Find the Right Lawyer For You

Most people are familiar with lawyers through television drama shows that focus on cops and lawyers and in real life they expect that this is how things operate. In reality however attorneys are rarely black or white- good or bad. The biggest mistake consumers often make is assuming that one lawyer in today's complex legal field can do it all. In reality it is important to have an attorney who specializes in the area you need help in. A criminal lawyer may be the Perry Mason of the court room but wouldn't know anything about how to settle a civil claim about a dangerous product. So when you are looking for an attorney the first criteria is specialization.

Ask the attorney you are thinking of hiring how much experiences he or she actually has in this area and if they have ever been to trial court. Many consumers again mistake television drama for real life and don't realize that although a criminal lawyer goes to court a lot- a civil litigation attorney may never step foot in the court room.

Another thing you need to know is where did your attorney get his education? You want to make sure your attorney has graduated from an accredited law school. A simple check with the ABA web site will show you what schools are recognized by them as accredited and there fourth teaching to the high standards the bar sets.

In today's world of Google, most consumers admit they have Googled everything from a prospective date to a prospective employer for information so using an internet search engine can help you find any prospective attorney's name in the news. This can help you see what kind of reputation your attorney has and if he or she is the right one for you.

You also need to be blunt about price. Many large firms are pricey because of their high overhead and they won't even take on clients unless there is a minimum fee schedule met. You want the best attorney you can afford but you have to be realistic about how much you can afford.

Finally of course you need to find someone that you are comfortable with. An attorney-client relationship is a personal one and you need to be able to trust and communicate with whoever you hire. If you are looking for an aggressive shark you may have to sacrifice a warm and cuddly relationship but you should still feel able to communicate any problems with your attorney in a professional manner.