How Do I Hire a Good Lawyer?

Tips on Hiring a Great Attorney

There is a myriad of reasons that you may be looking for legal counsel, representation or maybe simply legal advice. Don't be fooled into thinking that a quick Google or a look through the Yellow pages will get you a great Attorney. Google will sell the top listings and returns to anyone with money, so your Google search may get a law firm with a huge advertising and marketing budget, but that will not help you in court.

In the United Stares you will find no shortage of lawyers. The U.S has 5% of the total world's population and at the same time it holds 70% of the world's practicing attorneys, that is a staggering 1 lawyer for every 200 citizens. With numbers like that, finding the right lawyer for your needs can be no easy undertaking.

The best way to find a lawyer is through personal referrals and word of mouth. Wide variations exist in the skill level and expertise of each lawyer so recommendations from friends and acquaintances are a good way to locate quality legal talent.

The exact nature of your legal problem will determine the type of lawyer you need to hire. Most lawyers concentrate their practice in a few legal specialties such as family law, criminal law, employment law, personal injury law, bankruptcy or civil litigation. Therefore, it is important to retain a lawyer with expertise and experience in the practice area for which you require. Here at the Law Offices of Jones Brown Law you will find that for the most part, all areas of law are practiced. Let's go through a few of the best resources available to help you find a lawyer that fits your needs.

Google, Referrals and Word of Mouth:

Friends, family, neighbors, relatives and even business acquaintances are the best way to find a lawyer. If your looking to buy a new iPad or exercise bike/clothes hanger to hang your clean clothes on, then by all means, Google till your fingers are sore, but remember as we discussed above, you can't trust the first results that you get from search engines. There is a billion dollar a year stream of revenue that is pouring into Google from businesses that will spend whatever it takes to ensure that they show up first on the list. Once again this has to do with a Law firms ability to spend money not represent clients so be ware of Google, Bing, Facebook or Yahoo etc..

Back to friends, family, neighbors, relatives, these individuals have no vested interest, financial or otherwise, in recommending a certain attorney and can offer you any positives or negatives that they may have encountered in their dealings with an attorney or law firm. Hiring a friend or relative for your case may seem like a good idea, but actually this may not be your best strategy. If the friend or relative specializes in an area of law that lies outside your needs, he or she may not be fully competent to address your specific legal problem.

 Local Bar Associations

Another great resource for finding a lawyer in your area is your local bar association. Most county and city bar associations offer lawyer referral services to the public although they do not necessarily screen for qualifications. The American Bar Association also maintains a database which offers assistance to consumers seeking legal help. CLICK HERE for the American Bar Association's home page.

Internet Resources

Unlike Google or Bing and other search engines there are a number of for-profit directories on the Internet offering search vehicles through which you can find a lawyer. A few of these sites are lawyers.com, legalmatch.com, attorney.locate.com, lawyershop.com, attorneyfind.com and attorneypages.com. Remember that these are for-profit sites and there is both a membership fee for the attorneys and a finders fee included for the website if you should use one of the attorneys's listed on the website. Good resources or websites on the internet should be .org's or non-profit sites. The Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory is available in all public libraries and they also have a great "online lawyer locator" service on their website (CLICK HERE to access.) To find a lawyer, you can search by practice area or geographic location.

Ask Other Lawyers

Believe it or not, Lawyers are not the "sharks" that media and movie would have you believe that they are. If a lawyer finds that he or she is unable to help you them that attorney mat refer you to a colleague that does have the qualifications and background that you are looking for. Legal circles are small and most lawyers will know several other lawyers who specialize in the practice area for which you seek advice. Lawyers obviously want the best for you and have no secret agenda to see you in jail or for you to lose your case, keep in mind, however, that lawyers often receive referral fees when they refer a case to another lawyer and this may influence their decision as to whom gets their recommendation.

Need a Lawyer but No Money?

Here is a problem that a lot of people run into. They are in need of representation but they have no money. If your in need of a lawyer but cannot afford one, you should contact your local legal aid office, an organization that provides free or "pro bono" legal assistance to low-income individuals in non-criminal matters. Check the white pages of your telephone directory or type in “Legal Aid [insert the name of your county of state]” into Google, Bing or whatever to find local legal aid providers near you.

 Contact Jones Brown Law

At the Law Offices of Jones Brown Law we specialize in a number of areas of law including car accidents, trucking accidents, family law, criminal law, employment law, personal injury law, bankruptcy law, immigration law, Social Security Disability, estate,wills and probate law, civil litigation and medical malpractice. Here at Jones Brown PLLC we follow a strict code of conduct and a high set of standards set by ourselves that we call our "Client Bill of Rights."

 Jones Brown PLLC "Client Bill of Rights:"

Our Promise to You :

• Your attorney and staff at the Law Offices of Jones Brown will treat you fairly, with courtesy and respect.
• You have the right to be charged a reasonable fee for quality representation.
• We will use our resources carefully and work our hardest to meet your needs without delays.
• We promise to explain your case to you in full detail and will define legal consequences of each option presented.
• You have the right to ask your attorney any questions you may have and receive a response promptly. We will communicate with you in any way that works best for you including phone calls, texting, in-person meetings, or emailing.
• You have the right to be kept informed of all action taken by your attorney regarding your case. We will communicate with you about the status of your case and forward any significant correspondence and other documents to make sure you are fully informed.
• You have the right to make the ultimate decision on your case, and the Law Offices of Jones Brown will respect your wishes to the extent that the law allows.

Contact Jones Brown Today CLICK HERE