Hiring the Best Attorney for the Job

Whether you have hired an attorney for a criminal matter, a divorce case, child custody or bankruptcy you want to feel assured that you have chosen the right professional for the job. You want to know that you have hired a lawyer who is representing your interests to the best of his/her ability.

What do you need to do to put your mind at ease and to know that you have hired the most suitable candidate for the legal task that lies ahead of you? Always keep a record of all of the events that are connected to your case. Document everything. As your case moves from one stage to another make notes of everything. This will be beneficial to you as well as to your attorney.

Before you hire a lawyer talk to more than a few. Even if you really liked the first one that you spoke to you should get in contact with a sufficient amount so that you can be assured that you have made the most suitable choice.

Just as you are making notes of all of the events as they are taking place with your case so you want to also keep detailed notes of all of the telephone calls and e-mails that take place between you and your legal professional. You also should become aware of the response time it takes the lawyer to get back to you. The sooner you hear back from your legal representation the better it is for you and your case.

When questions come up as they ultimately will you need to stay on top of things by jotting down all of the questions. In this way when you speak to your lawyer in person or over the telephone you will have all of the questions in one place and at your disposal and convenience. The more organized and prepared you are the less time you will be billed for which will result in higher productivity for the attorney and a lower bill for you.

Pay attention to what the lawyer tells you and be aware of timelines and deadlines. If you are told that something will take place in 20 days but nothing happens and then it is 30 days and still nothing has happened then place a call to your lawyer and find out what is taking place. In some instances a delay or missing a deadline could be damaging to your case.

When you are hiring a lawyer make sure you ask about the rates right away. In fact ask before you have signed any papers at all. Not all attorneys charge the same rates for the same services. Often rates differ based on the experience of the legal professional, the ability of the attorney and the firm he or she is with.

It is also important for you to understand how time is recorded by the legal specialist who is working on your case. This tends to vary from one person to another. There might be increments of 10 minutes, 15 minutes or more or you may hire someone who has fixed rates for specific services.