Selecting the right Attorney.
In this day and age, there is virtually no limit to who can benefit from quality legal representation—and there is no telling when need for legal services might arise. Although many navigate life’s many twists and turns without relying on the advice of counsel, for many others, the time will come when a situation demands the assistance of an attorney who is both familiar with the law and able to ensure the law is applied in a manner that provides the best possible outcome for her or his client.
Regardless of the specific reason or need, once you’ve decided to employ the services of an attorney, your next big decision is which attorney to hire. Before attending law school, I spent nearly two decades working in the public safety, and I like many, mistakenly believed that an attorney is an attorney. I was wrong. Not only are not all attorneys created equally, not all attorneys share the professional drive, interpersonal skills, or possess the same levels of emotional intelligence. Moreover, most attorneys today focus only on specific areas of the law, which is to say not all attorneys are created alike. And picking the wrong attorney can prove a costly mistake for several different reasons.
By understanding a few basic principles and knowing a few simple questions to ask, anyone is capable of selecting the lawyer best suited to them and their situation:
First question: What’s the problem?
The situation you’re in will be the single most important factor used to determine what “type” of attorney you need. If you’ve been accused of a crime—you’ll need a criminal defense attorney. If you've been injured by another person, you need a personal injury attorney, if you’re starting a business you’ll want to consult a business attorney, and the list goes on. Whether you select an attorney at a large firm, or an attorney at a small firm, you’ll want to be sure she or he is experienced dealing with situations such as yours.
Second question: Big firm or little firm?
Big Firms:
Depending on whether your legal needs are isolated or ongoing, and depending on the complexity of your situation, you’ll want to consider the size of the attorney’s firm. Firm sizes range from a single attorney to upwards of one thousand. If you’re needs are quite expansive, and you have the funds to pay, a large firm might be your best bet. Large firms often comprise several distinct practice areas with sub-specialists within each one.
Much like a large hospital compared to the small doctor’s office, large firms are equipped to provide the full spectrum of legal services and can ensure each client receives specialized attention by assigning clients to other attorneys within the same firm, who practice in the areas best suited to meet their client’s needs.
The cost for this convenience found in large firms is often great—unlike small firms, focused on discrete legal matters and operating with small budgets, large firms tend to have much greater overhead and this overhead is passed along to clients.
Most large firms also operate pursuant to business models that may not be suited to accept you as a client. Finally, many large firms only work for large clients, like insurance agencies, corporations, and companies whose needs will ensure the firms many attorneys are kept busy—and the fees are getting paid.
Little Firms:
Small firms tend to be less expensive, less flashy, don’t have as many corner offices, and won’t be able to handle any and every situation one might face. While small firms can be limited in the services they provide—often, while limited in scope—the quality of legal services and attention given to individual clients and matters is superior to that of their big-firm counterparts.
If personalized service matters and your need is limited to a single matter or a few matters that involve the same area of the law, a small firm could make perfect sense. While complex cases or cases that grow beyond the capacity of the small firm may have to be referred out—it’s likely the level of attention you receive from your attorney (as well as her or his attention to you specifically) will be much better.
Third Question: Personality matters
Like with other professions, different attorneys have different approaches to how they interact with clients. Some attorneys will be deeply engaging for an hour and then seemingly disappear a month or two later with an update, whether good or bad, only to again find their way out of your attention for another significant period of time. Meanwhile, others, especially those a smaller caseload, or without significant support staff, will contact you frequently, during and outside of work hours, requesting information, discovery, and the like.
Some attorneys are more patient with their clients than others while others expect clients to know what they’re doing, provide information on a moment’s notice, and be available whenever the attorney is dealing with their matter.
The key here is understanding who you are and discussing this with the attorneys you are considering have represent you. The benefits to having a good working relationship with an attorney whose personality is compatible with your own are too numerous to list…conversely, the cost of constantly clashing with your attorney over non-substantive style differences…is even more extensive.
Conclusion:
As a potential client, the decision is yours to make and the decision is a big one. It is important to remember that whoever you decide will represent you—your attorney’s job is to give you the very best picture of the situation and the options available to you so that you can decide how best to proceed. Once you’ve made the decision on how to proceed—your attorney’s job is to zealously advocate on your behalf or to ensure you are referred to someone who can.
If you, or someone you know thinks you might need an attorney, please feel free to give us a call so that we can help make sure you’re in the right place and with the right representation.