There are various mistakes that you could do when you hire a lawyer. Here are some of them:
- Hiring lawyers with limited experience: It’s not a good thing if you hire lawyers who have limited experience. It is a good thing if the lawyer is known for his proficiency in a specific area of law. If you use limited considerations, it is possible that you make wrong choices to deal with a specific facet of the law. The practices of law already become increasingly specialized. You should choose an attorney who concentrates well in a specific area. This way, you should stand a bigger chance of success. Make sure that the lawyer has a long track record in the area. There’s absolutely no substitute for real experience. It may take nearly five years to become fully proficient in an area of law. If a lawyer handles one or two cases in that particular area each year, he/she may not be proficient enough.
- Choosing the cheapest attorney: It’s not a good idea to choose lawyers based only on pricing. Prices shouldn’t become the determining factor. It is certainly an important factor, but shouldn’t be the only factor. Having too high sensitivity to price can be a really critical mistake. A quality lawyer knows that handling a case successfully isn’t cheap. Saving too much on the selection of lawyers could lead to huge losses in the future. You will always get what you pay for. Of course, it doesn’t mean that less expensive lawyers are inferior, but lawyers who agree to charge much less may intentionally provide sub-par service. They simply can’t cope with the full costs of legal processes at such a low budget.
- Not asking critical questions: Failing to ask critical questions could lead to legal failures. You should ask things related to the knowledge, experience, ability and rate of success of the lawyer. Don’t hesitate to ask things directly and you should have a clear picture about the lawyer who you are hiring. As an example, you should make sure that lawyer will directly oversee your case, instead of delegating it to a legal assistant or associate. Include this verbal promise in the contract agreement. Lawyers should be able to provide a list of satisfied clients. If they are confident about their services, they won’t hesitate to provide contact information of previous clients. Also, find out whether the lawyer has good reputation among peers in the area.
- Overpaying for inferior services or small tasks: Lawyers are service providers and clients expect to get excellent services. If lawyers provide sub-par services, then they are not worth hiring. You should use common sense to know whether you have been given good service. Some lawyers could actually charge highly for sub-par service. Also, make sure the lawyer treats you with respect at all times and make sure that you get the highest values for your service. Any friendly treatment from the staff and the attorney will help to improve the long-term relationships. You should regularly evaluate the service factors. Use your gut feeling with regards to the provided services.