8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Attorney

Are you fighting a legal battle but don’t know where to turn? The first thing you’ve got to do is consider hiring an attorney that knows what it takes to help you achieve the outcome you’ve been looking for.

The trouble is that you can’t hire just anyone to do the job. You’ve got to hire the best attorney out there because, in some circumstances, it can mean the difference between a settlement that covers personal injury costs or being left with nothing.

We’ve taken the time to compile a list of questions that you need to ask each attorney before you settle for legal services. Read on now and be prepared to receive the legal help you require.

1. Do You Handle Cases Like Mine?

There are several areas that an attorney can specialize in. This means that the first question you need to ask before moving forward with the attorneys near you is if they handle cases like yours.

By asking this question, you can identify if they practice the area of law your case falls within. It also will help you to reduce the list of potential attorneys when you’re looking to find a serious injury lawyer.

One thing to remember is that some attorneys specialize in several different legal areas. However, there’s always one area they practice more of over the other areas they happen to take care of as well.

If the lawyer does handle cases like yours, you can move forward with asking some of the other questions we have listed.

2. How Long Have You Been Practicing?

This question isn’t to say that new attorneys can’t represent you, but depending on the severity of your case; it’s always better to choose representation that knows the ins and outs of the law. Due to the experience they’ve gained over the course of several years; they can detail potential outcomes ahead of time.

They also have a deeper understanding of the evidence and documentation that needs to be collected. As well as expert witnesses that may need to be called to testify.

If the attorney has been practicing for an extended period, it will also be beneficial to ask about their success rate. If they’ve handled several cases such as yours, you will want to know if they are component enough to get the most favorable outcome for their clients.

A lawyer won’t win every case, but if all their cases go south in one way or another, they may not be the attorney you want to hire. One way to determine if past clients have been happy with the legal help they’ve received is to review past testimonials.

3. What Approach Do You Use To Win Cases?

Most attorneys use a strategy when they take on a new case. It’s crucial to understand what technique the attorney and their team use because the last thing you want is to be confused about what they’re doing when you head to court.

While you might not understand every angle of your case they plan to attack, you should understand the overall approach they are using. For instance, if the attorney is one that wins, by all means, this might not be the best person to represent you.

Mainly because you have no idea to what lengths they’re willing to go to win. The best way to determine if the approach used by the attorney aligns with your values and morals is to create a list of things you want in the attorney that represents you.

4. Are There Any Other Avenues/Methods That Can Solve My Case?

Because of advancements in the legal arena, several avenues can be used to solve a case these days. For instance, if someone is going through a divorce, one way to settle things is to attend mediation and discuss together ways to separate assets.

It gives the couple a chance to take a more mild approach versus heading directly to court. The same can happen in your case, but you’ll never know if you don’t take the time to ask before things get underway.

If several methods can be used to help you reach a resolution, you’re going to want to know about them. Your attorney is the best person to detail and provide the information you need about each solution.

5. What Is The Cost?

We’d love to say that legal services are free, but that’s not the case. This is why the next question you need to ask is what the cost is to retain an attorney to help fight your case.

Before settling on one attorney, you need to create a list of the attorneys in your area and the cost to hire each one. From there, weigh the pros and cons and then begin to slowly cross them off the list until you’re ready to make your final hire.

When you’re told the cost of retaining a lawyer, you also need to ask about hourly fees and the percentage they will take if you win your case. Each attorney is different, which means they will charge different prices.

You’ll want to know the price upfront because the last thing anyone needs when recovering from an injury is to be surprised when they see the invoice sent to them by their legal team.

6. What Methods Of Communication Are Used?

There are several ways that many legal professionals use to communicate with their clients. However, it’s crucial to ensure the one being used is one that will work for you and your needs.

Before you move forward with hiring your attorney, ask about their communication methods. When there is a new development in your case, what will they do to update you on what’s going on?

If you happen to have a question and need to get in conduct with them as soon as possible, what is the turnaround time for them to respond to your question?

If the attorney doesn’t have a straightforward method of communication, you can again review their past client testimonials. If communication was a sore spot with some of the clients, you’d hear about it.

Having poor communication with clients when it comes to legal matters is a huge red flag and should be enough to deter you from hiring some attorneys.

7. What Are The Chances You’ll Win?

Everyone wants to know the odds that they will win their case. Mainly because if the chances of winning are low, you might determine that spending the money to hire a lawyer simply isn’t going to be worth it.

To assess whether your case will be successful or not, you might have to pay a small fee for a consultation. Some attorneys offer it for free, but this type of question would require an in-depth answer.

If there is a fee that you need to pay to book a consultation, this can be scheduled with the secretary that organizes all of the appointments for the practice’s attorneys.

To provide that answer, the attorney will ask several questions about your case. Ensure you provide all the essential details to receive the best response and determine your next steps.

Once they’ve helped you determine if your case is strong enough, you can move forward if this is the lawyer you’ve chosen to hire.

8. How Long Does It Take To Resolve Cases?

Regarding legal services, the longer it takes to resolve your case, the more money it will cost you in the long run. Therefore you’re going to want to know how much time it typically takes the attorney to settle cases before you move forward with signing any form of a contract to work with them.

Remember, each case that a lawyer works on is unique, which means there’s no specific time frame for each case. That said, the attorney can let you know how long it typically takes them to pass through each phase of the legal process based on the specifics of your case.

By doing this, you can gauge how long your case may take from start to finish.

Questions To Ask An Attorney

When you’re hiring an attorney, there are several things you need to do before hiring one, including asking a list of questions. By asking the questions we’ve provided above, you can determine if the attorney is right for you.

Are you still searching for more insightful posts about legal services and other related topics? Check out some of the other posts we’ve created in this section just for you.