6 Considerations When Choosing an Attorney

You think you have a legal issue, and you want to find an attorney to consult with or possibly hire. You follow up on some suggestions from friends, consult with attorneys you may know personally, or find a couple attorneys from the ethers of the internet. You go to one or multiple consultations with attorneys that could potentially help you with your issue, and you are looking to hire. But how do you choose the best attorney for you? Below are a few things to keep in mind while trying to choose the right attorney for you:

1. Explore all options. Do not feel pressured to sign at the first consultation. If you have a deadline and feel good about the attorney, then that is a call for you to make. But attorneys are like anything else: you should do a little research so you have a better idea of who would be the best fit for you. You would not buy the first car you saw on the lot, or hire the first person who applied for a job with your company.
2. Attorneys are people too. If your points of view and goals do not match up, then think a lot harder about hiring that attorney. It is likely there is another attorney that better matches up with what you are trying to do.
3. Ask about scope. If you think you can do most of the work on your own but there is an attorney you would like to work with, ask the attorney if they do any other type of representation besides full scope representation. It is possible they do but don’t generally mention it, and it is likely to cost you less money up front and in the long run.
4. Be conscious of cost. Attorneys are expensive. That doesn’t mean that the most expensive attorney is the best, and the cheapest attorney is the worst. This is your life and your money. If you don’t feel comfortable with the attorney personally, and the cost is causing you doubt, you might want to consider looking elsewhere.
5. Be careful of online reviews. Like anything else, people only tend to post reviews when they have had the very best, or the very worst, experience. An added element in the legal community is that attorneys can review attorneys on certain websites. If you want to be make sure the review is from a client, do a quick search to make sure.
6. Go with your gut. If an attorney doesn’t feel right, walk away. You do not want to spend thousands of dollars on an attorney to help with an aspect of your life that is potentially very personal, and not feel good about it.