First of all, you want a qualified and
experienced attorney. Don't feel as though you need to give a budding
attorney a shot at his first case. Although all cases can be learning
experiences for most attorneys, you don't want your case to be a practice
run for somebody with minimal experience. You want a veteran familiar with
cases just like yours. Feel free to ask about qualifications, background,
and experience. Look for someone who has handled lots of cases similar to
your own, and choose someone who wins them more than he looses them. You
don't want to end up with a personal injury lawyer who has only taken a
couple car accident cases and lost them both.
When consulting with a potential car
accident lawyer, be sure to ask if it is he/she that will be overseeing
the case. Many law firms will have a qualified attorney overseeing a case,
and several less experienced ones performing the majority of the busywork
involved in the case such as research and paper work. This isn't
necessarily a bad thing. However, it is worth knowing whether or not the
person you are talking to will be in charge of the case. If he/she isn't,
then talk to the person who is.
There is no reason for you to hire
someone sight unseen. You should take the interview process seriously.
Remember, this is the person who will be representing you in an important
case in a court of law. It is important to find someone who you find
approachable and easy to communicate with. You'll be sharing all the
details of the case with this person. This can sometimes feel invasive and
uncomfortable, especially when you are already under a lot of stress. Feel
free to interview multiple candidates until you find a person you can
connect with and will feel comfortable with sharing every aspect of your
case with.
Finally, discuss with your attorney how
often you will get updated on the case. It is easy to feel frustrated when
you don't know what is going on and you rarely hear back from the law
firm. Make your communication expectations clear so you are both on the
same page. Find out who you will be speaking to regarding the progress of
the case, and how long you should expect to wait for a callback. If it
seems like the law firm doesn't consider keeping you updated a priority,
then find a car accident lawyer who gives you the service you want. On the
other hand, if you are not the kind of person that wants or needs regular
updates, you should also make that clear.
