Choosing a lawyer is something we never want to have to go through with. We all hope to never be in a situation where we will need one. But, unfortunately, life is full of twists and turns that often lead us down paths we didn’t expect. When we bump ourselves along the way, lawyers are there to help us decide how to seek justice.
The 5 Questions to ask your potential new lawyer
If you need to get justice after an accident, have been injured in a trip or fall, or if you need help through a divorce, a good lawyer can make or break your case. Here are our top tips on what to ask to make sure you choose a good one.
1 – What’s your area of Expertise?
Asking your lawyer what they specialize in is common sense. For example, if you have had an accident in the workplace, you don’t want a family attorney to be representing you. Likewise, if you have had a trip or fall, you don’t need a road traffic lawyer to plead your case, and so on.
Some lawyers specialize in one or two specific areas. This lets them develop their skill level and gives them a broader knowledge of the area. However, therefore, you need an all-around lawyer, look at the type of model used by BSM Law. They cover multiple facets of law by hiring numerous skilled lawyers with expertise in those areas.
2 – How many clients do you have?
If your lawyer has more than fifty clients, they will have trouble juggling all those cases. Not only are they likely to be mixed up by the documentation, but they also might not have enough time to spend on you. If a lawyer only has one client, this should ring alarm bells, too. It just might be that they lack the broader range of knowledge that you need to win your case.
3 – What’s your success rate?
Although this is a tricky question to answer, a good lawyer will be able to tell you their win/loss ratio. The question is difficult because many personal injuries, accidents, and petty crime cases don’t need to go to court. Therefore, you don’t ‘win’ them so much as you ‘avoid losing’ them. Working out an actual sometimes the rate is, therefore, tricky to do.
4 – Have you managed cases like mine before?
Don’t forget to ask your lawyer how much experience they have in handling cases just like yours. If they have little to no experience, move on to the next candidate. Yes: people have to learn sometimes, you. No: you don’t want to be the case that they lose because they weren’t experienced enough to win yet.
5 – Do you think I can win?
A large portion of lawyers’ offices now operates on a no-win, no-fee basis. This means you don’t pay them anything unless they win your case. This is a tactic used by big firms that can afford to cover the court costs on your behalf until you win. They will not take a case they don’t think they can win or that won’t make enough money to recoup their losses.
If a lawyer doesn’t think you can win, they probably won’t take your case.
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