Lawyers are a dime a dozen and many do not have a great reputation for providing the best legal services or representation for their clients. In addition, lawyers tend to charge exorbitant legal fees billing their clients for everything and anything from a short telephone call to having a junior lawyer research their case.
Finding a lawyer with a good reputation may therefore be a challenge. But with a little time and research, you are sure to get the top Attorneys at law advice and representation that you deserve. The following guide will give you some useful steps that you can take to establish whether your lawyer has a good reputation.
1. Qualifications, Skills And Experience
A reputable lawyer will have the necessary qualifications to provide you with the legal services that you require so check these first. They will also have developed the skills over years of practice to navigate the legal and justice system to your benefit. Experience is key to finding a lawyer with a solid reputation. Lawyers are unlikely to have a successful practice for an extended period of time if they are unable to provide their clients with quality legal services.
2. Area Of Specialization
Lawyers specialize in different areas of the law. For example, a family lawyer will not be able to provide you with adequate representation in a criminal case and a criminal lawyer will probably not be very useful in assisting you with settling a divorce. It is therefore important to determine what type of lawyer you need before establishing their reputation in their specific field or area of specialty. If you have used a lawyer in a different field of the law before, ask them if they can recommend an expert in the area where you require legal advice or representation.
It is also a good idea to establish the type of skills that your are in need of. Do you need a lawyer who is an expert at negotiating a settlement or one that has a great success rate at representing clients in court? While one lawyer may have a good reputation at providing one type of legal service, they may not be able to offer expertise in other areas.
3. Word Of Mouth
Reputable lawyers rely heavily on word of mouth to establish a good reputation in their field of practice. So ask friends, colleagues and family members if they can recommend a lawyer with whom they have had a good experience. Once again, be specific about the area of the law that you require legal assistance with and make sure that a referral is based on a good personal experience. Don't take recommendations where a lawyer is just a friend of a friend or a relation as this is not a good way to establish a good reputation.
4. Social Media
Technology and the internet have made the world a far smaller place and finding information much simpler. Social media is a great place to look for a lawyer and establish their reputation. Read comments, complaints and compliments to find out exactly what existing or previous clients think of a specific lawyer and the services that they have provided. You can also ask for recommendations or referrals on your social media platforms.
5. Peer Network
A lawyer should have a good reputation with his clients as well as his peers. In other words, he or she should be well respected by other lawyers, attorneys and legal professionals in the same field. So call other lawyers and find out who they would recommend to provide you with the legal services that your require.
6. Work-load
A reputable lawyer will never take on a case-load that is unmanageable and prevents them from providing fair and adequate legal services to all their clients. Avoid lawyers that have a high case turnover or that take on a large workload. However, be aware that not all legal service required the same level of attention. Drawing up a contract such as a standard prenuptial agreement could take a few minutes whereas creating a defense in a murder trial would required far more attention.
At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide whether you trust a lawyer and believe that they have the ability to provide you with reputable and expert legal services.