how to find a good attorney in california

by Elvie Ernser PhD 9 min read

How to Find the Best Personal Injury Attorney in California

[Updated 2021]
  1. Searching Online. When choosing a personal injury lawyer, start by searching via a search engine like Google. You can...
  2. Legal Directories. Legal directories are like mini-search engines of their own, but focus only on attorneys. We’ll go...
  3. Online Reviews. Many of the online directories...

Full Answer

How do I find a tax lawyer in California?

For more search options, including the ability to search for certified specialists or other practice characteristics, try Advanced Search . You can also search for Provisionally Licensed Lawyers . Advanced Attorney Search. Fill in any of the fields below to begin your search. Attorney Info (To find a specific attorney)

How do I find a good lawyer?

To find an attorney who is a certified specialist in certain areas of the law, such as taxation or family law, you can use the State Bar’s online certified specialist directory, which allows you to search for a certified attorney by specialty area and California county. Recommendations. Ask people you trust to recommend a lawyer who can assist you or refer you to other attorneys …

How to find a good divorce lawyer in California?

May 05, 2017 · These attorneys are certified specialists in particular areas of law. And you can find your best attorney at law in California with a click of a finder on the Internet. All you need to do is visit the State Bar’s website and find the list of certified legal specialists. Attorney at law through media vehicles

How do I find a certified specialist attorney in California?

Finding a good divorce lawyer in California does not have to be a complex. It doesn't have to become an unreasonably time-consuming process. In fact, the process is relatively straightforward and you can logically narrow your choices from the initial phone call you make to …

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How do you find a good attorney?

You can run an attorney search at databases such as Avvo and Martindale Hubbell, which provide information such as practice areas, location, disciplinary records, and lawyer reviews. You might also consult your local or state bar association's attorney directory, which is a list of lawyers in your area.

How much does it cost to hire a lawyer in California?

How much do lawyers charge in California? The typical lawyer in California charges between $164 and $422 per hour. Costs vary depending on the type of lawyer, so review our lawyer rates table to find out the average cost to hire an attorney in California.

What is the average hourly rate for a lawyer in California?

Throughout the United States, typical attorney fees usually range from about $100 an hour to $400 an hour. These hourly rates will increase with experience and practice area specialization....Average Attorney Fees by State.StateLow RateHigh RateAlaska$150$300Arizona$150$300Arkansas$150$300California$150$42047 more rows•Aug 17, 2021

How much do criminal lawyers charge in California?

between $250-$500 per hourFAQs About Criminal Lawyer Charge in California While there is no set cost, a criminal lawyer in California usually costs between $250-$500 per hour.Jan 16, 2022

What is a retainer fee for a lawyer?

A retainer fee commonly refers to the upfront cost of a contract for professional services, such as with a consultant, freelancer or a lawyer. You put down a deposit, which the service provider will use to cover any costs involved in their legal services.May 23, 2019

What type of lawyer is the highest paid?

Medical Attorneys Medical lawyers are among the highest-paid types of lawyers and earn one of the highest median salaries in the legal field.

How much does a top lawyer cost?

Attorney fees typically range from $100 to $300 per hour based on experience and specialization. Costs start at $100 per hour for new attorneys, but standard attorney fees for an expert lawyer to handle a complex case can average $225 an hour or more.

How much do the most expensive lawyers cost?

Topping the list of the country's most expensive lawyers is Kirkland & Ellis partner Kirk Radke. The private equity and corporate counsel bills $1,250 per hour. The big billers tend to cluster in finance-related practices.Oct 4, 2017

How do you find a good divorce lawyer in California?

You interview a few attorneys and pick the best one out of the small group. Plenty of husbands and wives do that.

Finding a good divorce lawyer in California starts with the first phone call

Why do you call a law office for a divorce or family law case? Do you do it to speak with a secretary? A paralegal or a law clerk? Or to talk with an experienced divorce attorney or set an appointment to speak with one in person, who can take the time to speak with you about your factual situation and decide if he or she can help you?

The in-person consultation must be with a family law attorney

In our opinion, if you show up for an in-person consultation and you meet with anyone other than an experienced divorce lawyer, turn around and walk out.

Good divorce lawyers give you straightforward and honest answers

It is always interesting to me when I receive a call from a prospective new client who has called several lawyers before me. I generally like to ask why the person has spoken with so many lawyers before calling me.

Law office presentation and organization when searching for a good divorce lawyer in California

How a law office looks is a little-known indicator of organization. If you walk into a lawyer's office or a law firm conference room, and you see many boxes stacked on top of boxes, papers all over the place and a general sense of disorganization or chaos, that is probably a good clue that the office or firm does not run very efficiently.

Reviews, testimonials and references. What do they tell you about the divorce lawyer you're thinking of hiring?

You should not believe everything you read or hear, right? We agree. You definitely want to do your due diligence to make sure that what you are reading about the divorce attorney you're considering to hire is actually correct as opposed to manufactured.

Is a good divorce lawyer in California well versed and published on the law?

The best lawyers are students of the law. That means they never stop learning and trying to get better at what they do. If you are searching the internet and you notice the lawyer has a pretty boilerplate website and has not written a lot of articles or information about family law, you should ask yourself why?

What is FindLaw in Avvo?

FindLaw is another popular legal directory that may show up in the search results. FindLaw includes attorney contact info and a bio. FindLaw lacks the robust review system you’ll find in Avvo, but given FindLaw’s search engine placement, we included it in our list. Visit them by clicking here.

What to know before meeting with a personal injury attorney?

Prior to meeting with an attorney, take some time to learn a little about personal injury law in your state. For example, most personal injury attorneys will not take a car accident case which solely resulted in property damage.

Who owns Lawyers.com?

Lawyers.com is owned by Martindale-Hubble. They’ve been around for years providing info on attorneys. Lawyers.com provides contact info, client reviews, and peer reviews. You can see more by clicking here.

What is an AVVO?

Avvo is one of the more popular attorney directories. Avvo offers a lot of great info including ratings, law school attended, and contact info. More importantly, Avvo tells you if the attorney has ever been disciplined by the California State Bar. Visit Avvo by clicking here.

Narrow results by city

The Law Office of Janice Cho is a client-oriented law firm specializing in helping individuals understand and resolve family law and immigration issues efficiently and effectively and with professionalism, integrity and compassion. Ms. Cho has bee...

California divorce and separation attorneys

A divorce lawyer helps you if you no longer want to be married. Whether you want a legal separation or the marriage ended, divorce lawyers assist you to arrange financial and family matters, typically in a negotiation with your spouse's lawyer.

How to find a lawyer for a lawsuit?

Here are a few other sources you can turn to for possible candidates in your search for a lawyer: 1 The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. 2 The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area. For example, if your dispute involves trying to stop a major new subdivision, it would make sense to consult an environmental group committed to fighting urban sprawl. 3 A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. 4 A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.

Who is the best source of business lawyers?

The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area.

What is Nolo lawyer directory?

Nolo offers a unique lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information that will help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law.

What is a lawyer referral service?

Lawyer referral services are another source of information. There is a wide variation in the quality of lawyer referral services, however, even though they are required to be approved by the state bar association. Some lawyer referral services carefully screen attorneys and list only those attorneys with particular qualifications and a certain amount of past experience, while other services will list any attorney in good standing with the state bar who maintains liability insurance. Before you choose a lawyer referral service, ask what its qualifications are for including an attorney and how carefully lawyers are screened.

How much does a lawyer charge an hour?

Lawyers, of course, are prime sources of this information, but if you bought all the needed information at their rates -- $150 to $450 an hour -- you'd quickly empty your bank account.

What can a law librarian do?

A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.

Can lawyers be terrible communicators?

Unfortunately, the complaint logs of all lawyer regulator y groups indicate that many lawyers are terrible communicators. If every time you have a problem there's a delay of several days before you can talk to your lawyer on the phone or get an appointment, you'll lose precious time, not to mention sleep.

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