5 steps to finding a lawyer: starting with the basics will help simplify your search.Starting with the basics will help simplify your search Finding a good lawyer is just like anything else--you've got to shop around. Most people don't look for a lawyer until a problem arises and they are desperate for one. Lawyers complain that they are brought in not when the problem starts, but later, after suits have been filed or are pending. The whole idea of hiring a lawyer, however, can be intimidating in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. . As a consumer, you should take the time to consider what you want and find the best lawyer for your time and money. Consider the following points to help you clear up the confusion. 1. Think it through. It's important to determine how you want the matter handled before you meet a lawyer. If you have a complaint against your employer, for example, and don't want to settle, then you must stick to your goal. If the lawyer you consult with is hesitant hes·i·tant adj. Inclined or tending to hesitate. hes  i·tant·ly adv. about pursuing litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute.When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. , that's a sign to keep looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. counsel. "A consumer must be informed of the legal talent and become educated about the process," says Ozell Hudson Jr., president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. Part of that is knowing what kind of access you want or should expect. Generally, for example, you should have a call returned within 24 hours by the principal attorney. If you can't reach that attorney, ask yourself if you'd be willing to share your story with a junior associate. If so, a larger, more prominent law firm may suit you. However, if you'd rather have someone who will walk through every step of the way, a smaller firm may be better. Lawyers often have different rates for the principal attorney as opposed to associates. It's important to get an estimate of the number of hours the entire matter should take--plus the ultimate ceiling of the cost--before you commit to hiring someone. 2. Get a referral. Word-of-mouth referrals are still the best way to find a lawyer, particularly if he or she has recently completed a case of the same type. While it's still important to check out the lawyer for yourself, networking with friends or other lawyers can provide a good ice-breaker and gives you some credibility. Make sure that referrer has maintained a good rapport The former name of device management software from Wyse Technology, San Jose, CA (www.wyse.com) that is designed to centrally control up to 100,000+ devices, including Wyse thin clients (see Winterm), Palm, PocketPC and other mobile devices. or you could be perceived as a "deadbeat dead·beat 1 Slang n. 1. One who does not pay one's debts. 2. A lazy person; a loafer. adj. Not fulfilling one's obligations or paying one's debts: a deadbeat dad. " client, as well. 3. Interview the lawyer. When Claire E. Roberts needed a lawyer to handle her divorce case, she started by looking in the Yellow Pages. She had some specifics in mind. For example, she knew she wanted a female lawyer. After looking at several ads, she drew up a list of relevant questions regarding child support, alimony alimony, in law, allowance for support that an individual pays to his or her former spouse, usually as part of a divorce settlement. It is based on the common law right of a wife to be supported by her husband, but in the United States, the Supreme Court in 1979 and military spouses and started making phone calls. "I knew just by the sound of some of their voices that we would not hit it off, but the attorney I finally made an appointment with came off as sincere and interested in helping me as a person," says Roberts, who followed up her phone interview with a face-to-face consultation. Make sure to take note of the lawyer's library and research capabilities. Is the firm tied into legal databases such as Lexis-Nexis, and does it have its own library? The more access a law firm has to legal precedents, the better it can represent you. Also, find out about any disciplinary problems the lawyer has had by calling the local bar association. 4. Select a specialist. "You need to get someone who has handled that particular issue before," explains Diane Sumpter of DESA Inc., a management consulting Noun 1. management consulting - a service industry that provides advice to those in charge of running a business service industry - an industry that provides services rather than tangible objects firm in Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the state capital and largest city of South Carolina. As of 2006, estimates for the population of the city proper is 122,819[1]. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a small portion of the city extends into Lexington County. . "While the lawyer you know and have always used may have lower fees than an expert, it will probably take longer and ultimately cost more for the lawyer to educate him- or herself," Sumpter explains. Specialists can be necessary when dealing with issues that are controversial, such as malpractice malpractice, failure to provide professional services with the skill usually exhibited by responsible and careful members of the profession, resulting in injury, loss, or damage to the party contracting those services. , says Mabel Gold Haden of the National Association of Black Women Attorneys. "If it's a case that not all lawyers can do, then you have to find someone who knows the territory and has a track record," she says. 5. Use your resources. Directories such as the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory A database containing information about attorneys and law firms around the world. Primarily lawyers use the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory to assist them in the practice of their profession. can be found in public or law libraries, online or via Lexis-Nexis and CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). . The directory can be used to find lawyers and search by specialty. Consult your local bar association for a list of all attorneys admitted to practice in a particular locale (programming) locale - A geopolitical place or area, especially in the context of configuring an operating system or application program with its character sets, date and time formats, currency formats etc. Locales are significant for internationalisation and localisation. . The media can be another source. If you read or hear about a lawyer who is handling a similar case, you can follow up with a phone call. Even if that lawyer is too high profile for your needs, their office can probably refer you to someone else. It's key to meet with the prospective lawyer for an initial consultation. Make it clear when you set up the appointment that you are expecting a free consultation to get to know the attorney. Don't seek legal advice or commit to engaging this lawyer, or you could be billed for your misunderstanding. Make sure you feel comfortable with the person you're dealing with, since it may ultimately turn into an extended period of time. If you don't get a good feeling for the lawyer you've met with, then you'd better continue to shop around. To obtain back issues containing other parts of this series, please call our circulation department at 212-886-9568. |
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