3 Ways to Choose the Right Law Firm
Have you been in a car accident or another type of accident where you incurred injuries? If so, finding the right lawyer to represent you is one of the most important things you need to do now. This is not an easy time. Besides dealing with your recovery, you may also be struggling to pay bills after being out of work for a while.
How can you find the right attorney quickly but efficiently? Here are three ways that will help you do this without adding more stress to your circumstances.
Perform a Targeted Online Search
Of course, you realize that you can search the Internet for a good lawyer. All you need to do is look one up in the New York area and read the reviews they have received from other satisfied clients. Right?
This is correct, but the process needs to be done with a bit more precision. In addition to finding a lawyer with great reviews, you need to find one who is specialized in the area of law under which your accident or upcoming case falls. Start by performing a targeted search for a local attorney who has experience in car accidents, for instance.
If you have been injured in a truck accident or a motorcycle accident, look for someone who has expertise in these specific areas. Look for attorneys that do have excellent reviews but read them carefully. Most legitimate reviews will fall within a range. Too many five-star reviews can be as much of a red flag as too many one-star reviews.
Find someone in your area of law with experience and a good balance of excellent reviews. Next, go to the local bar association website and look the attorney up there. This resource will alert you to any complaints that have been filed against them or the firm they work for. It will let you know if the attorney is currently licensed to practice law in your state.
If the information here checks out, take the best three attorneys you have found in your search and get ready to phone them for an initial consultation.
Ask the Right Questions
You are going to write up a list of questions that are most important to you to have answered. Most people will want to know how the attorney or the firm will bill them and how much it will cost to get representation. This is an important question to ask, but you also want to know about the past results that the attorney has had representing clients with cases just like yours.
How long have they been practicing? Do they have any suggestions for you as to how you can make your case proceed more smoothly and successfully? What can you expect from your case from start to finish?
Draw up a list of questions and phone each attorney’s office. You may need to make an appointment to speak with the attorney one on one as many firms will have you speak with a paralegal initially.
This is something to take note of. If the attorney that would be representing you is happy to speak with you directly when you first call, this is a good sign. Most successful lawyers have a heavy caseload, and they do need to have paralegals help them out from time to time. Still, the best lawyers will take the time to speak with potential clients to answer questions.
Remember that no lawyer will promise you that they will win your case. If any of the attorneys you call makes such a promise, go back to the Internet and search for someone else. There is simply no way a good attorney can absolutely promise that your case will be won.
Get a Free In-person Consultation
Once you find the one or two attorneys that have answered your questions over the phone, make an appointment to see them in person. They should be happy to offer you at least a half-hour free consultation in person. This will allow them time to go over the details of your case in more depth and offer you a plan for working with them.
Use these three methods to search for your attorney. They will assure you of working with someone that will get you the best possible outcome.