How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Attorney
February 5, 2015 @ 8:00 am
If you are ever in need of legal representation, you may quickly realize you cannot simply hire any personal injury attorney you find online or see in a commercial. Choosing the right attorney depends on a few major factors, such as your legal situation, your comfort level with their expertise and their dynamic with you. For some, the comfort level an attorney provides his or her client is more important than service costs. Of course, everyone’s preference differs when it comes to choosing the “right” attorney. However, there are a few factors contributing to the personal injury attorney selection process regardless of an individual’s preference.
Comfort and Compatibility
You will spend a lot of time communicating with your attorney regarding your case. It is imperative you feel comfortable with your attorney. The more comfortable you are, the more effectively you will communicate and the more effective they will be.
Fee Transparency
A good attorney will be upfront about hourly fees, flat rate fees and additional fees. There should be no ambiguity when you inquire about fees.
Reputation and Experience
Do your research before choosing a personal injury lawyer. Utilize the Internet to search their record (complaints, malpractice, notable wins). Hopefully, you will discover your prospective attorney’s strengths and successes in their line of practice. Also, when investigating a lawyer’s reputation and experience, sometimes asking around town can proffer the best research.
Availability
Is it important to you that your lawyer will be able to meet with you throughout your case? Or is it ok if most of your communication will be done with the firm’s paralegal? These are questions you may want to address before you officially hire him or her.
Overall, when hiring the “right” attorney it comes down to rapport, reputation, and costs. Remember, feeling comfortable with an attorney you can afford, who is available to communicate with you and who has a good reputation can be the difference in whether or not your case is successful.
