Choosing a lawyer is just like choosing any other service or product. Initially First, check that the Lawyer is Legit or not. It is a best practice to do some thorough research before choosing a lawyer/ attorney. Sometimes whether a person loses or wins the legal battle entirely depends on his/her lawyer as much as it depends on the law and the facts of the case.
The client’s relationship with their lawyer requires a lot of trusts and to trust their lawyers with their case they need to know even if their lawyer is Legit/legitimate with a valid license. Because of that choice, the right lawyer is so important. It is critical to do plenty of research if you want to find a reputable. A person needs to know how often a lawyer/attorney wins, how they work, and if other people had a good experience while they were working with them. Before hiring a lawyer, here are 5 ways to know if a lawyer is legit or not:
- State bar Profile
- Google / Search Engines.
- Google / Search Engines.
- Yelp
- The attorney’s website
- Third-party rating groups
State bar profile:
If the lawyer wants to practice law in a state, they need to become a member of the bar association for that state. The state bar association website allows you to search members of the state bar and their information.
Every state bar has its disciplinary organizations that monitor attorneys and investigates them if the client has filed a complaint against them. If the organization determines that the lawyer has violated an ethical rule, the lawyer will be disciplined accordingly. The disciplinary record of all lawyers/attorneys practicing is a public record. A lawyer can be disciplined because of the following reason
- Incompetence (not adequate knowledge and experience to handle case)
- Communication Failure
- Clients fired their Lawyer for her bad behavior.
- Conflicts of interest
- Stealing
if a person wants to hire a Lawyer in Dubai, he/she could access these records by contacting the state bar association. It is advised not to hire an attorney before checking their state bar profile. The lawyer’s disciplinary record should be the first thing you look for if you want to hire them.
Google/Search Engines:
Once you have found a lawyer with a valid license and have no disciplinary record you should Google search their name. It will show you many informative things like the previous cases they worked on, the types of cases they handle effectively, their clients, and most importantly their reviews.
Search engines reveal any new stories, publications, and the law firms associated with the lawyers.
The Attorney’s website:
Google search also provides the law firm website the attorney is working with or direct access to the attorney’s website. It shows their profile and tells whether they provide online counseling services or not.
Third-party rating group:
These groups assist the client in recognizing the lawyer’s capabilities. Some services have a patented process for the selection of outstanding lawyers.
One of the best ways to find the potential of a lawyer/attorney you are dealing with is to look for people who have dealt with them in the past on a one-on-one basis. They will provide accurate and authentic information about their general behavior, their practices in the courtroom, their fees, and more. Sometimes lawyers appear perfect in every aspect but are difficult to work with or they are handling too many cases, they might not be the right choice as collecting evidence and facts require a lot of time.
You can ask other attorneys about the skills and reputation of other attorneys. They may be able to give you information about their fellow attorney that is not available online.
Even if an attorney has good credentials and is highly recommended, they still have to be someone you can work with. Therefore, before hiring them a personal interview is recommended.
Disclaimer: An attorney/lawyer shall be consulted when making a decision for your legal needs. Rules and laws described in this blog shall only be used as a source of information and cannot be contested in a court of law, nor can they be used as legal advice. Before Hiring a Lawyer, check whether the Lawyer is Legit or not.