Choosing an Attorney
Throughout the course of your legal problems, you will have to make some harsh
decisions. For example, if you were involved in an auto accident then you would
have to pick between bringing criminal damages or pressing charges with a
plaintiff case. Or say you have a small business that was involved in a deal,
then you'd have to decide whether to sign it or let it pass. There is no simple
answer in many of these cases, and getting the right lawyer is vital the
benefits of choosing a lawyer in a pre-paid legal plan as opposed to hiring your
own lawyer, as well as some simple steps you can take to choose a
good attorney.
The most important criterion has to do with a lawyer’s legal ability. A good
lawyer lays the law down for you, presents you with options, explains the
consequences of each decision you make and gives you suggestions on the best
course of action. In this day and age of complicated legal matters, many lawyers
are more and more specialized and you stand to get better information from
someone with a practice focused in a particular area of the law than a
generalist who deals with a vast spectrum of legal issues. Building
bonds is also
very important: Your relationship with your lawyer can make or break your case.
You need a lawyer who gives you frank advice and guidance you can trust, someone
with enough perspective to step back from an issue and look at it from all
views.
Client-lawyer relationships are very weak within a pre-paid legal plan. Because
of the “preventive” nature of most plans, your contact with your lawyer will be
constrained on many occasions. You seldom get to talk to your lawyer
face-to-face, as most of the consultation is done over the phone- and even when
you get to talk to them, it’s not easy to build rapport when your office
consultations are limited to a dozen hours a year.
Hence, I advise you only to get an attorney when essential.
If you find your attorney from referrals or on the Internet or from referrals,
organize interviews with them. Most don’t mind receiving inquiries about what
they do and how able there are. Ask detailed questions: How many years have they
been in practice? How pleased are their past clients? How many
legal problems of
interest to you have they taken recently? Additionally, verify their State Bar
Association standing. It's important to find an attorney who is knowledgeable in
the specific legal field you need aid with. But, it is also important to find an
attorney you feel comfortable working with and one who will be easy to stay in
touch with.
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