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Hiring a lawyer is an important decision that shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. Unlike hiring a car mechanic or even a real estate agent, your lawyer is usually hired during a time when you’re vulnerable – whether you’re looking to create a will, you’re trying to assert your legal rights or you’re attempting to defend yourself against a legal attack.
One thing to remember when you’re hiring a lawyer is that you’re not looking for a friend. A lawyer is a business professional whose job is to assist you in your legal matters and that may mean giving you opinions that you may not like. While many lawyers may not actually get in front of a judge or jury, you also want someone who is persuasive and has the confidence and knowledge to make his case.
As any respectable lawyer would tell you, you shouldn’t hire any sort of legal consultant based on a television advertisement. Research is vital to finding a lawyer that’s going to work for you and is knowledgable about the area of law that you need help with. Lawyers that are ubiquitous advertisers are typically using a song and dance to attract clients who don’t know any better but are at a certain desperation point.
The best lawyer to hire is one that you know of through word-of-mouth recommendation. Ask family, friends and co-workers about the kind of legal help that they’ve used and what firms or attorneys that they would do business with again. Knowing the firms and attorneys that they wouldn’t do business with again is also helpful when narrowing down your options.
