For people without a legal background the process of hiring an attorney can be stressful and time consuming.
Here are a few questions you can ask to help you decide if the attorney is the right for your case.
How long have they been practicing law?
You’ll want to know about the lawyer’s expertise and how long they have been practicing for. Your legal issue may or may not be handled by someone who is fresh out of university. It all depends.
Who are their typical clients?
This is an important, but often forgotten question. For example, if you have a particular legal problem as an individual, but the attorney you’re meeting with represents only corporations, this may not be the best lawyer for you. Likewise, you may wish to know the financial background of some of the lawyer’s clients. This is because there may be different issues a lawyer is used to factoring in when working with high net worth individuals vs. college students.
What are the costs?
While most attorneys will quote you an hourly rate or a fixed fee upfront, it’s important that you understand what this quote does and does not cover. For instance, will you also be responsible for reimbursing the attorney for expenses, such as transportation?
ALSO READ:
How to lay a complaint against the EMPD
Child welfare needs help finding baby’s parents
Confidential conversations
Lawyers are duty-bound to keep conversations with their clients confidential. This can still be an important question, however, because there are issues around when the attorney-client relationship begins. You should discuss with the lawyer if there are any situations when confidentiality doesn’t apply. For example, if you meet with a lawyer, but don’t retain his or her services, were the conversations confidential?
Mode of communication
Clear communication between attorneys and clients is essential, and it’s important to hire an attorney whose communication style is compatible with your own. For example, if you prefer to discuss business matters over the phone during your commute but your attorney relies almost entirely on email and rarely picks up the phone, you might not be able to talk to your attorney as often or as freely as you’d like. This impaired communication can have real consequences if an important detail slips through the cracks, so make sure that you and the attorney agree on how best to communicate.
• Information obtained from www.leadinglawyers.com, www.upcounsel.com and www.hirealawyer.findlaw.com.
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist) busiv@caxton.co.za.
Also follow us on:
