What to look for in an attorney

Let me start by saying that self advocacy has its limits. Sure, you can draft contracts on your own, you can survive horrible negotiations with your business clients, you can resolve a marital dispute between you, but when the need arises to go to court, you need a lawyer. Expenses will be incurred, professional fees will have to be paid, and the process, which is usually lengthy, will have to be endured. Most of the time, the costs of solving a problem are much greater than the costs of preventing it. Prevention, as they say, is always better than cure. So hire a lawyer and hire a good one.

Ratings

The “practice of law” is loosely defined as serving the legal needs of another person through the application of legal principles and knowledge by a person trained in the law. However, under this definition, a paralegal or even a secretary with knowledge of the laws, who has been “trained” by the mere fact of having been employed for a period of time in a law firm, is considered engaged in the practice of law. . Therefore, when finding an attorney, look for a “qualified” attorney. That is, make sure your attorney has successfully completed their law course, successfully passed the bar exams, and is licensed to practice in the jurisdiction where a particular legal relief is requested. When faced with a legal dispute, the last thing you need is a bogus attorney. It is perfectly ethical to apply for an attorney license even before you start sharing your innermost secrets with them. However, they would normally hang their certifications on the wall.

Expertise

Each qualified attorney has their own experience. You can be an expert in any of the following categories of law: international law, labor law, civil law, tax law, litigation, or criminal law. These are the main categories. Therefore, you may hear about a trial attorney or an immigration attorney. Keep in mind, however, that lawyers’ specializations are “acquired” through experience, not simply because they believe they are excellent at it.

Personal qualities

This is one aspect of the legal profession in which a young and inexperienced lawyer can get ahead of an experienced one. Young attorneys are often vibrant, supportive, and understanding. They tend to treat their customers like their babies. They take care of every little detail, even the insignificant ones. But that’s exactly how paying customers want to be treated. Clients tend to feel that they are getting their money’s worth from the type of care they receive.

The personal qualities to look for in an attorney largely depend on the type of client you are. If you are the sensible type, you may prefer to hire an older, reluctant attorney. These types of attorneys are less interested in what you have to say. Sometimes they are not even interested in what they have to say. The lawyer has become a routine for them, as has brushing their teeth in the mornings. But his experience is impeccable. Their strategies have been tried and tested, so your chances of winning your case are considerably high if you get them.

Credibility

The credibility of an attorney can be seen in various contexts. It can mean the lack of a bad reputation. It can be built on the foundation of charisma along with referrals from previous satisfied clients. It can be destroyed by the lawyer himself, such as when he gives legal advice and revokes his own legal opinion without cushioning the effects. Certainly, no lawyer can get clients if he is not credible and trustworthy.

Availability

So now you have a qualified, knowledgeable, and credible attorney who has the personal qualities you are looking for. The next thing to consider is whether that attorney is available to address your problem. Most of the time, your attorney will tell you that they are willing, able, and happy to help you. Lo and behold, he said the same thing to several others this morning, and last week, and the week before. The point is, a lawyer can’t do much. You cannot attend the hearings at the same time. You would probably resort to canceling or rescheduling important hearings and meetings to make ends meet. If your chosen attorney has a law firm, there will surely be other attorneys who can serve you in case you are unavailable. This will be acceptable to you, but not until your case has been reassigned from one hand to the other.

Professionalism

Having a “professional” attorney is very different from having an attorney who has managed to “look” professional. They say that the legal profession has 80% representation. The representation begins when you meet your client for the first time. A lawyer would normally give him the “lawyer look”: he wears a suit, he is impeccable, he drives a black luxury car, and he brings a suitcase. However, this is not what defines professionalism. Professionalism means that your attorney attends to your needs, investigates, beats deadlines, and returns your phone calls. So don’t be fooled by the attorney, look alone. However, it would be great if your attorney could pull it off with the look of an attorney and genuine professionalism.