Whether you're going through a divorce, drawing up a will, starting a business or facing some other challenging situation, you may be in the market for legal representation for the first time in your life. The following tips can help you choose a lawyer wisely and understand your rights.
By LAURA T. COFFEY
Published October 5, 2003
1. Choose someone with the right experience. It may sound obvious, but it's important to find a lawyer who specializes in the area of law that applies to your situation. Inquire about how many years of experience the lawyer has in that area.
2. Know where to look. Of course there's always the Yellow Pages, but you also should ask friends and acquaintances for recommendations and seek out referrals through the Florida Bar Association (www.flabar.org 850-561-5600 and FloridaLawHelp.org (www.floridalawhelp.org)
3. Do your homework. Before you choose someone to represent you, consult with more than one lawyer about your situation, determining first whether you will be charged for the initial consultations. Ask the lawyers about your options, your odds of success, their fees and their estimates of when your issue might be resolved.
4. Brevity is good. When contacting lawyers, give them a brief, clear summary of your situation. This will save everybody time - and potentially save you money.
5. Understand what you're getting. Clarify how often your lawyer will update you about your case, what information you'll be required to provide and what the total cost will be. Will your lawyer be paid a contingency fee, a flat fee, an hourly rate or a retainer? Will you be charged extra for copying documents, courier services, court filing fees or research services?
6. Look into low-cost legal services. Depending on your income level, you may qualify for free or low-cost representation offered through legal services organizations or legal clinics at law schools. FloridaLawHelp.org has links to lawyers who work with people who are homeless, disabled, mentally ill, Medicaid-eligible, immigrants or prisoners.
7. Be a good record-keeper. If you provide your lawyer with the originals of documents that apply to your case, keep copies for yourself. Request copies of all other important documents as the case progresses.
8. You have a right to good service. Lawyers must abide by state ethics rules and charge reasonable fees. If you think your lawyer charged you too much or didn't treat you fairly, talk to him or her about it and try to work out a resolution.
9. Look at the big picture. You can fire your lawyer at any time, but before you do, consider the pros and cons of starting over with a new lawyer. Your case could be delayed and you could end up spending significantly more money.
10. If you can't resolve a problem with your lawyer, you can file a complaint through the Florida Bar Association's Attorney Consumer Assistance Program. To learn more about the program, visit the bar association's Web site and click on "Consumer Services," or call toll-free 1-866-352-0707.
