Finding yourself in need of an attorney can be stressful. Needing a lawyer because of a personal injury can be even more challenging since you’re working on recovering as well. The following will take a look at some of the things that you can do to help make the choice of personal injury attorney a little less overwhelming.
Narrow By Specialization
To begin, you’re going to want to narrow your search down by legal specialization. There are dozens upon dozens of types of lawyers, and for a good reason: the law is a complicated thing, and it takes time to learn the ins and outs of even one small aspect of it. Lawyers are known to hire other lawyers when they’re facing a legal proceeding for this very reason. A divorce lawyer isn’t going to be able to protect herself or himself when dealing with a corporate deal; they’re going to hire a corporate lawyer. If you’re seeking out an attorney because of an injury, you want to find someone who focuses on personal injury law. You might even find someone who deals with the specific type of injury that you are dealing with, like personal injury in a vehicle or personal injury on public property.
Narrow Your Search By Location
You’re also going to want to narrow down your search by location. The law varies between states, which means that a lawyer practicing in Arizona is going to be working within a different framework than a lawyer practicing in California. Seek out an attorney from the state where the injury occurred.
Make Use Of Consultations
Most law firms offer free consultations, and this is where you’re going to be able to gain an understanding of whether a lawyer is right for you or not. You’re going to want to have a few of these to help you get a better idea of what your options are. For specifics about making good use of consultations, visit kerleyschaffer.com to get the information you need. First and foremost, you’re looking for someone who can explain things to you in a way that you understand. Again, the law is a complicated thing; it’s written in an antiquated language and heavily inspired by Latin. A legal proceeding is going to be all the more challenging if you can’t understand what’s going on.
Be Wary Of Promises
Yes, during a consultation, an attorney will likely outline what they expect to happen, give your situation and the law. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, if a lawyer promises a certain outcome, you’d best be wary. No one can guarantee the outcome of a legal proceeding.
How Often Are You Interrupted?
If during the consultation, an attorney is continually being interrupted by phone calls or other staff members, this is a pretty strong indication that it’s going to be tough to get and hold their full attention in the future. This might be a sign they’re not the right lawyer for you.
Ask Who Else Will Be Helping With Your Case
No person is an island, and this applies equally to attorneys. In most firms, there are additional staff members that are going to be helping out with your case. It’s a good idea to ask if you might also be dealing with someone else and what that’s going to look like.
Talk About Money
When we think of needing an attorney, many of our minds go directly to how much that is going to cost. The truth is, there is a wide range of options when it comes to paying for a lawyer. Some attorneys only accept payment if your case is a success (based on a percentage of what they get for you or some other measurement) and some charge per hour. Figure out how payment is going to work and whether or not it’s feasible for you.
Read Reviews
While the internet has given us a lot of trouble these last few years, none of us can complain about online reviews. Take some time to peruse reviews and read through other people’s experiences; just be sure to understand that every case is different. Just because someone else had a certain result doesn’t mean you’re going to have the same one. The context surrounding your situation and the particulars of your injury might be drastically different than theirs.
Coronavirus Considerations
As a side note, the possibility of delays for the foreseeable future is pretty high in many industries, and law is no exception. Given the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, many courtrooms and legal proceedings are behind schedule, meaning you might be waiting longer than normal to have your case heard. It’s a good idea to take action as soon as your decision is made.
The above tips should help you sort through the wide variety of personal injury attorneys available. Work through this list, but don’t forget to include your personal sense of the attorney when making your choice.