The roles and specialties of attorneys are sometimes confused by lay people. Most lawyers work in one area and become proficient. One of the best ways of hiring an attorney is to find out what type of cases are their strengths, what type of assistance you need, and assess whether there is a match.
Find out if the attorney you are considering spends most of their time specializing in the legal area where help is needed. Whether they keep up with the current trends. And, have the knowledge to properly protect you, and be capable of having your best interest at heart.
Searching out these individuals will require doing your homework. Talk with friends, visit the local courthouse library to view court documents with similar cases, and do online research. Examine how the attorney you're interested in hiring for your case, performed on other cases. Consult with a minimum of three attorneys with the specialty you need before signing, then make a decision. If an attorney considers themselves a jack of all trades, run away quickly. It's very difficult to be proficient in several areas of law.
If you've been in a car accident, you may need a personal injury lawyer to handle the accident, a disability attorney who specializes in ERISA, Worker's Compensation, Social Security, etc., or a civil litigation attorney to handle possible surveillance issues, if they arise. If you have long-term medical conditions, the sooner you have a legal team working on your behalf, the better. Whatever your needs are, make sure to get these people involved early to assist you in making best the decisions possible. Many times, people are directed in the beginning to act on request from others which they don't necessarily have the knowledge to respond. It's in this time frame, that decisions may minimize a desirable outcome. So be very cautious in what you say or do.
Many of the laws today are not responsive to the individual being harassed or intimated via surveillance. Many attorneys are reluctant to get involved because the laws lean against the people being harassed. Therefore, the documentation you can provide of what you have experienced, will assist you in finding someone to take your case. Make sure they have a proven track record. In this type of litigation it's very important.
If it looks like you are going to need more than one lawyer, try and find ones who have already established a relationship. Make sure to stay in the loop. If you need additional information to make good decisions, perform google searches. But remember in the end, they all work for you. Always keep that in mind when making a decision. You need to be reasonable, but also get decisions you can live with.
Make sure you are aware what you role is, what you need to do the help them be successful on your behalf, and what the expectations are for each attorney and communicate it before signing a contract with them. How will you be kept informed? Estimate the progression if a good outcome. What if things take a turn form the worse, what's a backup plan? Takes notes on each visit. This helps to remember what was discussed.
It's better to create the right relationships initially, rather than having to repeat the process. Remember, this is a learning process. As you grow and learn, it will be easier to determine how you want to proceed.
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