Hiring an Attorney

The questions you should ask will vary with your case. Consider the following list to be a starting point:

• What are your areas of specialization?
• What is the cost of the intial consultation?
• Have you handled cases like mine before? How many? What was the outcome?
• Will you be the only attorney who works on the case? If not, who else will work on it?
• How long will it take for this case to be resolved?
• How much will my case cost? Can you take my case on a contingent fee basis?
• Can I do some of the work on the case to keep the cost down?
• Are there things I should do to improve my case, or to help you?
• How will you keep me informed about the progress of my case?
• If I contact your office with questions, how long will you take to return my call?
• If you are unavailable or on vacation, who can I speak to about my case?
• Can I reach you after hours, if I have an emergency?
• How often do you go to trial?
• If I am not happy with a settlement offer, and you want to settle, will you go to court anyway?
• If I am happy with the offer, but you think we can win more at trial, will you follow my wishes?
• Have you ever been disciplined by an ethics committee, or been suspended from the practice of law? If so, why?
• What "continuing legal education" courses have you attended during the past few years?

From ExpertLaw