How to Find The Best Attorney – Recommendations

Searching for an attorney can be frustrating, even under the best of circumstances. Of course, in most cases, when one needs an attorney it is not under the best of circumstances. That can make the hunt for the best attorney even more complicated. Finding the perfect attorney for your specific situation is a highly personal decision. No one can make the decision for you, but there are a few considerations you may want to take into account to make the process run just a little smoother.

First, decide what type of attorney you need. Although any attorney who is licensed may practice in any area of the law she chooses, most attorneys choose to focus on one or two areas of the law in order to gain additional experience and training in those areas. If you pick an attorney that focuses on the area of law you need then you can be confident that he has a thorough understanding of the law as it applies in your situation.

Ask for recommendations from friends and family. Often, the easiest way to find an attorney is to ask someone you know and trust if they have had the occasion to use the services of an attorney in the past.
You can also call the local or state Bar Association. The Bar Association can be an excellent referral source. Not only do they generally have a complete listing of attorneys in your area, but in many cases they have them categorized by practice area, location or other sub-categories that might be of interest to you.

The Internet can be used to search, but make sure you narrow down your search criteria before you tackle searching the internet. Make a list of all the important qualities you are looking for in an attorney before you sit down to search.

Once you have a list of names, you can check with the state disciplinary board to make sure the attorney does not have any outstanding disciplinary complaints pending or any past reprimands or suspensions.

After doing all the preliminary research, you should be able to narrow your list down to five or less. At this point, the best thing you can do is call the names on the list and ask about a free consultation. Many attorneys offer a brief introductory session at no cost to the client. Keep in mind that you may only have 15-30 minutes with the attorney so you need to come prepared. Prepare a list of questions beforehand. You may have questions specific to your case, but there are general questions as well that you may want to ask such as “How long have you been practicing?”, “What is your success rate?”, What are your fees?” You may also take this opportunity to get a general overview of your legal options and how the attorney would approach your particular situation.