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You may encounter a number of difficult situations throughout your life, such as having to file a lawsuit in state court for injuries or against your workplace, relatives, or other family members.

In order to protect your reputation, and prevent anyone from making any negative remarks about you, you will need to fight for your rights in court. A state-licensed lawyer can assist you in resolving the issue lawfully.

To defend any matter in court, you will need to employ a lawyer yourself. Furthermore, you need to be ready and do your homework properly if you want to employ the best legal representation.

The following is a list of some of the essential actions you must do before consulting with an attorney:

1. Set out your goals:

Start by understanding why you want to hire a lawyer.  It is not uncommon for a “scope shift” to happen during a legal matter.  You may start by wanting possession of something (let’s say an heirloom in a will), but then later become frustrated and change your focus to a lawsuit against a family member.

If you plan to press legal action against someone else,  you must gather all the required information about your case.  This would be the Who, What, Why, When, Where and How.

If legal action is against you,  you should be aware of your rights and gather all the necessary information.

It’s also advised to have an idea of the outcomes you hope to achieve from a legal dispute. Your lawyer will be better able to comprehend your needs and properly manage your expectations as a result.

2. Be specific about your case

As indicated above, it is easy to get carried away by the legal system and allow your focus to drift.  Lawyers, like doctors, are not specialists in every field of law.  It is best to find a lawyer that is specific to your case.  Injured in an accident? seek an experienced accident lawyer; lost your job due to unfair policies? seek out a trained Employment Lawyer.  

Once a lawyer fitting your case is found, focus only on the case you are presenting them.  Other small side grievances should not be brought up unless they are helpful to your case.  If your lawyer indicates that they are not helpful, drop the matter and focus on the case at hand.

3.  Know what you are paying for

Attorneys charge high fees to clients that require their services.  However, many people don’t know what they are paying for and are often shocked by the rates charged.

You are paying for their knowledge and expertise.   By interviewing lawyers, you will come out of the meeting knowing the price to hire that attorney and what he/she will be doing for you.

Some attorneys charge a lump sum while others charge in small parts. It is important to know how your lawyer is going to charge you, and by what method you are comfortable paying.  Most law firms will have a payment plan set up in-house, or have a partnership with a financial institution to allow an extended payment period.

4. Are you hiring a Law Firm or an individual lawyer

In many ways, employing a law firm is always a better alternative than hiring an individual lawyer. A law firm is a group of expert minds who work as associates under one roof, while the individual attorney bears full responsibility for the case.

One of the most significant benefits of hiring a law firm over an individual is that a firm is comprised of multiple lawyers with diverse skill sets and experience. Law firms provide a wide range of services under one roof because they have lawyers with specialized knowledge in several practice areas. 

Because the law firm is controlled by the most experienced lawyers, they are available to solve complex issues. Furthermore, senior layers are pleased to guide juniors in a variety of additional ways that really assist in organizing the cases from an experienced standpoint.  Understand, however, you will be expected to pay for the benefits that come with a larger established firm.

An individual lawyer can also be a perfect match.  Rates are usually less than a large firm and can be negotiated directly with the lawyer taking your case – not an accounts payable department.  An individual lawyer may also feel like the right fit for you and your case, while a firm may seem too daunting.

When hiring a lawyer understand that you are in charge.  Hire the lawyer, or law firm, that you feel will best represent you and is sensitive to your budget and desired outcomes.