The ancient philosopher Plato once wrote that a nation should be ruled by a “philosopher king,” a man of supreme intelligence, godly values, and infinite wisdom. But his student, Aristotle, shook his head and argued that no such man exists in the world. As a realist, he said that man should be ruled by law.
Today, there are millions of laws that govern the lives, history, culture, and society of mankind. Because each law needs to be very specific to address a specific situation, it contains technicalities, jargon, and dynamics that are difficult for the average person to comprehend. That’s why lawyers are needed; these are professionals who are trained to interpret the complexities of the law. Lawyers help people what the law says regarding their situation (case) and, if necessary, defend them against the disincentives, abuses, discrimination, and violations.
But lawyers are also humans who have the tendency to be selfish and greedy. There are bad apples in a basket of good ones; although most lawyers are engaging in their profession in an honest way, there are others who use their profession to take advantage of innocent people. Here are a few tips on choosing the right lawyer for you.
Lawyers have specialties in specific areas even if many label themselves as “general practitioners.”
Thus, approach a lawyer who advertises himself as a specialist of your particular case. For instance, if you want an attorney who can expertly handle your land dispute against your brother, then go for a real estate lawyer. You won’t get much help if you approach a “general practitioner” who actually has more experience in divorce laws but very little or no experience handling property disputes.
Verify your candidate lawyer’s skills
Ask for certifications and documents to prove his claim. Also ask how much experience does he have in working with clients with situations similar to yours. If possible, obtain a transcript of some of his earlier cases so you can have an idea on how he fares on his profession.
Hiring a lawyer to handle your case involves a lot of money
Thus, you will want to know how you’re going to pay. Your lawyer may charge you on an hourly rate or through a fixed fee. Always make sure about the details of the charge. A friend of mine once had the shock of her life when she saw how high her bill was. It turned out that her lawyer was charging her every time they talk about her case, even if the two of them just ran into each other in the supermarket.
Do you and your lawyer jive together?
It is quite important to determine if you have good business chemistry with your candidate attorney. Here’s a tip: if you feel uncomfortable with the attorney during your first few meetings, it may be a sign that you don’t have a good lawyer-client relationship. Trust your instinct and look for another lawyer.
Your candidate lawyer should be one who can easily be contacted
It is very frustrating to have a lawyer who always turns off his cellphone or is constantly out of the office.
Your lawyer should be flexible
For instance, if, for uncontrollable circumstances, you can’t pay your dues on time, your attorney should be open to work out an alternative payment plan that is agreeable to both of you.
With the tips above, the chances of you getting a good lawyer who can help you win your case is quite high.
