Do you not know how to find an attorney who will be just right for you? We are here to help you with some tips to make this task easier for you. Each of us knows that finding a good lawyer may be the most important step toward winning a legal case. It does not have to be hard; you just take your time and do some research. Keep in mind to focus your efforts on finding an attorney that has dealt with your specific legal issue in the past.  When looking for an attorney make sure to dedicate enough time to your research to be able to choose the right person.

Below are some tips on how to make the searching process easier for you.

Determine what type of attorney you need

Of course, it is always preferable to find a lawyer who is experienced in your exact case. It can be malpractice law, bankruptcy law, etc. Also, it would be great to find an attorney familiar with the courts and laws of your area which will be really helpful for you.

Contact your local bar association

You can find qualified attorneys in your area with the help of the state bar associations. They keep public records about complaints and disciplinary actions taken against lawyers licensed to practice in the state. Local bar associations also have free referral services. So they can help you find an attorney to suit your case’s needs. In order to find your bar association’s website just choose your state from the State & Local Bar Associations page provided by the American Bar Association. Going through online listings of attorneys is a great idea. Some websites offer free reviews of businesses and some of them focus on helping low-income individuals to find attorneys. Cross reference reviews from more than one website will help counter any bias in reviews you find. So just make sure to go through the listing of attorneys thoroughly.

Try to get referrals and recommendations

Friend and family can help you a lot to get some recommendations. Just talk to those who used an attorney. Find out if they would recommend the attorney (if they were happy with the services, and why or why not). Ask out who they hired and for what type of service. Any information will be helpful for you so just go ahead and make a list of the potential attorneys you found in your area. By doing this you will feel more organized. This will help a lot in the process of your search as you move forward. Make sure to include all the attorney’s details: name, address, phone number and website address.

Carefully review each attorney’s website

It is important to find out what type of law the attorney practices. Also, you need to look for background information on the attorney. Note that normally the best attorneys maintain well-developed websites offering a lot of information. So try to look for some general information about the type of legal issue you need help with, including a frequently asked questions section. Make sure to take a look at each attorney’s educational background and work history. Your attorney should have at least three to five years of experience practicing the type of law you need help with.

The size of the firm matters

Just keep in mind that the size of the firm may matter. As law firms can vary in size ranging from one attorney to many attorneys, you need to choose a law firm that you think will be best for your situation. In order to handle extremely complicated, often international, legal matters a big firm is better to hire. But in case you are looking for someone to help you with your divorce you might feel comfortable to find an attorney from a smaller firm.

Start making appointments

The good news is that most attorneys do consultation appointments for free so just contact each attorney and set up a consultation.  Of course, there will be cases where some may charge a small fee for a consultation. In order to avoid this situation just make sure that you know whether you will be charged. In case you do not live in the same state as the attorney, a phone consultation can be scheduled instead of a meeting in person. And yes, it is better for you to find someone in your area. Usually, it is better when the attorney appears with you in court. So, try your best to find a local attorney to represent you.

Find an attorney you can get along with

Last but not least, you should choose an attorney that you feel comfortable with. The experience and strong knowledge of the law are extremely important. But never ignore the fact that you should like working with the person you chose. If you feel uncomfortable with your attorney in any way, immediately choose someone different to represent you. Be careful on how well the attorney answered all of your questions. Pick someone else if he/she hesitated too much while giving answers to your questions. And, yes, if more than one attorney has the right qualifications for you then just choose the one you feel more comfortable with as a person.

Tour the attorney’s law office

You can just request a brief tour of the attorney’s law office, beyond the office or conference room where you met with him/her. You can really tell a lot about an attorney from his office. If the law office is neat, orderly, efficient and well-run it is great for you. Pay attention if the large part of his office space is occupied. It is not a good sign when you see unhappy staff members, empty offices and unreturned phone calls in his/her office.

In order to find an attorney just take into consideration all the above mentioned seven steps which will really be very helpful during that process. Remember that an experienced attorney is half of the work or even more, done. We wish you good luck.