subject: What To Look For In An Attorney [print this page] If you reside in the New York area and find yourself in the need of a lawyer, do you know what you should look for in an attorney New York law office? Read on to find out just what you should be looking for.
Like every other profession not all lawyers are created equal, not all personalities work well together, and not all attorneys are able to achieve a high success rate with their cases. Some attorneys are able to achieve great things for those who have been affected by injustices and that's admirable. However, remember it's also lawyers who create the many loopholes that are responsible for all those terrible inequities that are within our society.
To help you understand what to look for in an attorney, we are going to look at three examples of extremes. What you want is a lawyer that is balanced somewhere near the middle.
Clueless vs. Technical
Many of us have met the "clueless attorney" at some point in our life. He/she seems to know nothing about New York law and every second sentence begins with "I'll do some research on that and get back to you." Run away fast - this is not who you want representing you in the courtroom.
The opposite of that is that lawyer who knows every legal phase and is like a walking talking law dictionary. When you listen to his/her technical jargon, your eyes cloud over, as you are soon lost in a world of misunderstanding. You also do not want this lawyer. What you want is someone in the middle that is knowledgably and is able to talk in laymen's terms so you understand.
Flattery vs. Arrogance
If you walk into the lawyers office and he/she is sucking up to everything you say, he/she will be of no use to you in the courtroom. Then again, neither will the other end of the extreme. An arrogant attorney that talks down to you and acts as if he/she is superior will sell you out if the opportunity arises. You simply can't build a trusting relationship with that kind of attitude. Find a lawyer in the middle that is compassionate and understanding without sucking up, and that is confident enough to stand up and win your case without being arrogant.
Optimist vs. Pessimist
If you walk into the lawyers office and he/she comes across like everything is great and he/she assures you that you will win your case, yet they haven't even heard all the details. Walk out the door! This is not what you want representing you. On the other hand, if the lawyer immediately makes you feel like you haven't a hope, that's not what you want either.
So what are you looking for? Well, as we mentioned earlier, you want an attorney that's balancing somewhere in the middle. You want an attorney New York that knows his/her law but that can relate to you in a manner that you can understand. You want a lawyer that is optimistic but realistic, and you want a layer that has enough arrogance to know he/she can win but enough compassion to understand what you are going through. Joel is a solo practitioner attorney New York that can help you with your legal needs.
