Questions to Ask Before You Hire an Attorney
These are questions you may ask before you hire a lawyer. They should
help you select a lawyer who can meet your needs. The questions apply
primarily to litigation matters. They are, of course, only suggestions
and you may have many more questions tailored to your specific situation.
- What is your education, work experience and area of specialty?
- After explaining my case fully to you, how can you help me and what
are the risks of successfully or unsuccessfully resolving my legal
problem? (I understand there are no guarantees and you cannot make
specific promises about any outcome.)
- Is the solution I have in mind regarding my legal problem really
necessary or are there other alternatives (such as mediation or collaborative
law.)
- How many clients or cases have you handled, or what experience or
knowledge do you have, involving a problem like mine?
- How successful have you or others been handling a problem like mine
(or am I fighting an uphill battle)?
- How do you approach resolving conflicts with persons adverse to my
position: what is your style that works?
- Who will also be assisting in my case?
- How will my case disrupt my personal life?
- Do you honestly have time with your busy caseload to help me with
my case and how long do you think my case will last?
- What can I do to hold down or control costs or fees and what do
you foresee would increase your estimate of how much my case would
cost?
- How and when will you notify me of the status of my case?
- May I see your retainer fee agreement? (This should answer all your
questions about what services your lawyer will offer, what the lawyer
will charge for fees and costs, when and what is billed, how often
you will be billed, whether your lawyer has malpractice insurance,
wether the fee is refundable or not, late charges and interest on
unpaid balances,
termination of services and if your file will be returned to you without
charge. If not, ask.)
|
