how hire attorney

How to Interview and Hire a Lawyer

• Interviewing a Lawyer. When you meet with a lawyer, you should try to get a sense of your comfort level with the lawyer. ...
• You Don't Have to Hire the Lawyer You Consult. Prior to meeting with a lawyer, ask the lawyer if the firm will charge a fee for the initial consultation.
• Legal Fees and Retainer Agreements. Whether the case is likely to go to trial. ...

Full Answer

How much does it cost to hire an attorney?

When hiring an attorney, consider whether you need a full-time employee or if a freelance attorney is a better match. For a law firm with a consistent caseload, hiring a full-time attorney helps handle those clients, allowing you to serve more people. You also have more control over the attorney’s activities, and your clients have consistency.

How do you get a lawyer?

May 20, 2021 · It’s important to find a lawyer who has relevant experience with the legal area that you need. Take time to search for the right lawyer. Ask family, friends, or co-workers for recommendations. Check with your state and local bar associations. Consult lawyer referral services offered by a union or community group you belong to.

How to hire the best attorney for You?

But hiring a lawyer is not necessary for all legal procedures, which is why FindLaw provides free legal information, as well as do-it-yourself resources. FindLaw's Guide to Hiring a Lawyer not only helps you determine when you should hire a lawyer, but also helps you choose the right one, understand legal fees and agreements, and get some peace ...

What to expect when you hire an attorney on retainer?

Hire the right lawyer for your company by asking meaningful interview questions that reveal a candidate’s qualifications, skills and unique personality traits that make them a great fit for the role. Topics for lawyer interview questions: Length and depth of expertise in legal practice Types of cases generally represented

How to get a lawyer?

Before your first meeting with a lawyer, find out if you’ll have to pay for the lawyer’s time. Often a first consultation is free. Be ready to give a short summary of your legal situation and the solution you want. You’ll want to ask: 1 About their experience with your kind of case 2 How they would get the solution you want 3 About the chances of getting the solution you want, and other possible outcomes 4 Whether this lawyer, other lawyers, or paralegals in the law firm would do most of the work on the case 5 About the fees for each member of the law firm who would work on your case 6 How long it might take to resolve your legal issue or case

What is the area of law that lawyers specialize in?

Many lawyers specialize in certain areas of law, such as family, estate, personal injury, contracts, or civil rights. It’s important to find a lawyer who has relevant experience with the legal area that you need. Take time to search for the right lawyer.

What does contingency fee mean?

If you hire a lawyer on a contingency, it means their fees will be a set percentage of the total money you get if you win your case, plus reimbursement for case-related expenses like depositions, expert witnesses, and filing fees.

Do lawyers charge flat fees?

Many lawyers charge a flat fee for uncomplicated services like drafting incorporation papers, handling an uncontested divorce, or filing a simple bankruptcy. Before you decide to pay for a service with a flat or fixed fee, find out exactly what services the fee does and doesn’t cover.

What is a lawyer?

Lawyers typically specialize in one type of law, or a few related practice areas. For example, one lawyer may only work on family-related immigration cases, while another may handle a wide variety of injury cases. Some attorneys don't undertake litigation at all, but serve more transactional or advisory roles.

Why do we need a lawyer?

Having the right attorney when you need one can help you resolve a dispute with neighbors, end a marriage, enforce your rights in the workplace, or even avoid prison time. When life gets legal, whether it's a DUI charge or a positive event such as adoption, it often makes sense to get a lawyer.

What is a family law attorney?

A family law attorney may handle primarily divorce cases, or even specialize in custody disputes. Lawyers also differ in the way their respective firms are structured, ranging in size from single-attorney practices to large, multi-state (or even multinational) firms with thousands of attorneys on staff.

Why hire a lawyer?

Hiring a lawyer can mitigate legal complications and save you time and money. An accomplished lawyer will be able to advocate for your company or clients. From ensuring your business is legally compliant to helping with taxes, negotiating leases and contracts, and securing patents, lawyers are a valuable, risk mitigating asset.

Skills to look for in a great lawyer

A capable lawyer will fight for your needs and keep your business safe, utilizing advanced skills in research, organization, and communication. To find a lawyer you can trust to represent your business, look for qualifications and work experience that demonstrate top legal skills.

Writing a lawyer job description

A thoughtful description is important to finding qualified lawyer candidates. A lawyer job description should include a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

Interviewing lawyer candidates

Exceptional lawyers will be confident answering questions about their past work experience or legal specialization that suits your company’s needs. Hire the right lawyer for your company by asking meaningful interview questions that reveal a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and unique personality traits that make them a great fit for the role.

What is a healthy attorney-client relationship?

A healthy attorney-client relationship is paramount when you're involved in a legal dispute—and most clients who participate actively in resolving their legal problems are more satisfied with the results. Here you'll find information that will help you hire and work with an attorney.

What to do if you've been putting something off?

If you've been putting something off—say you've meant to set up a trust for your grandchildren, you need to clean up old debts through bankruptcy, or your legal problem is especially upsetting, like a nasty lawsuit —hiring an attorney to handle everything can be just what you need.

How does a lawyer-client relationship work?

Lawyer-client relationships work best when the lawyer and client trust and respect each other. If you don't feel comfortable with your lawyer as you start your relationship, there's a strong possibility that you will never have an effective working relationship with your lawyer.

Why do criminal defense lawyers charge flat fees?

The purpose of a flat fee is to provide peace of mind , not to save money. Most "flat fee" arrangements will end up costing you more than an hourly agreement. Many criminal defense lawyers operate on a flat fee basis. It is possible to form a fee agreement that has elements of both an hourly billing rate and a fixed fee.

What is retainer in a case?

Some lawyers quote a retainer that reflects the amount that they believe the case will cost to litigate. Some lawyers instruct the client that a retainer is likely to cover only a portion of the case, and that additional retainer amounts may be required if the case does not settle and proceeds to trial.

What is flat fee?

The purpose of a flat fee is to provide peace of mind, not to save money.

Does a lawyer have to accept a new case?

Absent a provision in your retainer agreement that requires your lawyer to accept a new legal case, as a general rule your lawyer only has to represent you on the case for which the lawyer was originally retained.

What is retainer agreement?

A retainer agreement will address the financial aspects of the relationship such as the amount of any retainer you must pay to retain the lawyer, how fees are calculated and billed, and when fees are due. For cases involving contingency fees, a lawyer should always enter into a formal retainer agreement.

Can an attorney negotiate a lower hourly rate?

Don't be afraid to negotiate for a lower hourly rate. Although most good attorneys tend to have the opportunity to take more work than they can handle, and thus may not be willing to reduce their fees, the worst they can do is say "no".

Who is Jim Thompson?

Jim Thompson is a corporate attorney specialized in international transactions including mergers and acquisitions and brings expertise in a number of corporate matters. Jim holds a J.D. from the University of Denver Strum College of Law and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. He is licensed to practice in New York and is also registered as a foreign attorney in Hong Kong.

Who is Omar Nassar?

Mr. Nassar has been involved in the real estate market as an investor, real estate agent, broker, landlord, developer, and an attorney. He has participated in hundreds of real estate transactions and his wide variety of experience is invaluable to many real estate clients.

When did Heather start practicing?

Heather began practicing in 1998 and has been admitted in both California and Canada. Throughout her career, Heather has worked with and negotiated on behalf of business of all sizes from solo entrepreneurs to substantial corporate enterprises. She enjoys being a creative-thinking business strategist, entrepreneurial mentor, and complex-contract negotiator.

Who is Kanika Kanika?

Kanika is an experienced Patent Attorney and Managing Partner of Evergreen Valley Law Group in Silicon Valley, which serves innovative entrepreneurs with backgrounds in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science. She has filed over 5,000 patent applications in the U.S. and worldwide with a successful track record of obtaining patents for clients.

Who is Fiona Kaufman?

Fiona is a Corporate Attorney with extensive experience working in-house for Silicon Valley High Technology companies. She runs her boutique law firm, Law Office of Fiona Newell Kaufman, with the goal of providing value-oriented legal services to technology-based companies. In addition to practicing law, she is an experienced legal author with a leading national publisher.

Who is Marc Mackenzie?

Marc Mackenzie is dedicated to helping families plan for their future and has made it his mission to do just that by providing legal services for estate planning, trusts, wills, and more. Marc will help you navigate through the process of creating a will and help you protect your future. In addition, Marc practices business law and will work with you throughout the start of your business until the final sale.

Who is Kurt Friedli?

Kurt Friedli is a corporate attorney with more than three years of experience. He has been licensed to provide his legal services to clients in California. Kurt obtained a Juris Doctorate degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. He primarily specializes in patents, as well as trademark and copyright law. Kurt is also experienced in drafting, negotiating and reviewing commercial contracts. He has been serving as legal analytics at RPX Corp since March 2015.

How to avoid litigation?

To avoid litigation, make sure to deal fairly with your business partners. The more fairly you deal with your partners, the less likely there will be a future legal dispute.

What is an arbitrator?

The arbitrator assesses the evidence and argument of each party, then renders judgment. Judgment is then confirmed by a court, and becomes final. To make use of arbitration, ask your startup attorney to draft contracts that include an arbitration clause.

What is alternative dispute resolution?

Alternative dispute resolution – and specifically, arbitration – is a great way to minimize the cost of litigation. Arbitration, unlike standard court litigation, is a private matter, and as such the content of arbitration will not be revealed to the public (thus preventing damage to your brand).

How should trade secrets be protected?

Trade secrets should be protected through the use of strict confidentiality agreements (and/or provisions inserted into employment and service contracts). IP damage can occur even without full infringement. If a former employee or business partner leaks partial information to a competitor, it could hurt your positioning in your industry.

Who is Grant Grant?

Grant represents high-growth companies in all aspects of formation, financing, and intellectual property issues. He has previously done general corporate, intellectual, and real estate work at Nebraska's oldest law firm before transitioning to a more virtual lifestyle. As an entrepreneur himself, he understands the need to balance legal and business interests.

Who is Sanjiv Dhawan?

Sanjiv Dhawan is the managing attorney at InnovaTech Law Group based in Santa Clara, California. He focuses primarily on general corporate and business law. InnovaTech emerged when Sanjiv decided to start his own practice, seeing a need for uncomplicated, inexpensive legal advice. An entrepreneur himself with several startups under his belt, Sanjiv understands the needs of business owners.

Who is Adam Binder?

He is licensed to practice law in California and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the McGeorge University School of Law. Adam is highly experienced in labor and employment law, and specializes in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts. Adam has been the vice president of legal operations at Percolate Industries, Inc. since June 2017.