their lives without signing up with a lawyer. At some point a need may
arise, however. And it's at that point that the realization kicks in – I
have no idea which lawyer is right for me.
The good news is, there is no absolutely correct answer for every person
and every circumstance. Your own good judgment may be your best tool
when you go out to select a lawyer to work with. In a very real sense,
the decision regarding which lawyer is right for you may hinge on what
type of situation you find yourself in. The lawyer you might choose to
defend you in a capital murder case might be a very different individual
than the one you select to draw up your will. Just as the vehicle you
choose to travel to Europe on a vacation would likely be very different
than the vehicle you choose for a trip to the grocery store.
Your goal is simple. You want a lawyer who you feel advises you well,
represents you professionally, and perhaps most important of all –
listens to you. Of course finding what you want is not always as easy as
identifying what you need.
Lawyers tend to work for law firms. And law firms come in all shapes and
sizes. Some are sole-proprietorships, where a single lawyer works with a
small staff to represent a relatively small group of clients. Other law
firms are partnerships that feature two or three lawyers working with a
somewhat larger staff to serve a larger number of clients. And there are
massive firms that employ literally hundreds of lawyers along with
substantial staffing in order to represent a staggering number of clients.
Which firm you choose is entirely up to you. Whether you go big, get
small, or work with a firm that falls somewhere in between, the key is
in finding a firm, and a lawyer, where you feel comfortable, confident,
and secure. Hiring a lawyer may be the one time in life when being
completely selfish is the reasonable thing to do. After all, you hire a
lawyer to service your needs. It's absolutely alright to embrace that
reality on occasion and look inward to help you make your selection.
You have undoubtedly heard disclaimers on television or radio that
acknowledge the hiring a lawyer is an important decision that should not
be based on advertisements. That is very true. In fact, at one time
lawyers were not even allowed to advertise, exactly because the hiring
of a lawyer is such an important issue in most people's lives. So don't
be shy about asking for a description of a lawyer's credentials. There
is nothing rude or offensive about asking such a reasonable question.
You can also be confident that it is entirely alright to ask about what
type of law a prospective lawyer or firm deals in most frequently. Be a
conscientious consumer. Ask any question you need to know the answer to
in order to be confident moving forward. You're shopping for a service
provider, so go ahead and ask all the questions you want, talk to the
staff, pose questions to your potential lawyer. Make sure you have found
the exact provider you want to work with before you get down to
business. Because it's your business that matters, and it's you who
should be satisfied that the arrangement you have with your lawyer is a
good fit.
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