Most clients scouting around for a lawyer, experience a sense of helplessness and frustration. The frustration stems from the fact that they personally lack legal knowledge and are completely unable to appreciate whether the legal issues involved in their case is simple or complex. They do not know whose opinion to trust and how to go about getting the right picture of the nature of the litigation they propose to enter into. They also do not know what kind of lawyer they should be looking for! Do they need an experienced attorney or a specialist in the area or will a general practitioner of law meet their needs?  Lawyers, like Doctors, specialize in specific areas. Like Doctors they seem to specialize in niche areas within the specialty too and charge a premium for their services! Finally, what is the right budget for the case? How much would they be expected to pay?

So, how does one go about selecting a lawyer?

Sources of Information

The simplest method of finding a lawyer is to approach legal practitioners whom you have interacted with socially for advice.  If you are lucky, they may even be able to represent you. If that does not give you comfort, your bank manager, accountant or friends who have had similar legal problems could direct you to a lawyer they trust.  You would then, get the necessary advice on the complexity of the case and the kind of lawyer you need.

If all these sources are unavailable to you, you could browse the yellow pages or advertisements that come out from time to time in appropriate media.  The Internet too, is an excellent source of information about law firms and their practice. You will be able to identify the nature of the practice and the type of cases the firm handles before you approach them with a proposal.

Choosing the lawyer

Once the complexity or simplicity of the litigation is known and the type of lawyer you require has been identified, the rest is a breeze.

You could begin with a shortlist of lawyers culled from the Internet, yellow pages or recommended by friends.

With each lawyer you meet you should obtain answers for all the questions in your list. You should
1.    Find out what is his experience in the area of litigation.
2.    Ask for an outline of how he would handle the case and the time frame for completion.
3.    Not forget to ask him whether he has malpractice insurance.
4.    Enquire about how you will be expected to participate in the proceedings.
5.    Ask him how you will be kept informed about the progress of the case.
6.    Find out whether he is willing to provide you with a fee agreement with details of fees, expenses, billing and payment information.
7.    Question him about his hourly fee and get an estimate of total fee.

Thereafter, you need to spend some time introspecting on the following and evaluate all the lawyers you meet by answering the questions:

1.    Am I comfortable with this person?
2.    Will I like working closely with him?
3.    Does the lawyer have sufficient experience and skill to handle the case?
4.    Has he explained the case to me in lay man terms so that it makes sense to me?
5.    Do I understand the proposed fee agreement and what it involves?

The lawyer who elicits the most positive response from you to the above questions is the one you must engage!

DISCLAIMER: We are not attorneys and are not giving legal advice.  For legal or financial advice please consult with your attorney or accountant.  See our Terms and Conditions for more information.