What Should You Look For In A Law Firm?

When you need to hire a law firm, there are some things you should look for before making a decision, including:

• Must Work On a Contingency Fee Basis – you should avoid any firm that charges you an upfront fee or a retainer before taking on your case. Unless you are hiring a lawyer to defend you in a criminal case, all personal injury claims should be handled on a contingency fee basis, in which the lawyer doesn’t get paid until you receive a settlement or jury award.
• Must Provide Free Legal Consultation – avoid any law firm that charges you for an initial consultation. Most qualified lawyers offer free initial consultations during which they can learn about your case, your concerns, and the challenges of achieving a positive outcome.
• Must Provide Evidence of Past Success – ask all prospective law firms to provide you with evidence of their track record of success handling your type of case. This is usually in the form of documentation that shows past settlement amounts and jury awards. Remember that experience is important, but a law firm that’s been in business for a long time without achieving any victories is one you should avoid.
• Must Provide References – there is no better way to gauge how a law firm will handle your case than to go and speak to several past clients so you can ask them specific questions about how the law firm dealt with their case.
• Must Provide An Action Plan – during that initial consultation or soon after, your law firm should present you with a specific action plan or strategy as to how it plans to handle your case. This is especially important in complex claims that require witness interviews, depositions, and an investigation.