It is customary for a potential lawyer to schedule a consultation with you. This will allow them to go over the pertinent details of your case or legal history and it will give you the opportunity to ask them several important questions.
Asking the right questions cannot only tell you if you need legal services in general but whether you need the legal services of this attorney in particular. When meeting with the attorney who might represent you, be sure to ask them these questions. It will save you a lot of time in the long run and help you figure out if they are right for you.
1. What Are the Details of Their Practice?
In order to better understand how well a person understands the law, you will want to ask them questions about their legal career. Ask how long they have been practicing and their areas of expertise. Ask how long they have been certified to practice law in your community. The answers to all of these questions will help you choose the best attorney to represent you.
2. What is a Typical Case for Their Practice?
If you are an individual looking for legal services a firm that often represents large corporations will not be of much use to you. You will need to find a firm that can help out individuals. Similarly, you will want to view the financial records of past clients. A large cross-section of incomes indicates that your potential attorney is used to factoring in many different factors when practicing.
3. Do They Have Special Training Applicable to My Case?
In addition to a law degree, you will want to ascertain which, if any, special training or knowledge an attorney has that can deal with your situation. Specializing in some types of cases require specific training. If you are looking for an attorney who is committed to DUI or patent cases then you should look for one who is certified to be aware of recent changes in the law.
4. Do Legal Assistants Handle the Majority of Cases?
Large firms come with large price tags, but their volume of cases is such that they often have to keep a team of legal assistants around to take care of the overflow. When speaking to a potential attorney about billing it is important to ask exactly what services you will be paying for.
How Are They With Communication?
It is to be expected that you will want to be kept up to date on your court case. You need to stay on top of your case and any important dates that are coming up. Speak to them about possible updates and how often you should hear from the firm. Agree on the circumstances that will cause you to be alerted.
Call Smith Ammons Law for all your legal needs.