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Are you facing legal challenges in your personal life or in your business? If so, you are likely looking for your next lawyer. In this post, we offer suggestions about what to look for in an attorney.
What’s the Best Way to Find a Lawyer?
Having someone to represent you in a legal suit, whether criminal or civil, is the most important step toward safeguarding your rights. It’s the only way to ensure you will get justice.
However, choosing your next lawyer is both an art and science. You need to perform rigorous research and due diligence to find one who will perfectly suit your needs. Additionally, you also need an attorney whose representation won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Great lawyers are not found in specific places. Your next lawyer could have an office in a high rise building. Alternatively, your new attorney could await you in a solo office. Or you might find her or him by searching online directories.
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But just what qualities should you look for when you’re looking for your next lawyer?
You Need to Feel Comfortable with Your Next Lawyer
Legal proceedings often take a few weeks, months, or in some cases years. Therefore, you want your next lawyer to be someone with whom you feel comfortable. Plan on building a comfortable and open relationship with your legal counsel.
In this way, you will develop the confidence to be completely honest with your attorney. Honesty is an essential element for a fruitful working relationship.
Is the Fee Affordable and Payment Structure Transparent?
An attorney’s fee is an important aspect many people look for when they seek to engage the services of their next lawyer.
However, when considering the payment plan, it is important to consider other variables. For example, is the attorney proposing a flat rate? Or do they charge by the hour? Some attorneys charge a percentage, especially if the case is a compensation claim.
If you have a small dispute, it may not make financial sense to hire an expensive lawyer. Also, you need to know if you should expect to pay extra for court filing fees, document preparation, and other costs.
Inquire About the Counsel’s Track Record
Before you consider the charges, however, you need to search the lawyer or his or her law firm on the Internet. Check with the Better Business Bureau or contact some of the Bar Associations in your region. In this way, you can ascertain the credibility of your next lawyer.
Read the reviews from his or her previous clients and any other comments or opinions, both professional and personal. Reviews can help you make the best decision.
Next, if the lawyer has had any misconduct charges, client complaints, or accusations of malpractice, you’ll need to rethink your decision.
Ask Next About Your Lawyer’s Experience
Does the lawyer have the requisite experience to handle your specific matter? Is it the first time they are handling such a matter or can they cite numerous scenarios such as yours?
If your case is not a serious one, perhaps you can hire a law firm that has modest experience. Even then, though, be sure they have retained a group of lawyers who have good knowledge of the subject matter that pertains to your case.
On the other hand, for a dispute such as a criminal case or a complex personal injury case, you need to hire only a seasoned attorney.
Your Next Lawyer Needs to Be a Good Communicator and Available
If the matter is one that is likely to take several months, such as a contentious divorce, you’ll need to someone who can continually update you.
One way to test the responsiveness of your next lawyer is by reserving some of your questions during a personal visit and asking them later via email. If the attorney takes ages before reading and responding, then you know he or she is either too busy to help you or is not concerned about providing legal services to you.
However, if you receive prompt responses to your emails or text messages, chances are you have found your next lawyer. But wait a moment. You also have to gauge them against other benchmarks we discuss here. Only then can you conclusively say they are the best to hire.
Who Is the Right lawyer to Hire in Atlanta?
As mentioned above, numerous qualities are used to determine the right attorney for you. Your next lawyer should score highly on each of the benchmarks.
When it comes to experience, mastery of the law, creativity, and good communication, Attorney Anthony Van Johnson ranks favorably among his peers in Atlanta, Georgia—such as Kyle Koester, Peter A. Law, David Van Sant, and Jason McLendon.
As a responsive, caring, and listening lawyer, Attorney Anthony Van Johnson understands that each legal matter means a lot to a client. This is why he is determined that his clients get the best possible outcomes.
Let Attorney Anthony Van Johnson take on your issues. His understanding of the state-side and Federal law relating to divorce, accident, and more is a clear sign you are on the path to justice and a fair administrative process.