The 3 Mistakes people make while hiring A Lawyer.

The legal process is complex, time consuming, emotionally draining and at the same time expensive. However, it becomes imperative to hire a lawyer if you are planning to start your own company/ start-up or if you are facing marital discord and seeking a divorce or if you just penned down a book and now seek to protect it from copyright issues or if you and your brother wish to part ways in the family business or if your builder has been delaying in giving the possession of your flat or if you have experienced any medical negligence from a hospital/ doctor.

Therefore, your best friend in such instances and innumerable others would be a lawyer, who could guide you through the technicalities of the legal procedure and protect you from numerous hurdles that may come your way in the course of action and this is exactly what LawInsta does for you. LawInsta is one of its kind platform which not only helps you connect with the lawyer but makes sure you do not face the legal battle alone and all by yourself.

You and your case are as good as your lawyer. However, majority of the people end with the wrong lawyer, and regret afterwards. Therefore, to avoid committing mistakes while hiring a lawyer are a must for you and this write-up would run you through the right steps and the smart questions to ask your lawyer to make it a fruitful experience and without a snag.

What mistakes do we make while hiring a lawyer ?

Every human prefers doing or getting a job done in the easiest and quickest way possible. Similarly, even while hiring a lawyer we look for the easiest ways possible, For instance :

• A lawyer who is related to you : If there is a lawyer in the family, why would anyone look outside of it. Mostly, this is the case. You end up calling the “relative-lawyer” or the one your relative advises even if he is no expert, or would not have the suitable knowledge required for your case.
• A lawyer who lives nearby : Another easy way out is to approach the lawyers in your neighborhood. You may have read their name-plate several times, and would have finally remembered them out of convenience, when you face a legal problem. However, doing your research even before calling a nearby lawyer is a prerequisite to hiring a good lawyer.
• The cheapest lawyer available : Who wouldn’t want to save even a penny when you can since there are several less expensive/ low costing lawyers available, and one may often tend to get tempted and choose the one who makes your pocket burn the least. However, if the price of services is your only concern while choosing a lawyer, it may turn out to be a cheap affair initially, but will surely cost you a heap/ become very expensive in the long run if he does not have the requisite expertise and knowledge to deal with your case.

Usually, we realize our mistake mid-way during the court proceedings by realizing that:

• The Lawyer is not an expert : Every lawyer cannot be an expert in every field of law. For instance, a great property lawyer may or may not be as good in the field of divorce and criminal. Therefore, it becomes extremely important for you as a client to check the expertise of the lawyer before appointing him. By doing this you not only verify the credentials of the lawyer you want to appoint but at the same time assure yourself of the desired results by participating and involving yourself in your legal battle.
• The Lawyer is not arguing your case strongly : There may be a plausible time where you might feel that the lawyer you have hired is not competent and even lacks pro-activeness in his attitude towards your case making you realize that it was a mistake hiring that lawyer.
• The Lawyer is not pushing for a speedy outcome : Usually, a lawyer charges his client in two ways i.e. either on per hearing basis or by charging a lump-sum for the whole case. Under both the situations you can end up getting exploited by realizing that the lawyer is not trying to push for a speedy result.

Often, lawyers provide consultation to discuss details of a case and allow opportunity to ask basic questions about him. The very first meeting should not only help you decide whether to go forward with a lawyer in general, but also whether you should proceed with this lawyer. If you later decide to hire the lawyer, you will go into a more detailed discussion of your case and ask more specific questions along the way. Moreover, it is highly advisable to consult two to three lawyers before finalizing one.

Generally speaking, you must have a list of questions in mind to ask during the meeting to understand the attitude of the lawyer. Also, you should feel extra comfortable while asking questions that relate to the lawyer's fees, expertise, professional experience, and management of the case.

Therefore, here are certain questions for all of us to correctly evaluate a lawyer

1. Is the lawyer expert in the matter concerned ? It is important to ask the lawyer if he has the right expertise and knowledge of law in relation to your case and also if, he has dealt with a similar case in the past and what he did and what was the final outcome. Expertise can also be judged by whether the lawyer is a beginner or a veteran in the field of law. Some cases like patent or DUI require specialized training and knowledge for effective representation. Ask the lawyer about any specialized training that he may have which is required for your case.
2. What is the past track record and credentials of the lawyer ? You must find out the past record of the lawyer otherwise it can be super easy for the lawyer to be-fool you by simply asking you to leave everything to him and not worry. The best way to find out the work ethics of a lawyer is by asking his previous clients and if the lawyer is willing to share the details of his client.
3. What type of cases and clients does the lawyer generally handle ? You'll also want to know about a lawyer's expertise and how much of the attorney's practice is devoted to topic area your legal issue falls within. For example, if you need help with an adoption case, you may wish to seek a family law lawyer who has worked on, well, adoption cases. Also, if yours is an individual case, and the lawyer you’ve approached generally handles cases of large corporations, he again, may not be the best suited lawyer.
4. What are your attorney fees and costs, and how are they billed ? Will a portion or all of my case be handled by paralegals or legal assistants ? If so, ask about reduced costs. This step is obviously an important one. You'll want to know whether you can afford the lawyer's services and how you will be required to pay. This is also the time to ask about payment options and how often, and under what circumstances, you will be billed.
5. How will you let me know what's happening with my case ? What is the likely outcome in my case ?Communication is the key when working with a lawyer. Ask the lawyer how often and under what circumstances you will hear from him or her; and about important dates. Also, generally speaking, it is fair game to ask the attorney whether you have a good chance of winning your case. You are not looking for the "right" answer, just an honest one. For instance, if you're facing a nasty divorce situation, you'll want to know up front from the attorney so you can prepare yourself for what lies ahead.
6. Are there others ways for solving my legal problem ? Go ahead. Ask the professional whether there are any alternatives for solving your legal problem, such as through arbitration or some other out-of-court arrangement. A good attorney will generally inform you if your case can be handled through other less expensive and time consuming means.

How to find the right lawyer ?

• Ask a friend or people known to you who have had similar problems The best possible way to find the right lawyer for your case is by asking a friend or a known person who has already experienced a case similar to yours. This way the person known to you can share his own experience with the lawyer and how the lawyer handled the case and how competent he was handling the case.
• Discuss with at least 3 lawyers before selecting the right one Another important thing to remember is to consult at least 3 lawyers before finalizing one for your case. This helps you to know your options and allows you to choose the best for yourself by assessing these lawyers. Consulting a couple of lawyers will not only help you in understanding your case better but at the same time make you realize which lawyer is most suitable for you.
• Check on the Court website Another important way to check and study cases similar to yours of the lawyer you want to hire is by visiting the court websites and reading the past orders of the court, thereby getting to know the lawyer better through his work. You can simply visit the website and search by advocate name and get access to all his past cases.
• Stay involved Never ever be under the impression that the lawyer will fight your case alone. Therefore, you need to be as involved as you can to make sure you ultimately win the case. However, staying involved does not mean that you need to interfere with the work of the lawyer but only assure the lawyer that you are present and alert about the court proceedings of the case.
• Use online portal like LawInsta to find the right lawyer Online platform of LawInsta, does all the above Stated work for you so that you are not alone in your legal battle. LawInsta helps you in analyzing various lawyers and recommend you the most suitable Lawyer as per your requirement.

For instance, LawInsta evaluates lawyers by regularly reviewing them and also rates them according to their track record. LawInsta provides free lawyer-client legal consultation where an on-call lawyer provides free legal advice. This not only simplifies the procedure but also makes it more convenient for the client to have a better understanding of the legal procedure. Moreover, to minimize the hassle of identifying a lawyer, understanding his area of practice, his suitability to your case, comparing between innumerable lawyers available and also, your budget, online platform like LawInsta are perfect for you to find the right lawyer.

LawInsta bridges the gap between the Lawyers as well as the Clients by way of Maintaining Transparency through out the Life Cycle of the Case. The aim of the organization is to assist the justice seekers in availing quality and transparent legal services in accordance with their requirements on 24*7 basis in a convenient and a cost-effective manner.