How to Hire an Attorney

Tips for Finding a Well Qualified Lawyer

Oct 21, 2009 Suzanne Bechard

Finding the right attorney for one's legal problem can make the difference between a successful outcome and a disappointing one. Here are tips for finding a lawyer.

Most people need the services of an attorney at some point in life, whether it is to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, handle a bankruptcy or divorce, contest a will or assist in setting up a business. Knowing how to find the right lawyer may be the key to success for solving one's legal problem. Fortunately, there is a lot of information available on licensed attorneys in most U.S. jurisdictions, if one knows where to look.

Find an Attorney Through Personal Referrals and Referral Services

When it comes to selecting an attorney, one of the best places to start is through one's own social network. Friends and family members who have utilized the services of lawyers in the past may be able to provide good first-hand information about how satisfied they were with the lawyer's service.

Another way to find a qualified local attorney for one's legal problem is through a not-for-profit bar association lawyer referral service. Lawyer referral services sponsored by the American Bar Association must have meaningful standards in place for participating attorneys and must provide the client with an unbiased referral to an attorney who has experience in the appropriate area of law for the client's needs.

Check Background Information from State Bar Association Websites

Once a local attorney has been identified, one may do further research into his or her experience and qualifications by accessing the state bar association website. Many state bar associations maintain lists of members and include such information as whether the attorney belongs to any specialty sections or is board certified. One may also discover whether the attorney has been the subject of any prior disciplinary sanctions.

Attorney Rating Systems

Martindale-Hubbell maintains a peer review attorney rating system through which attorneys are evaluated by other legal professionals and assigned a rating based on experience, professional qualifications and ethical standards. Attorneys who are rated "AV" and "BV" are considered "preeminent" and "distinguished," respectively, and are deemed to meet "very high criteria of ethical standards" by the rating system. Martindale-Hubbell offers additional services such as a client review system and a method for comparing attorneys.

A relatively new resource for locating information about attorneys is the commercial website Avvo, which compiles profiles of lawyers from bar association records and allows consumers to rate attorneys and to provide critiques. Avvo has not been without controversy, however. It is been criticized as providing outdated information and because of a lack of clarity by which attorney ratings are generated.

Hiring an Attorney

The hiring of an attorney is an important decision. There are many resources available to the public for locating a lawyer with the right experience and qualifications for one's legal issue. Prior to hiring any attorney, a client should never be afraid to seek an initial consultation with the attorney or to ask the attorney's current and former clients personally about their level of satisfaction with his or her legal services.

The copyright of the article How to Hire an Attorney in Law, Crime & Justice is owned by Suzanne Bechard. Permission to republish How to Hire an Attorney in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

How to Find an Attorney	Ask Friends and Family for a Lawyer Referral	Locate a Lawyer Referral Service Online
Attorney Rating Systems are Available	Hiring the Right Attorney is Important