Hiring an Attorney: The Best Practices

When it comes to hiring an attorney, most people don’t have a clue how to go about it. They see an ad on television or in the phone book, and go with whoever happens to stand out to them. Unfortunately, this really isn’t the best method. Each law firm specializes in a certain type of law. While they may take your case, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve picked an expert in the field that you are working in. By following some better practices, you can find an attorney who is well versed in the type of law you need practiced. It will be someone who will know the general war plan when it comes to cases such as your own.

One thing you should be concerned about is finding an attorney who has a great deal of experience with whatever legal issues you need help with. For instance, if you are looking for someone who can take your case to trial, you want a lawyer who has trial experience and a proven track record in front of a jury. All of the education and accolades in the world cannot match up to the benefit of having put in the actual hours, year after year. It was recently said that it takes up to 10,000 hours of experience and practice for a person to become an expert in their chosen field. Going with someone who is only a couple of years out of law school will not get you an expert, if you believe that statistic.

As there are so many important issues that go into choosing the right attorney, price should not be the deciding factor in most cases. Obviously, if you cannot afford the best, there’s little that can be done about it. On the other hand, if you have the money to spend, don’t hesitate to use it. A lawyer offering bargain basement rates is not going to be able to give you the time and attention as one charging twice that amount. They say you get what you pay for, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the legal arena. Naturally, there are instances when you only need a lawyer to do something small and formal, something that doesn’t require any great legal chops. In those cases, by all means do a little price shopping. But if you need your attorney to be your backbone in court, it pays to spend a little more.