Do you know when most people get a security alarm in their home? After they’ve been broken into and burglarized! Unfortunately, most of us go about selecting an attorney the same way, after we’ve suffered an injury. We never think of it until we need a lawyer.
When the average person needs a lawyer, they get on Google and start the game of lawyer roulette! They pour over name after name, review after review, in a never-ending maze of information. Then the pop-up ads start chasing them from Facebook to Wikipedia.
Don’t get us wrong, it’s good to search the internet, but have a strategy. Here’s some helpful information on how to pick a lawyer.
Search for a Personal Injury Lawyer Online
Good personal injury attorneys are often found online when you have a strategic approach. Most of us don’t. We type in “personal injury lawyer near me” and run right into paid advertising for commercial lawyer referral services like Findlaw.com or attorney database providers like Avvo, or national mills like Legalzoom.com.
Why not go to USattorneys.com? Just type in your location. Then click the red search bar. They don’t need an attorney name or type of practice to get you started. Do this and it will immediately pull up a list you can scan for names you know. Click on ‘em and there’s more information.
Take Edward M. Bernstein, for example. You click on him and immediately find the firm handles cases for car accidents, nursing home abuse, workers compensation, and truck accidents. There’s information about the firm and how to get a hold of them including address, phone number, email, and website.
Find a Good Personal Injury Attorney by Asking Other Professionals You Do Business With
You probably have a CPA or a physician, an insurance or real estate agent, a tax preparer you trust. Maybe a specialist in your field of work. Ask them about attorneys. Good professionals in your life often know other good professional attorneys.
Friends and Relatives Can Refer Good Lawyers
Friends and relatives can often refer you to a good attorney. But be on guard. We all have that friend who judges a good restaurant on HOW MUCH food he gets instead of HOW GOOD the quality of it is. We would not want to ask that friend about an attorney. When someone you trust refers an attorney, ask follow-up questions:
- What makes you recommend this attorney?
- How do you know about the attorney?
- Do you have personal experience with him/her or is there some other source for your info?
You want to hear some valid reasons to press ahead with this attorney as opposed to being told they’re a great pal of Uncle Lew’s son-in-law.
Ask Other Lawyers You Know Who They Would Recommend
You might already know lawyers in other fields of practice than the one you have a current need for. A tax, divorce, or corporate attorney, for example. Consider asking them who they would recommend.
Close Business Associates Can Often Refer a Good Attorney
Of course, you always want to be prudent about the type of case you may wish, or not wish, to disclose and discuss with a business associate. One might best be advised to keep personal legal issues away from business associates, yet at times you may have the knowledge or kindred spirit that leads you to confide. Always assess the situation and use good judgment.
Remember opinions are like noses: everyone has one. So, stay away from asking the folks at the bar, the gym, or the beauty salon. You’ll only succeed in kicking up a lot of extra dust that only blinds clear vision to the best path.
No Matter Your Final Selection for a Lawyer, Always Interview and Reference Check Them
At the end of the day, your attorney will be working for you and they have to be skilled, dedicated, and on the same wavelength as you. There are few things as stressful as getting in the middle of a case and realizing you’ve made the mistake of getting the wrong attorney.
Here at Edward Bernstein & Associates, we say, “Get to know us before you need us.”
Enough. Said. Call. Ed.