advantage of any free consultation offers or set up interviews with the favourites from your list to allow your short listed attorneys to make an impression on you.
See if they have the level of expertise you require and whether you are comfortable working with them. Don't go empty handed; take in a paper or two that summaries your situation as well as documents related to your case.
During the interview, try obtain a copy of (or look at) the attorney's record. It should speak for yourself and looking a great record during a successful interview is generally the defining moment of the attorney selection saga. If you are confident that an attorney is suited to your needs, then your work is done. However, it might be worth your while to see what your other short list candidates have to offer. You may just find an equally experienced and successful lawyer that offers you better services or the same for a lower rate.
Things to avoid.
Don't rely on the yellow pages. It may be a good place to start your search but remember that what you see in there are paid advertisements for garden-variety lawyers. If you need a common attorney, by all means go ahead but no good specialists are found in the Yellow Pages. Major corporations certainly don't pick theirs from it either.
It's a good thing to know a family lawyer that you like and trust but you should avoid using him/her if they are not suited to your case or lack experience in its genre.
Also, don't depend on references provided by family or friends unless they have had plenty of experience with legal practitioners.
Selecting an attorney can be difficult. You need to find the right type of attorney as well as the best one among a type suited to your needs. Sometimes a person's legal needs do not require specialist attention. It really is essential to know what you're looking for to avoid paying a lot of money for an attorney who isn't even suited to help you.
You may be dealing with serious injury, family death, divorce, crimminal charges, real estate or more. Finding an attorney that suits your needs will take several days; just think of your effort as an investment.
1 - Start early because finding a suitable lawyer could take several days. The last thing you need is a bad and inexperienced lawyer representing you due to a late and last-ditch search effort.
2 – Know what type of attorney you need
If you are reading this, you already have access to a powerful search tool; the internet. Use it to find the type of lawyer you need.
This site is a good place to start. Hearsay is one of the best ways to gain lawyer-related information.
Check in with your local Bar Association to get referrals based on the type of legal aid you seek. The BA will also know which lawyers have complaints against them.
3 – Create a short list of attorneys.
Good lawyers generally know or know of other good lawyers. If you know of one, ask for recommendations on the type that you need.
Martindale-Hubbell publishes a list of highly rated lawyers from from 34 fields of practice. The register is certainly worth a look. Your county law library should have a copy of this list, as well as many more names to look into, and perhaps add to your list.
Jury verdict reporting services also document courtroom success. This should also be available in the county law library. The Jury reports aren't as complete as the Martindale-Hubbell list but what you'll find there are measures of competency among attorneys.
Networking really is the key to finding a good lawyer. Cold calling might not appeal to you but you can some valuable names to your short list by asking lawyers who they would hire, in your position. Lawyers who organize educational programs have some of the best legal contacts around and they can, if asked, make you some fantastic recommendations.
4 – Review your short list
Approach a legislative authority such as your local Bar Association or county judge to see if either will review the short list you have created. Neither are 100% reliable though because some judges will not want to comment on certain lawyers and a Bar Association will not want to alienate its members. However, it is certainly worth the effort, asking these authorities or any other that is in a position to judge.
Procure the C.Vs and/or brochures that gives details experience and the like of the attorneys on your list. Look for press clippings (they should be able to provide these) or anything else which you can use to compare the backgrounds and success of the lawyers you have listed.
5 – Interviews
Take advantage of any free consultation offers or set up interviews with the favourites from your list to allow your short listed attorneys to make an impression on you.
See if they have the level of expertise you require and whether you are comfortable working with them. Don't go empty handed; take in a paper or two that summaries your situation as well as documents related to your case.
During the interview, try obtain a copy of (or look at) the attorney's record. It should speak for yourself and looking a great record during a successful interview is generally the defining moment of the attorney selection saga. If you are confident that an attorney is suited to your needs, then your work is done. However, it might be worth your while to see what your other short list candidates have to offer. You may just find an equally experienced and successful lawyer that offers you better services or the same for a lower rate.
Things to avoid.
Don't rely on the yellow pages. It may be a good place to start your search but remember that what you see in there are paid advertisements for garden-variety lawyers. If you need a common attorney, by all means go ahead but no good specialists are found in the Yellow Pages. Major corporations certainly don't pick theirs from it either.
It's a good thing to know a family lawyer that you like and trust but you should avoid using him/her if they are not suited to your case or lack experience in its genre.
Also, don't depend on references provided by family or friends unless they have had plenty of experience with legal practitioners.