CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING AN ATTORNEY

1. Experience. When you’re looking to retain a law firm, it is hard to overstate the importance of the firm’s experience. The more complex the legal task, the more the firm’s experience matters. This consideration is not unique to law. (Passenger airlines, for example, generally won’t hire pilots without several thousand hours of flight experience.) However, because the practice of law is often more of an art than a science, at times there is simply no substitute for experience – particularly in difficult legal matters. Well experienced attorneys can usually chart a better course to a desired legal result because they know both where they are going and the best way to get there. Don’t be afraid to ask your prospective lawyer about his or her experience handling legal matters similar to your own.

2. Service. No matter how capable an attorney may be, if you receive bad service from that attorney, you will likely not be satisfied with the results in your case. The number one complaint from clients is that their lawyers do not promptly return phone calls or emails and do not keep clients adequately apprised about the progress of their cases. Ask family, friends and acquaintances about the service they receive from their own attorneys. And then ask every prospective attorney what kind of service you can expect from his or her law firm. You pay good money for legal services; you should not have to settle for poor service.

3. Comfort and Trust. The attorney-client relationship involves the client disclosing personal and business confidences to the attorney, who provides legal advice in return. Clients tell their attorneys about things they don’t share with anybody else. When deciding which attorney to retain, ask yourself whether this is a person you feel comfortable with and whom you can trust. If you are not comfortable with an attorney at your first meeting, don’t expect the professional relationship to improve over time. During the course of your legal matter, your relationship with your attorney will likely be one of the most important relationships in your life. You should be comfortable with your attorney, and you must be able to trust your attorney.

4. Cost. When it comes to legal services, the old adage that “you get what you pay for” is true . . . . to a point. Rarely are the cheapest legal service providers among the best. But the best law firms often aren’t the most expensive. It boils down to a question of value: where do you get the most bang for your legal buck. In our opinion, the best law firms (i) have the experience necessary to do the job well and efficiently; (ii) provide excellent service to clients; and (iii) help clients balance legal needs with costs of meeting those needs.