contractors - protect yourself from legal liabilities

Need A Lawyer? Tips To Make Sure You Find One That's Right For You

2 February 2016

Lawrence Ross

Locating the right lawyer to represent you in your legal situation can have a very profound impact on your overall ability to recover compensation for your personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice or even worker's compensation. In many instances, there will be more than a single lawyer who will be willing to represent in. So, how in the world do you select the one that is right for you and your individual case, and where do you even start looking for an attorney? Below, you will learn a few tips that can help:

Create a Pool of Potential Lawyers

In order to select a lawyer, you must first get a list of potential candidates for the position of your attorney. There are numerous ways to do this, including:

• Word-of-Mouth - If you have an attorney that handles your estate needs or your business litigation, you may want to consider speaking to them about potential lawyers that are good in the area that you require, such as personal injury or wrongful death. You can also seek advice from family, friends and colleagues, who may have had the need in the past to hire the services of a lawyer for a similar reason as yourself.
• Local or State Bar Associations - Another option is to give your local or state bar association a call. Depending on who you speak to, they may just refer you to one lawyer with the expertise that you need or you may get a list of specialized attorneys for you to consider.
• Online Attorney Directories - An alternative to the above is to search for online directories that list attorneys for a variety of practice areas. You can narrow the list down to the specific area of law that you need, and then your local geographic. Some directories may allow you to further shorten the list by choosing male/female, years of experience, etc. The great thing about these directories is they're always up and accessible no matter what time of day it is for you, and they may also provide you a direct link to the attorney's website.

Take the Time to Do Your Homework

Once you have a pool of potential lawyers, you need to further narrow that list down to a handful or less by doing research in their background. First, you should make sure that the attorney is indeed licensed in your state and has not been disciplined in the past for criminal or unethical behavior. Every state has an organization that monitors all of its attorneys and puts the data online for the public to view.

Once you've eliminated any attorneys who have been disciplined in the past, you now need to schedule an appointment with each of the lawyers who are left. This is for both of you. The attorney will ask you questions regarding your legal needs and case that will help them determine whether they can or want to take on your case. At the same time, it gives you the opportunity to get a feel for the attorney and ask some questions yourself, including:

• How much experience do you have with similar cases?
• What does your current case load look like?
• What type of outcome do you think can be achieved in this case?

Under most circumstances, especially with wrongful death, you will be able to attend this meeting free of charge, which is called a free consultation. Make sure you take as much information about your case as possible to this meeting so that your attorney can provide you with as much valuable, honest and accurate information regarding your legal situation. Contact a local attorney, like Campbell, Dille, Barnett & Smith, P.L.L.C., to get started.

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