If you have been injured and are seeking legal reparations, you need an advocate you can rely on to get you your best possible settlement. An ideal attorney not only navigates the legal world well, but also provides you with compassionate and passionate representation.
Answering these five questions will help you know if the attorney you are interviewing is your best choice.
1. What’s Their Specialty?
Obviously you want your lawyer to know a little something about your kind of case. Preferably, your lawyer will have years of experience not just in law, but in personal injury law.
You probably know that there are firms that deal solely with workplace injury, but did you know that there are law firms that only take automotive personal injury suits? There are even firms that only take cases dealing with animal injuries. If there is a firm for your specific type of case, it is in your best interest to at least check them out.
The benefit of hiring a lawyer from one of these firms is that you know they have definite, relevant experience in cases just like yours.
Some larger legal firms cover many branches of law. These larger firms can have more extensive resources than some smaller firms, which is why it’s important to shop around before making your decision.
While searching for an attorney, there will be two main questions you want to consider, and ask: their success rate and their cost.
2. What’s Their Success Rate?
Never hesitate to ask your prospective attorney about their success rate. Attorneys are legally obligated to answer the question honestly and cannot misrepresent their victories.
A success rate is not the only thing you should consider when choosing an attorney, but is definitely something you should ask about. You have a right to know how well the attorney has handled cases like yours in the past. If you do not feel confident in an attorney’s ability to settle your case, keep searching.
3. What’s Their Fee?
Legal representation can be a large expense, particularly if your income has been curtailed by an injury. Like success rates, legal representatives are obligated to be upfront about their fees.
Many firms allow you to set up your initial consultation for free. If, during the consultation, they do not address the issue of cost, bring it up. Cost can be a major factor in determining whether you hire an attorney.
4. What Do Their Clients Think of Them?
You can find out what previous and current clients think of a firm two main ways.
- Reviews. Nowadays, it seems like you can find reviews on anything. Lawyers and law firms are not exempt from this. An easy way to find these reviews is by searching a directory such as FindLaw and Avvo. These sites may also help you find other firms you haven’t looked at yet.
- Word of Mouth. Do you have coworkers or family members in your area who have filed personal injury suits before? How did they like their lawyer? Even if you don’t know anyone who has dealt with your prospective lawyer directly, asking around is a good way to get an idea of their reputation.
5. Do You Feel Comfortable Allowing Them to Represent You?
Do they conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner? Don’t be tempted to hire a lawyer who is brusque because they seem like they might defend your case more aggressively. Though feeling comfortable with a lawyer is not an official qualification (and, for some people, may even seem to be a contradiction in terms), it is still important.
How do your prospective attorneys treat you? Do they seem invested in your case? Do they seem invested in you? Law firms are busy places that attempt to accommodate many clients every day, but you can often measure the firm’s investment in you as a client by how they treat you. Do they return your calls? Is it easy to get a hold of them?
Many firms, like Dietrich Law, have multiple contacting options to allow you to reach their offices easily. You can reach most law firms by phone, through live chat features on their website, or via email. If a firm is not accessible, keep looking.
Don’t hesitate to ask your attorney tough questions. You are entitled to the best representation possible. If you don’t feel confident in your lawyer’s abilities, then they are not the right attorney for your case.
This article is from Candice Harding. She enjoys writing about a variety of topics such as law and technology. When she’s away from the computer, she loves riding her bike and exploring the outdoors.
