A Good Business Lawyer is Hard to Find

Finding a good lawyer among the large amount of them is not easy at all. Some may not have expertise in what you need, where as others may have the perfect experience. To find a good one, get referrals from accountants, bankers, and successful small business owners that may have more suggestions. A bar association could offer a referal service, but note that they do not give any information about the lawyer.

When you get your list of candidates, try the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory to check your list. To find this, go to Lawyers.com. The site lists most practicing lawyers, but also has their background, and a short biographical sketch that has info about their experiences and specialties.

Try getting a consultation as well, as it could help you present yourself and get information about the attorney. This also will give the lawyer the chance to decide if they are going to represent you. Ask questions until you are comfortable with them, and remember that if you get all the secrets out of the way, there will be no surprises later on!

Try asking these questions in your initial meeting or consultation:

1. What experience do you have in this area? Its best if the lawyer is confident that they can represent a up-and-coming company.

2. Find out how many cases like yours they have had in the past couple of years. The more experience, the better. If they haven’t had a similar case, they may miss out on vital information.

3. Would anyone else in the firm work with the case? Attorneys will often assign a task to another attorney or a paralegal. Be sure that you’ll pay less if this happens.

4. How do you want to be paid, and how often will I be billed? Lawyer’s fees can be confusing, make sure to find out how the system works. They usually send monthly statements. You want to see periodic bills to keep a close eye on the fees.

5. How will I be informed of developments? Attorneys are very busy, but make sure that you know the attorney is respectful of your needs to be informed, and that they will always be there to answer any questions you have.

6. Are you working with any of my company’s competitors? If so, there may be conflicts of interest.

7. What are your thoughts on mediation or arbitration? Attorneys will often have a bias about techniques, and which are most effective. If they don’t believe in them at all, it could be a sign for concern.