If you’re facing some form of legal trouble or just need help to prepare formal documents, then finding the best attorney you can is vital to getting an outcome in your favor.
For this reason, you’ll want a reputable attorney that knows what they’re doing. This means a lawyer who knows the local judges, clerks, and other attorneys that work in their city.
Hiring an excellent attorney will make your court case much simpler and can provide you with peace of mind knowing that a professional is helping you. It may take some time to locate and interview with potential representatives, but performing your due diligence is well worth the effort when it results in a win.
Fortunately for you, we’ll explain the characteristics of a winning attorney below to help make the right choice for your case.
The Right Attorney Can Make All the Difference
There’s a good chance you’ve watched some type of crime TV show before. A lot of what you see on TV about lawyers isn’t necessarily true, but there is at least one thing that is.
Deciding on the right attorney to represent you can have a direct impact on whether you win or lose a court case.
When you’re dealing with legal matters, an attorney is your best option. You do have the choice of representing yourself, but you don’t have several years of formal education and experience to teach you the ins and outs of the law like an attorney does.
Hiring an attorney that is fresh out of law school, has little experience with your specific case needs, has a poor track record, or is known for shady practices can directly sabotage your chances. Alternatively, hiring someone with decades of experience and a great record of success can make moves that few other lawyers can.
Picture eating a meal prepared by a brand new cook versus one made by a head chef of an esteemed restaurant. The head chef will understand advanced techniques that a novice chef may not even know about. This leads to an exquisite dining experience that is hard to match.
An amazing lawyer is comparable to a master chef. Their unique experiences and practice lead to representation that will directly increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome.
Find One That Specializes In Your Needs
The first thing you should focus on is finding a lawyer that specializes in the exact problem you’re dealing with.
Whether your case deals with contracts, taxes, corporations, bankruptcy, or estate planning, there’s a wide variety of niche topics that you might be dealing with.
While most lawyers have a good general understanding of the law, there are so many intricacies involved that make it downright impossible to know everything. Just because someone is an attorney doesn’t meant that they can benefit your case.
For this reason, a family law attorney may not be very effective if you’re dealing with a tax problem. You need a legal representative that fully understands what you’re working with so they can use potential loopholes and obscure laws that most other attorneys wouldn’t know about.
Look For a Stellar Success Rate
Another thing to think about is a great success rate.
Researching a service establishment beforehand is always a great idea and common sense. It’s impossible to trust someone you’ve never worked with before, so all you can go off of is what other people say about them.
Imagine looking for a place to get your car repaired. Would you trust a shop with a 2-star average rating to do a good job on your vehicle? Chances are, you wouldn’t bring your car anywhere near them.
For an attorney, the best way to determine their worth is how successful they are at getting their clients a positive outcome. This is their job and the results they produce speak volumes as to how effective they are as an attorney. Some rulings are out of their hands, but more often they have a direct role in influencing an outcome.
The main problem with this is that there isn’t an easy way to discover just how successful an attorney is. What you can do is ask them while interviewing potential candidates and gauge this based on their answers.
You can’t always know if they’re telling the truth, but it’s the best chance you have. Generally speaking, a reliable attorney won’t brag about their win percentage and will be forthright about what they think about your case. They won’t cherry-coat anything and that’s exactly what you need.
Prioritize Experience
Another characteristic you should look for is a long history of experience.
Formal education is certainly important for any attorney so that they have a general understanding of the laws they’re working with. However, they also need practical experience to know what it takes to help your case.
This will teach them what does and doesn’t work in a courtroom. Some concepts sound good in theory but don’t apply when it comes to an actual case. An attorney with experience will know exactly how to help your situation.
Think of the car repair scenario again. Would you want a mechanic fresh out of a trade school to fix your car or someone with 20+ years of experience that’s directly worked with vehicles like yours before?
An experienced attorney has handled cases like yours before and can easily replicate their actions for your own needs.
Trust Your Gut
One final consideration when deciding on a lawyer is to trust your gut.
When conducting your interviews, if someone seems overly proud, slimy, insincere, indifferent, or just gives you an odd vibe, then you should listen to how you feel. Even if they have the greatest reviews, it won’t matter if you don’t feel safe with them.
You want an attorney that puts you at ease and helps you feel comfortable. If you find someone that seems to genuinely care about you and your case, then they’re likely to go the extra mile to help you get a good outcome.
Attorneys cost a lot of money so you want to make sure you’re getting bang for your buck.
Closing Thoughts
When you’re dealing with any legal matters in your business or personal life, you want to have the best attorney around to help you out.
This means someone that specializes in your niche, has a lot of experience working with cases like yours, has a good rate of success, and makes you feel comfortable.
While a good lawyer can be expensive, it can make a world of difference if they get you a positive outcome that prevents penalties or awards damages. They can easily make up for their expenses and keep you in good financial health.
Be careful and take your time when interviewing potential attorneys. The outcome of a case can have a major impact on your life, so you don’t want to sabotage yourself by hiring the wrong representation!
