As if life weren’t already crazy enough, you’ve found yourself in a jam. Perhaps you were an essential worker that got injured on the job, involved in an auto accident, are going through a divorce, or have a disgruntled customer that’s filed a claim against your business. Whatever the problem is, it’s reached a point where you need a legal expert to resolve the matter. The only problem is, you have no idea what to look for. Continue reading to learn more. 

Education and Licensing

Allowing someone without the proper education and licensing to handle your legal issue could make things harder for you in the end. As the legal system is complex, you want someone that has studied it extensively to ensure that your rights are protected, and legal processes are handled according to the letter of the law. 

When searching for attorneys, check their professional website, online portfolio, or social media accounts to learn about their education and licensing. If it cannot be found there, you can also inquire with a phone call or email. 

Experience and Success Rates

Though everyone has to start somewhere and not all cases will result in a win, you do want an attorney who has the best chances of getting your favorable results. The more experience a legal professional has, the sharper their skills are in getting their clients’ best outcomes. A firm website or online portfolio can give you more insight into their experience. As for learning about success rates, this may be a question best asked during your consultation. 

Legal Strategies

The best attorneys have used their experience, wins, and losses to develop strategies that work best for their clients. If you’re going to resolve your legal issue, it is highly recommended that you find out what those strategies are. The best way to learn more about the methods used is to ask during consultation. 

While your questions should be geared towards your legal needs, some might include: What steps do they take to reach out to the opposing party? Do they try mediation, negotiations, and settlements outside of the courtroom, or do they take all of their cases to trial? If your case does go to trial, do they rely on resources like private investigators or a mock jury to help them perfect their craft and tell your side of the story? 

Location and Availability

Each locality has a different set of rules and regulations. As such, you need an attorney that services the area where you live and work. Secondly, you want to hire someone who is available when you need them most. While attorneys are frequently busy, working with someone who doesn’t return calls, complete paperwork, or meet deadlines in a timely fashion will only harm you in the end. Therefore, it is essential to ask about communication methods, turnaround times, and processes to ensure the attorney meets their clients’ needs. Anderson & Graham is a Denver-based family law attorney and is a prime example of always meeting their client’s needs. There are good attorneys out there, you just have to do your research and pay attention to how they interact with you right off the bat. If it is hard to get ahold of anyone in the beginning, that is probably how the whole interaction will be. 

Personality and Rapport

You’re going to be spending quite a bit of time working with your attorney. Your honesty and openness during the process will be pertinent to find some resolve. From communicating intimate details about your personal life to discussing your case’s progress, you’ll be coordinating regularly. As a result, it is highly recommended that you find someone with a personality that meshes with yours. You also want someone that has a track record of success with previous clients. 

While an attorney’s personality can be depicted through a short consultation, their reputation will require a bit more digging. You can check online review sites to see how others have rated an attorney you’re interested in. You can also ask directly for a list of clients or references you can call for more details on their personality and character. 

There are instances in life when you need a legal professional’s assistance to resolve matters you can handle on your own. As these problems can hurt your personal and professional life, you need the help of someone you can truly count on. Though there are plenty of legal experts out there, use the criteria above to select the ideal candidate for you.