If you’ve had an accident, injury or loss that wasn’t your fault, you may be considering hiring a lawyer. Perhaps you want to find out about negligent security claims or you had a slip and fall in the workplace. But if you’ve never had to hire a lawyer before it can feel a little overwhelming, and you might not know where to start. Don’t worry. There are plenty of different ways to find a lawyer to suit you. So, what are they?
Recommendations
Just as you might ask a friend or relative for a recommendation for a day out, you should also ask for recommendations when looking for a lawyer. While you might not know of any immediate friends or family members who have previously used legal representation, there will undoubtedly be a friend of a friend or someone in your social circle who knows something. Personal recommendations can be useful because the person isn’t looking to gain anything, and so they will give an honest review. If they’ve been represented by the lawyer, they will be able to give an honest account of the process and if they weren’t happy with anything. Plus, if they know you personally they’ll have your best interests at heart and will want the best outcome for your case.
Face to face meetings
The best way to get an honest feeling about a lawyer is to meet them face to face. Here, you can get a sense of whether they’re the kind of person you want to represent you. Make sure you ask plenty of questions, such as what experience do they have? Have they seen cases like yours before? What might the outcome be? This is your chance to delve into their training and understand what they can do for you. This is an important decision, so don’t shy away from getting the information that you need.
Online
We are lucky that we live in a digital age that allows us to find information quicker than ever before. So, if you’re struggling, use the internet to find lawyers in your area, and read online reviews to get a sense of what they’re like. Just be aware that online reviews can occasionally be biased or extreme. The people who write reviews will have had an extreme experience, and therefore it may not be a good idea to base your decision on the internet alone. Finding a few lawyers you would like to learn more about, and then meeting them face to face is the best option.
Trust your gut
Even if you have never needed a lawyer before and know little about the process, it’s important to trust your gut. This is how you make most decisions in your life, big or small, whether that’s which laundry detergent to buy or which lawyer you want to represent you. You know yourself, and you will get a good or bad instinct about someone. So, don’t ignore that gut feeling.