Choosing the right attorney, whether in your business or personal life, is a critical decision, and one that can seem overwhelming. Find the attorney who will best serve your needs by selecting an attorney you can TRUST.
Target. Know your goal before you begin.
Research to find the attorney who can best achieve your goal.
Understand the importance of experience.
Stay away from solicitations: Be skeptical of lawyers who advertise too much.
Time is of the essence--be proactive!
Target: Know your goal before you begin. What is your goal? Knowing your target is necessary for you to find the right attorney. This step is so important that you should know the answer before you talk to anyone. Suppose your target is to get out of your house without owing more money. Or suppose you want to get out of a business partnership with a relative without losing your investment.
Research to find the attorney who can best achieve your goal. Before you sit down in an attorney's office, research that attorney. Begin by using an online search engine such as Google or Yahoo! These searches will lead you to any Web sites the lawyer may have, as well as any news items in which the lawyer might have appeared or writing the attorney may have published.
Next, many states allow you to research your prospective attorney on the state's bar governance Web site. In Florida, the official Bar website is www.floridabar.org. Use this tool to make sure that person is truly licensed and to get other valuable information, including whether the attorney has been disciplined for ethical violations by the bar.
Understand the importance of experience. There is no substitute for experience. A lawyer fresh from law school may have a broad knowledge of the law, but that may not be enough. Young lawyers take their lumps as they learn how to work with opposing lawyers, judges, witnesses, and insurance companies. They might waste time on irrelevant facts, or worse, settle your case below its true value.
Solicitations. Be skeptical of lawyers who advertise too much. In recent years, many lawyers have begun advertising on television and on billboards, a practice that was once considered unethical and unprofessional. Naturally, these lawyers paint themselves in the best possible light, but they sometimes make unrealistic claims in their ads. Many lawyers still rely primarily on word of mouth from former clients and fellow lawyers. Lawyers who obtain the majority of their business through word of mouth have to constantly perform well so people speak well of them and recommend them.
Time is of the essence, be proactive! If you are looking for an attorney, there is a good chance that you are facing some type of crisis. You or a loved one may have been injured in an auto accident, a bank is threatening to foreclose, or a business dispute is putting your money at risk.
Don't wait until it is too late to call an attorney. This is especially true for accident claims. It is best to get an attorney is within 24 hours of the accident, if possible. When an accident does happen, there is a lot of stress, and the temptation may be to put off finding an attorney until the stress goes down. In reality, finding the right lawyer is one important way to reduce that stress. You can delegate many of the tasks that would increase stress such as notifying proper insurance, coordinating statements when required and preserving critical evidence for later. A lawyer can help deal with the insurance companies and answer questions. Having a lawyer to help in these matters will protect your legal rights and allow you to spend your time where it is most needed.
Judson Cohen and Allan Cohen of Cohen Law Offices obtain the majority of our business through word of mouth referrals from former clients and other attorneys. We pursue claims honestly and effectively thereby maintaining a good reputation within the legal community. Feel free to call the south Florida injury attorneys Judson Cohen or Allan Cohen of Cohen Law Offices at 1-888-412-6436 (1-888-41COHEN) for a free case evaluation.
