Legal matters seem to arise when you are least expecting
them, which means you have to find a good lawyer quickly to
get things settled. With all the names in the phone book
it is difficult to know who to hire and what questions to
ask. This article gives you ten important tips for you to
follow to get the best lawyer for your needs.

1) Is the lawyer experienced with your matter?

There are many different kinds of law, and the lawyer your
best friend recommended may not have expertise in the area
of your situation. For example, an arts and entertainment
lawyer would not handle a divorce case and a criminal
lawyer wouldn't feel comfortable handling a patent law
question. Asking about his area of expertise will help you
decide if this is the perfect lawyer.

If you have special requirements, tell the lawyer about
them before hiring him to make sure he can accommodate you.

It's important to make sure you can communicate with your
lawyer and be comfortable while settling your legal matter.
If you have special needs or items that need to be taken
into consideration you might want to use those needs to
help you narrow down your lawyer search. For example, if
you're not a native speaker of English, maybe a lawyer that
is bilingual would be more helpful when it comes to
understanding the full details of your case.

3) As with any professional, ask for references and make
sure you follow through with calling them.

A good lawyer takes pride in his work and would be happy to
have you talk to satisfied clients. Ask these references if
they were satisfied with how the lawyer handled the case,
if they were charged fairly and if they had any
reservations about using them again.

4) Is the first appointment free?

When calling lawyers you'll want to find out if the first
appointment is free so you can plan ahead with your budget.
In some cases, you are offered a free initial consultation
period so that the lawyer can get to know you and see if
the case is right for them. During this period they will
hear your matter, discuss the direction to follow to solve
the problem and let you have a basic estimated cost.

5) What are my options?

Will you pursue settling the matter out of court? It's good
to know what legal options you'll have, if any. A good
lawyer should be able to give you a brief outline of the
steps he will take to get to the bottom of your case. Your
case may be complicated and have many steps with motions to
be filed and motions hearings. It could also be a simple
case that can be settled in a single court date. If you're
lucky, the matter can be settled out of court, saving you a
bundle in court costs. Your lawyer will know the best
course to take for your personal interests. As always, ask
questions if you don't understand what your lawyer is
telling you.

6) Who will handle my case?

In a small law firm you may have only a lawyer working on
your matter, but in larger firms your lawyer may assign
your case to a paralegal or another associate that helps
out in the law firm. Having these assistants work with the
lawyer on your case may help to keep the costs down.

7) If I have a question, how long can I expect to wait to
hear back, and how will you communicate?

Communication is a big key to solving your legal matter in
an efficient way. You don't want to be calling your lawyer
every day as that can be annoying and distracting,
especially if there's nothing new going on in your case.
Remember that your lawyer will have court dates and times
he'll have to attend for other clients so when you make a
call you may not hear from him until the end of the
business day. Plus, you will pay out of your own pocket for
each phone call your lawyer makes on behalf of your case,
including to you.

Ask what time of the day is best to reach the lawyer. If
you can, save up your questions and ask several at a time
to make your phone call more efficient, but don't hesitate
to call if you have a pressing matter that can't wait.

You should also find out how the lawyer prefers to
communicate. Some lawyers may prefer to phone while others
might find a quick email easier to answer. Others may like
to drop a letter in the mail. As long as you know when and
how you'll hear from your lawyer you can keep your mind on
more pressing matters.

8) What will it cost for your services?

In the first consultation visit your lawyer won't know the
exact amount you'll be charged for his services but he
should know a ballpark figure from working on other cases
like yours. In most cases you'll be expected to pay a
retainer fee upfront. A retainer fee is a fee you'll pay to
secure the lawyer's services, to hire him.

Don't be afraid to shop different lawyer's fees. Sometimes
you can negotiate your fees or get lower fees if a junior
lawyer or a paralegal handles some of your case.

9) What are the legal fees, and how will I be billed?

There are two kinds of legal fees: professional costs and
disbursements.

Professional fees cover a lawyer's time and effort dealing
with your case. For example, time spent in court, in
meetings or on the phone with you and time spent
researching information are covered in this area. There are
different ways of charging for professional costs:

An hourly rate may be applied to some types of cases.

A flat-rate fee could be applied for the amount of work the
lawyer will perform. For example, if you need the lawyer to
simply prepare some documents you may be charged a flat
rate fee.

No win, no fee agreement. This means if you don't win your
case in court, you won't have to pay for the lawyer's time.
Usually you will have to cover any disbursement costs.

Disbursements are costs a lawyer pays out to people
associated with the case, such as fees of assorted reports,
cost of making copies and other such expenses. In most
cases, even a no win, no fee agreement you'll have to pay
your lawyer for disbursements.

You'll want to make sure your bill outlines the different
services you are paying for. For example, if he's spent 3
hours on the phone with you it should be outlined on your
bill. Make sure you understand all of the charges and ask
questions if you don't.

Also, asking when the lawyer expects to be paid will help
you to sort out your budget and get your funds in order.

10) Ask for brochures and a copy of the retainer agreement
to go over to help you make a decision.

A lot of law firms and lawyers will have informative
documentation and brochures describing their services. The
retainer's agreement is a form that sets up the schedule of
fees and payments up front. You'll want to read this
carefully to make sure you understand what you're getting
into before hiring this lawyer.

In Conclusion.

Having to deal with a legal matter can be frustrating and
costly, especially if you don't choose the right lawyer to
handle your case. Knowing what to ask and what to expect
will help you find the right lawyer so you can focus on
getting your legal problems settled.