Jilbean

The area of law is intimidating for people who don't know much about it. Thankfully, learning about lawyers and how to find a good one is possible. Keep reading to learn more about what to expect from a lawyer.
Talk to a lawyer about their history. The fact that a lawyer passed the bar does not by itself make him a good attorney. You want to have confidence in the person representing you, and knowing his history will ease your mind.
If you need a lawyer for a business matter, ask other people in the same business for recommendations. Business people that need lawyers on a regular basis may be able to separate the wheat from the chaff more effectively than the man on the street. If you need a lawyer for your small business, contact other small business owners such as accountants or real estate brokers to see if they can recommend some lawyers to you. These types of people are frequently interacting with lawyers and can provide more informed judgements.
Before signing contracts, be sure the lawyer has won some cases that are similar to yours. The fact that an attorney specializes in handling cases like the one you have does not guarantee he will win yours. If your lawyer is not willing to provide you with information on their past cases, then you should think about hiring a different lawyer for your situation.
Decide ahead of time what kind of budget you have to work with. Make sure you have plenty to cover the costs. If you have certain attorneys in mind, do your research on their fee structure. Speak with them about what you are expecting to spend and achieve. Understand what cost overruns are potentially there.
When choosing a lawyer, check into their reputation thoroughly. Get information from the state bar and from online resources with reviews on attorneys, and you can find enough information to help you make a decision about a certain lawyer. That can save you money, time and aggravation, later.
Prior to selecting a lawyer, speak with the bar association where you live so that you can find out if any kinds of complaints have been filed against that person. If they have a few complaints, it need not act as a deal breaker; just make sure to not hire someone if they have a mile long list of complaints.
Hire a lawyer who specializes in cases such as yours. Attorneys specialize in all things from real estate to criminal law and all else in between. If you sort your possible lawyers by specialty, you can hone in on just the right ones to pursue.
If your attorney is super-busy, it may be a while before he works on your case. Verify with your lawyer beforehand if he has time to handle your case. Most lawyers will be honest if they can't take your case, so if that happens, just look for someone else.
No one wants to need a lawyer. However, when you know more about them and how to find the right one, you can prepare yourself for anything that might happen. Ideally, the advice will help you through your toughest times.