How Finding the Right Lawyer Can Make All the Difference

How Finding the Right Lawyer Can Make All the Difference

Choosing a lawyer can be overwhelming. Scrolling through names, websites, specializations, non-profits, and more can easily take up your day. How are you supposed to tell which options are the best? If you find yourself looking for a Personal Injury lawyer, that task can seem even more daunting when you’re also juggling the events and outcomes that led to you needing a lawyer in the first place. With so much information to sort through, it’s entirely too easy to click on the first Google result and go from there.

When preparing for a lawsuit, you want to know that the Personal Injury Lawyer of your choice will get the job done. You need to know that they have experience and a proven track record. Other criteria can include if they’re a part of the American Association for Justice, what their customer reviews look like, and even whether their lawyers have contributed articles in national publications.

As you are beginning the search for a Personal Injury Lawyer, here are some tips for finding the right lawyer for your case.

Table of Contents

  1. Check their Web Presence
  2. Look for Reviews
  3. Schedule a Consultation
  4. Read the Contract
  5. Keeping in Touch

Check their Web Presence

Let’s be honest: if a lawyer doesn’t have a web presence, you probably won’t find them in the first place. But the existence of a website isn’t the only way to evaluate a web presence. First, there’s the quality of the website itself. You can judge a law firm’s website with the following questions:

  • How does it look? 
  • Is it easily readable?
  • Is it easy to navigate? 
  • Can you find information quickly? 
  • Do they highlight their accomplishments on the front page?
  • Is it easy to find their contact form?
  • Can you read about their lawyers, satisfied customers, and case settlements?
  • Do they have social media?

The more you can say ‘yes’ to those questions, the better the web presence.

Look for Reviews

One of the best tactics for evaluating any service is reviews. Professional and individual reviews can help you get an overall picture of the quality of service you can expect, including from law firms. Organizations like AVVO, Martindale-Hubble, and the Better Business Bureau can help. Other sources include Google, Yelp, and Lawyers.com. It’s always a good idea to check multiple review sources to get a full picture.

Schedule a Consultation

Once you’ve narrowed down the list with lawyers who have an excellent web presence and good reviews, it’s time to get more personal. Call them to see if the personal injury firm offers free consultations. If they do, schedule a time to speak with one of their lawyers. There is nothing like a face-to-face discussion to help solidify your choice— or to let you know it won’t work out. You want to ensure that your lawyer is able to explain things clearly and that the pair of you get along. You don’t want to spend case hours stuck with someone you find insufferable, especially if you are the injured party.

Read the Contract

If you are ready to hire a lawyer, then it’s time to read the fine print: the contract. Never let a lawyer pressure you into skimming or signing in the blank. You need to know what you are agreeing to on paper, and you need to know that it matches what you have already discussed. Every industry has its cons, and this will directly impact your finances. Once you’ve read through the contract— and are sure you understand the terms —you are free to sign on the dotted line and let your lawyer take over the claim.

Keeping in Touch

You won’t need to be emailing or calling your lawyer every day. If you want consistent updates, then it’s a good idea to work out a check-in schedule during your consultation and contract. This way, you can keep informed regarding your case without taking too much time away from your lawyer’s schedule. Remember, they are likely working on more than one case and have to wait on responses— they won’t have an update every day. They will call you if anything urgent comes up before the scheduled check-in.

Leave a Review

Once your case is over, your contract has ended. Now that you are not actively working with your lawyer, you should leave a review for their firm. Someone will always be looking for a good lawyer, and your review could be the key to their search. This also helps maintain a good relationship with the firm should you need to retain their services again.

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