subject: Tips To Choose A Staten Island Attorney [print this page] There comes a time when mostly everyone must seek legal advice. If this is your first time venturing into the realm of law, it is important that you are comfortable and confident in your lawyers abilities. Here are a few tips to help you choose a competent Staten Island attorney. Follow these tips, and you will have a better chance at having a successful experience in law.
1. It is not advisable to choose a lawyer based on a television advertisement. The first place to start when looking for a lawyer is a referral. Ask family, friends, acquaintances, and co-workers if they have a Staten Island attorney they can recommend to you. That way, you can learn about their experiences with the lawyer, if the lawyer handled the matter well or poorly. It is just as important to learn about the bad lawyers as it is to learn about the good lawyers, since this will help you hone in on the qualities you want in a lawyer and which lawyers to avoid.
2. Utilize search engines to learn all you can about the different lawyers with whom you are thinking about working with. Online searches can help you to find lawyers of a certain field, and about their credentials. This will help you narrow down your list of potential lawyers, taking you one step closer to finding the ideal Staten Island attorney who is best fit for your individual needs.
3. Find out about the attorney fees. Are they hourly or based on a percentage of the final case settlement verdict? Consider which option is best for your particular case. It is likely that the Staten Island attorney will discuss this with you during the initial consultation regarding your case. Therefore, arrive at the consultation prepared to ask the Staten Island attorney any questions you may have regarding this issue. Remember to ask about different payment options as well.
4. One last tip to consider when choosing a Staten Island attorney is to ask about the involvement of others in your case. If there is any work that the law firms paralegals or legal assistants can complete, you may be able to save some money in legal fees. Instead of using your attorneys costly time to complete such things as scheduling your court case, you may be able to utilize the firms support system of employees.
While there are many capable attorneys, it is important that you choose the Staten Island attorney who is a good fit for your needs, your case, and your expectations.