What You Need to Know When Hiring a Lawyer

All lawyers are not created equal. Lawyers are no different than athletes, teachers, doctors, or people working in any other profession.  Some are good, some are bad, and some are exceptional. You have only one chance to pursue your case—the decision of which lawyer you hire is an especially important one.

The problem in this day and time is that any lawyer can put up a website or billboard and say they are qualified to handle your case.  So how do you cut through the noise and find lawyers who are truly at the top of their profession and can obtain the absolute best results for your case?

The answer is that you need to talk to people you respect and research a lawyer prior to entrusting your case to them. Do they have a consistent track record of obtaining outstanding results for their clients?  If not, why would you entrust them with your case? Do they know how to try cases and are they willing to try your case? If not, you are never going to get top dollar. Do they handle a small number of cases that they can give personal attention to, or do they have a ton of files no human being can competently handle?  If you do not have your lawyer’s cell phone number, then why would you expect them to give you the personal attention your case deserves?

Ironically, the lawyers who often have the best track records, who know how to try cases, and who will provide you the most personal attention are not the ones that you see in advertisements.  Why not? Because those lawyers historically obtain business from other lawyers and clients who research them without doing those things. The people who find these exceptional lawyers pay attention to their verdict and settlement records—those results do the talking and command the respect of insurance companies and corporate defendants.

As a client, you have only one chance to maximize the amount of money you can obtain for your case. That is not being greedy—it is being smart. Most clients have paid a huge price already and need substantial compensation to move on with their lives. If a lawyer is not willing to put in the hard work to try your case, the simple reality is that lawyer is not going to obtain the best financial result they can obtain for you.  It is instead much more likely that lawyer is either scared to try a case or does not want to put in the hard work to make a good case a great case or a great case a phenomenal case.  While it may sound strange, the best way to obtain a substantial settlement and avoid a trial is to hire a lawyer who knows how to try cases and has an excellent track record trying cases.  That is what causes the other side to pay top dollar.

So, before you hire any lawyer, ask them:

• Have you tried cases as lead counsel?
• Have you obtained multi-million-dollar verdicts?
• Are you willing to try my case?
• How many other clients do you and your firm currently have?
• Do you have a list of results that you have personally obtained for your clients?
• May I have your cell phone number?