Finding the Right Lawyer

One of my jobs is talking to people who think they might have a potential case. Sometimes, these people are “lawyer shopping.”

While some lawyers may look down on a client they know has spoken to 3 or 4 other lawyers, I encourage potential clients to do this.

Would you hire the first person who responded to your local ad for a babysitter to watch your baby? Or would you call some of the people she’s babysat for and ask her for proof that she’s CPR certified?

Of course, you would want to vet the person taking care of your baby while you’re away, and similarly, you should vet the attorney who will handle your matter.  

So, what should you look for? There are many factors you may want to look at, but here are three that I believe are very important:

1) Is the attorney experienced to handle your type of case?  

We live in an age of specialization. A potential client may call me with what could be a very good case, but it is in an area of law that I’m not as familiar with or that I’ve not handled in my career. In those situations, I try to connect the potential client with a lawyer who does specialize in that area.

Could I brush up on the area of law and meet my ethical obligation to effectively represent the potential client in the area I’m unfamiliar with? Maybe, but the potential client would be better served with someone who has expertise in the area.

When interviewing attorneys, make sure they have the experience handling your type of case.

2) Is the attorney someone I would want to represent me?

Attorney-client relationships are consensual relationships. The lawyer should want to represent the client and the client should want the attorney to represent her.

When talking to an attorney, get a feel for whether this is someone you would want to represent you. Do you like the person? Does she respect you? Does she listen to you? Do you trust her to give you honest advice?  

3) Will my attorney be honest with me?

Any lawsuit or litigation situation is stressful. Whether it is a business dispute or a catastrophic injury case, my experience is that emotions on all sides are often high.

My clients have gone through the emotion or trauma of what happened to them, and then often relive it through the lawsuit or litigation process. I believe clients benefit from having an attorney who has the compassion to understand those emotions and what her clients have been through but is able to deliver an honest assessment of the case.

An attorney who is not able to give you the bad news or go through all the good, bad, and ugly scenarios of your case is not doing you any favors. 

Contact the Pérez Law Firm today for a free case consultation

At the Pérez Law Firm, we offer free initial consultations so that you can get a feel for us and determine whether you are interested in our team representing you.  Please contact us to see if we are able to help you with your case.