subject: Pre-paid Or Per Case? How To Choose An Attorney [print this page] At one point or another, some legal matter would need our attention and we would need to have a good lawyer to resolve them to our satisfaction.
Hiring the right lawyer is no trifling matter. You need to carefully consider whether it would be better if you take the precaution of getting prepaid legal services or wait until you actually have a need to hire for one.
A reliable attorney will be there to sort out and explain the legal matters , lay down some suggestions and probabilities and give you the legal implication of each. They will be there to give you advice on which decision will have the best outcome and what things you need to expect once you've made the decision. For the sake of your case, the lawyer representing you should be skilled in this kind of law and have previously handled cases like yours. Your attorney should be totally upfront with you it would be nice if you could work well together and be at ease with each other's company, but it is more important that they set up the right expectations for you.
If your main concern it to have someone you can consult with in terms of legal matters, then you better get a prepaid legal plan. Pre-paid legal plans are available from many reliable law firms, and give you access to attorneys for advice and guidance in legal matters. However, this advice usually takes the form of a phone consultation, and is limited in terms of the amount of advice and services you receive. When choosing which lawyer you would like to use on a pre-paid plan, you can ask for referrals from previous clients to help you make the choice. Do a little research on their educational background, their credentials and their performance with the state's bar association. You also have the option to meet each one personally before making your final decision, this should help in determining which one will best suit. your needs.
If you are likely to be involved in long drawn-out litigation, or need the services of attorneys to appear in court on different cases, a pre-paid legal plan will not help you. When choosing a law firm to handle such matters, ask the same questions before deciding which firm to use. Go ahead and meet up with the lawyer, interrogate them if you must, and ask them up front if they are capable of handling the case. The things you need to ask would be a list of referrals you can verify, previous experience handling cases like yours, and how long they have been practicing law. Quite a hefty fee will be involved in the process, so choose a lawyer that is capable of handling your case and would guarantee favorable results.
