New York Times article
A major part of any case–it doesn’t matter if it is civil or criminal–is finding a good lawyer. Here are some steps you can take to find a good lawyer in Virginia.
- Know what kind of attorney you need. Is it a criminal case like DWI, assault, or DUI? A civil case, like divorce? There are lawyers that specialize in everything you can imagine.
- Search online for someone in your area.
- Yelp rates lawyers
- the Better Business Bureau has listings and ratings
- You can even get suggestions from social media contacts
- Law firms come in all sizes. Use bigger ones for high-dollar cases, and small ones for little things like making your will.
- Review the lawyer’s (or firm) website.
- Are they professional?
- What organizations are they involved with?
- What kind of information do they have about
- their staff
- local legal issues
- The more resources they have, the better.
- Sit down and meet the lawyers that interest you.
- Nothing beats face-to-face for evaluating communication styles
- ALWAYS bring whatever questions you want to ask (write them down before you even make an appointment)
- Take notes on the answers you get
- ALWAYS find out what they charge by the case or by the hour
- Cut the list of attorneys you met down to two.
- One of them is likely the be the best choice
- What you learned by talking to him or her is part of how to decide
- Do you feel one will do a better job than the other?
- One of them is likely the be the best choice
- Make a decision and sign an agreement with that lawyer.
It sounds like a long list of things to do, but if you stick with it, you’ll make a better choice. We have worked with MANY of the lawyers in the DMV, and we know this is a good way to decide who is best for you.
The last thing you want, when you’re in front of a judge, is a lawyer you can’t work with; better to get things straight before you’re in the courtroom.
Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help you. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Related posts
