How to Hire an Attorney
Having no legal experience, how are you going to be able to evaluate whether you have the best lawyers for your claim?
Most people can make it through life without ever having to hire an attorney. We hire attorneys to draft our wills, to get out kids our of trouble, to get a divorce, to administer an estate and to take care of that car accident. Many people do not even think about hiring a lawyer for a workplace injury and haven’t a clue how to find a lawyer who knows about this type of law.
All attorneys are not equal. Very few attorneys, in fact, have gone to court for anything other than a speeding ticket. But then again, how are you supposed to know that? First of all, there are a variety of ways to gauge whether an attorney is well qualified. There are a variety of national and regional peer review rating services where attorneys are rated by other attorneys and judges: Matindale and Hubble, Best Lawyers in America, Superlawyers as well as local magazines and newspapers. Typically it is better to rely on rating services that are not disguised marketing tools. Martindale, Best Lawyers and Superlawyer are not publications you can buy your way into. That is not to say that attorney who are well rated may then pay to advertise such as taking a “profile” in Superlawyer on the basis of quarter page, etc. Stay away from ratings supplied by the internet itself as that is far to easy to manipulate.
Talk to a friend who has had a similar problem, ask another lawyer or judge and of course, use the internet to find all of this stuff. Look to see what type of experience the lawyer possesses, what honors or awards or recognition. Not all lawyers are well known and may not have a rating. That does not mean that they are not qualified as it is difficult to get known in one’s field as there are a ton of lawyers out there. By far, the best method is a referral from a knowledgeable source.
How much do lawyers charge and how do they get paid?
Different types of lawyers charge for service differently based upon the type of case that is involved. Most personal injury lawyers will charge on a contingency fee basis where the attorney takes a portion of any recovery, typically one third to 40%. Lawyers can take cases on a contingency when they believe that they have a significant chance of recovery and that the lawyer’s expectations are in line with the client’s. The greater the damages, the greater chance the attorney may be willing to take as greater damages generally mean that the case has settlement value.
It is only where a person can recover enough money in damages that an attorney can charge on a contingency. In many cases, there are no damages or recovery from which to draw a fee and attorney charge on either an hourly basis and sometimes on a flat fee. Where the attorney knows how much time will be needed to take the case, the attorney can charge on a flat rate basis such as District Court Criminal matters. In most other areas such as divorce, advice and consultation or transactional matters, most attorney charge on an hourly basis typically ranging from $200 to $700 an hour. Those that charge the highest rates are in very large law firms that cater to large corporations. Aside from the large firms, the other lawyers charge in the area of $200-$450 and hour based upon experience.
Sometimes rates are dictated by what clients can afford. In this practice, many clients, particularly those who have lost their jobs cannot afford high hourly rates. We attempt to shift as much work from attorneys to paralegals to save our clients money and too make our services more affordable. We are aware of your financial situation and we try to make our services available to all who need it. We have voluntarily chosen to represent workers and small businesses who can ill afford the high rates large firm attorneys charge but still want the best lawyers.
In appropriate cases where the possible recovery can justify offering contingency fees, we will do that as most clients prefer a rate that does not involve them having to pay out of their pocket for attorney fees. At the time of consultation, the attorney will discuss the fee structure with you and will do what we can to make our services affordable and available to you. You should always feel free to discuss fees with attorneys as they all are required do so under the rules of professional responsibility.
Finally, you should feel comfortable with your attorney as you must be able to confide in that person so as to enable them to properly represent you. If you have any questions about any of this, feel free to call.
