The first question that comes up when you have a legal situation is how to find the right lawyer for your case. Unless you already have a personal connection to an attorney or you can get a recommendation from family or a close friend, the process to find the right legal help can turn into a stressful experience that takes much more time than you’d expect.
One common way that people use to find a lawyer is doing a quick online search for legal help. The problem with this way is that it tends to be very time consuming and doesn’t always give you accurate results that actually match what you need for your particular situation.
Let’s say you entered the phrase “get a lawyer” into a search engine right now. The odds are you’ll receive generic results that direct you to a website with another database that you’ll have to comb through page by page. The search might also show you a list of ads from businesses that offer attorney referral services instead of direct contact with lawyers.
This way could be helpful as a starting point. But you’ll never find the right lawyer if you don’t know the correct search terms to enter. You need to reach the right type of lawyer who’ll work on your particular case well. Let’s say you face criminal charges. Then you’ll need to hire a criminal defense lawyer because they specifically practice criminal law and understand the court system.
Now let’s consider what happens if your situation means someone is infringing on your intellectual property rights. Do you hire a business lawyer? Or maybe even a tort or personal injury lawyer? You can see how the search for a lawyer gets much harder when you don’t know the precise specialty you need for your case.
The type of lawyer represents only one of multiple filters that you’ll need to figure out before you can start your search the right way. You might find a lawyer who practices in the correct area. But they may work on the transactional side of cases and don’t actually represent people in court during trials.
You’ll also have to find a lawyer who’s admitted to practice law in your jurisdiction, which usually means getting a lawyer who works in your area or state. As a bonus, you want someone whom you would trust to work on your case well and communicate with you throughout the process.
Specialties, Credentials, and Recommendations
You’ll want to find a lawyer who practices in your area and handles cases in the exact type of law that your case needs. Once you know what you’re looking for, you can start your search for the right attorney to handle your situation.
Some legal cases can drag on for years, depending on how complicated your situation turns out to be. You want to find a lawyer who feels like a right fit for long-term work and someone who seems capable and reliable enough to put in the hard work your case deserves. Your personal network is usually the best place to start this search. Reach out to close friends, family members, and professional contacts you trust for their recommendations.
You don’t have to focus on credentials. But some people do look at which law school their lawyer attended and what they’ve accomplished professionally. If your business faces a multi-million dollar lawsuit, you might want a lawyer who has both experience in your type of case and a solid track record of winning similar disputes.
Besides personal recommendations, you have a few other ways to find the right lawyer for your case. Look for news articles that mention law firm names you recognize. Browse through the Yellow Pages of a phone book if you still have one around. Write down contact information from law firm advertisements on public transportation, television commercials or billboards you see around town. Do an online search for attorneys in your area. Call or visit your local bar association website for referrals. Try an attorney referral service that matches you with qualified lawyers. Contact legal help services or non-profit organizations that share legal contact information for free.
Lots of lawyers have built up their social media presence over the past few years. You can find attorneys on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media sites these days. This lets you get a feel for their personality and communication style before you officially hire them. The pandemic has made it harder to meet with people face-to-face, so lawyers have started to rely more heavily on video technology for their work. You can now have consultation sessions and meet with your attorney through FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype instead of driving to their office every time.
One more way you can search for a lawyer online is to register for free on LegalMatch and follow our steps to get matched with the right attorney for your exact situation.
Your First Step to Get Legal Help
Your first step to get legal help is to call or email a law firm to schedule your consultation meeting. You’ll find that many lawyers will give you this first consultation at no charge to you.
This free consultation helps you and the lawyer see if you’re the right match. It gives you a chance to choose if you want to hire that particular attorney and helps the lawyer understand your case so they can tell you clearly if they’re not the right fit for your situation.
A corporate lawyer might focus only on the courtroom litigation side of cases instead of negotiations and contract work. This means they might not be the right choice for your particular legal needs.
Consultations can happen over the phone or in person. Either way, you should still gather a few key items before your meeting. You’ll want to have the court name ready, along with the type of hearing, your court date, the hearing paperwork itself, and any other documents that relate to your case. You should also be ready to give a quick but simple summary of what happened in your situation.
You should also make a list of questions about the lawyer’s services and their track record with cases similar to yours. LegalMatch can connect you with the right attorney for your particular needs.
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Questions You Should Ask Your Lawyer
Anyone who’s ready to take legal action needs to know a few key points before they start the process. You’ll want to ask your lawyer some questions early on so you won’t face any setbacks once your case gets underway.
First, start with the money questions. Find out how your lawyer charges for their legal services. This means asking if they use flat fees, contingency fees, hourly rates, or some other structure. Ask about any extra costs that might come up on top of their attorney fees and what those costs might cover.
Talk through strategy and timing next. Ask your lawyer to explain their plan for your case and go over the benefits and disadvantages of that strategy. Find out how long this type of case usually takes to resolve and if you have any alternatives available besides pursuing court action.
Make sure to talk about their background and communication style. You want to know what type of experience they have with similar cases. Ask how frequently they’ll update you on your case progress and find out what information or documents you can supply to help strengthen your position.
Find out about the team and possible results. Ask about who’ll be working on your case, whether that means experts, paralegals or other lawyers, and what each person will cost. You should also talk about what might happen with your lawsuit or negotiation, so you understand the different possible results.
How Do I Find a Lawyer Near Me?
At LegalMatch, we operate as a business software platform that connects users with local lawyers in their area. Here’s how the process works for you: you register for free on our website and present your case through a detailed submission form. The website will ask you particular questions about what type of legal issue you have and in what location you need legal representation. You can choose your answers from pre-populated dropdown menus that we have designed to make the process smoother.
Right after you submit your case information to LegalMatch, lawyers who handle cases in the relevant legal field and practice in your selected geographic area will receive an email notification about your case. These notified lawyers will review all your case information and choose if they have the capacity and experience to take on your particular legal matter. Lawyers who believe they can help will respond directly to you with a personal message that contains their full lawyer profile, which covers their fee structure, professional background, client ratings, and other relevant credentials.
You can then take your time to read through client reviews and look at each lawyer’s professional background to decide which attorney or attorneys appear to be the best match for your particular situation. Once you choose a lawyer who seems right for your case, you can respond directly to their email message to start the conversation. From there, you have the opportunity to schedule your free first consultation with them, which lets them start working on your legal matter very quickly and efficiently.
