If you’re lucky, you’ll never need to hire a lawyer. Chances are, however, that you will require legal services at some point in your life. Things happen to even the most law-abiding citizen. You just never know, so being prepared is essential.
For instance, 4.8 million Americans have been victims of fraudulent weight-loss products. Wouldn’t you want to take legal action to ensure that justice is served and that you are compensated? Of course, you would! But where do you start?
Your first step will be to find reliable and affordable legal help. The Internet is an invaluable resource for information. Do some research. If you come across a local lawyer’s website, read carefully to determine if their legal services will be helpful to you in your particular situation. Over half of the lawyers in solo practices have websites, and 81 percent of lawyers working in law offices have online sites as well. A recent poll revealed that 44 percent of people are very to somewhat likely to check a lawyer’s website before hiring. With the world wide web at your fingertips, finding an attorney in your area should not be too difficult.
Once you have found a suitable lawyer, be sure that he or she can answer the following questions:
- How long have you been practicing law?
- Do you belong to any specialized bar associations?
- Who is your typical client?
- Have you handled this type of case in the past? If so, were you successful?
- What are your fees? How much will this cost me total?
- How will I be billed?
- Will you be the sole attorney on this case, or will other lawyers or paralegals in your office take the case?
- Do you have a written agreement for representation? Can I read it ahead of time?
- How will we be communicating, and how often?
- What potential problems do you foresee in my case?
- Based on what you know now, what do you believe is the most likely outcome of my case?
Only hire a confident lawyer that makes you feel comfortable. Many clients who are inexperienced with legal issues make the mistake of remaining detached from all decisions and let the lawyer handle everything. Rather, you should stay involved and always ask questions.