Contrary to public opinion, attorneys are actually held to a very strict set of ethical, professional, and qualification standards. However, this doesn’t mean that some lawyers aren’t better than others. A good lawyer can mean the difference between you winning or losing a case or in how much that you collect as a result of your case.
While sometimes even the most skilled and successful attorneys are unable to get you the result that you most desire from your legal action, your chances of success can go up or down dramatically as a result of the quality of your attorney. But how can you tell a high quality attorney from a low quality one? And how can you find a good attorney? While there is no one way, there are some steps that you can take.
Decide what type of attorney that you will need. While in most states any attorney may practice any type of law, and many attorneys practice in multiple areas, most lawyers specialize in one area of the law or a few closely related ones. This is because the law is so complex that specialization is necessary in order to become adept in any one area. If you need a particular type of legal work done, the best attorneys will likely be those that regularly practice that type of legal work. Even the very best criminal attorney in the country may not be particularly useful in a personal injury case and vice versa.
As a general rule, anything involving divorce and custody proceedings will be handled by a family attorney, as will matters involving parentage and adoption. If you need help writing, defending, or attacking a will or trust, you will want to go to an estates and trusts attorney. Property attorneys handle all sorts of disputes involving land. If you are charged with a crime, you will want to be represented by a criminal attorney.
Most state bar associations will have lists of lawyers who practice in certain areas. If you are unsure of what are of the lawyer your particular legal action will require, you can either find out online or contact a lawyer in a field that sounds like what you will need. That lawyer will either be able to help you or point you in the right direction.
There are many other steps you can use to find a good lawyer. For example, while some young attorneys are the most talented, one of the surest signs of a quality attorney is their level of experience. Lawyers who have been practicing law the longest will typically be of the most assistance to you.
While every lawyer within each firm is different, the most reputable firms will only hire and keep the best attorneys. Typically, it is easier to check the reputation of a firm than those of individual attorneys as well. One of the most important ways to tell if a lawyer is going to be a good one is the level of comfort that you feel when meeting them. This person is going to be your counselor and confidant during some of the most difficult times you are likely to experience. Everything will be much easier if you are comfortable with and trust your attorney.
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I had a very crooked rip off attorney who was my neighbor and I trusted. He ripped off $25,000 from my real estate settlement.
A bar association complaint takes up to 2 years and you may not even get your money back even if the lawyer is disciplined.
I filed a complaint and to get more personal created a web site to warn others, ajamesantonini.com .