Everybody needs legal help from time to time. It doesn’t matter if you’re running an online software business like Clockspot or you suddenly need the best ERISA attorney Los Angeles has to offer. You can bet your bottom dollar that you will need legal help someday. Do you know the steps to hire a lawyer?
Retaining legal help doesn’t need to be a difficult or miserable experience. On the contrary, if you’re armed with the right knowledge and steps, you should have no trouble finding the perfect lawyer to meet your needs.
Sound good? If so, keep reading to find out the first steps that everybody should take when hiring a lawyer to represent them in a legal matter.
1. Ask Your Social Circle for Recommendations
People often overlook the value of contacting members of their social circle when it’s time to hire a lawyer. Who better to ask for help from than people that you already trust?
As an example, if you were planning to form a new corporation and wanted to hire a lawyer to help you with the legal aspects, you’d contact family members, friends, business partners, and other members of your social circle and immediate sphere of influence to get recommendations. It makes sense to start off your search this way on so many levels.
Let’s say the unfortunate happened and your marriage is about to end in divorce. Nobody likes to talk about it, but we all know people who recently went through a divorce. Not only can they provide valuable insight on what to expect during the process, they can also offer assistance by giving you the name of their attorney.
Now, if their spouse happened to wipe the floor with them in the divorce settlement then you might want to look for a better recommendation! Otherwise if they were satisfied with the results of their divorce and have nothing but high praise for their divorce attorney, you should definitely take their recommendation in this case.
2. Look for a Lawyer Online
Believe it or not, it is possible to accurately assess the abilities of a potential lawyer online. Sure, many people unfortunately post negative reviews on the Internet, even if they aren’t deserved. We live in a cutthroat business world so you cannot always trust online reviews.
But Martindale.com is a valuable website and a useful resource that rates lawyers with integrity. They grade them on a scale of A, B, and C. So obviously the lawyers with the best ratings are going to be the most reliable and effective.
When all else fails, you can also read online reviews about personal experiences with lawyers. If a particular lawyer has many positive reviews and very few negative reviews, the odds are they do an amazing job for their clients and they’ll do an amazing job for you too.
3. Meet Lawyers for an Initial Free Consultation
Remember, this meeting is happening to help you get a feel for potential attorneys and what they might bring to the table. If you go to a meeting and instantly realize that you have no rapport with an attorney whatsoever, you may be better off hearing what he or she has to say, but then looking for other representation elsewhere.
During your initial consultation with a disability lawyer, as an example, remember to ask the attorneys lots of questions. Ask them about their law practice, ask them about specifics regarding your needs, and ask anything and everything else you can think of that will help you make your final decision.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a lawyer can be daunting for many people. But if you use the suggestions we’ve shared today, you should have no trouble finding the best attorney to meet your needs.
