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Finding the right lawyer to represent you in your employment/wrongful termination case or in any other civil claim can make a big different to both, the outcome of your case and your experience working with an attorney. There are over 200,000 active attorneys in California, and chances are that there are hundreds of lawyers in each area of law in your locality. So, how do you decide who to contact and who you should be represented by? Well, first let's talk about how not to choose an attorney and what are the common mistakes that consumer make when trying to find a lawyer for their case:
1. Choosing a Random Attorney from Yellow Pages. choosing a random lawyer from the list is like playing a lottery. Chances are that anyone who you call is admitted to practice law in California and is in good standing. However, these are not sufficient qualifications to effectively represent you especially if you have a more challenging case, requiring specialized knowledge of certain aspects of employment law. You need an attorney who has a thorough understanding or your particular legal issues.
2. Choosing an Attorney Who Has the Sharpest Website. While many great lawyers have really nice website, just because an attorney hired a great web design firm who did an excellent job for him, doesn't mean that his legal knowledge and litigation skills are just as advanced.
3. Choosing an Attorney Who Says that He is the Best. Bragging is rarely a reliable source of information. Legal profession is not an exception. A truly great lawyer has no need to brag about how good he is, because his skills and his reputation do the job of conveying to the public how good he is.
4. Choosing the Cheapest Attorney. Your decision should never be motivated by trying to save $50 on an hourly fee or a few percent on a contingency arrangement, if this means retaining an attorney who is less qualified or less committed to his work and your case, as in the end it will necessary cost you more than any money you might have saved when your attorney-client relationship was initiated.
So, what are the qualities that the best lawyer for your case must have?
First, he/she has to have the knowledge of the are of law into which your claims fall. This means that if, for example, you have been wrongful terminated, discriminated or retaliated against, you need an employment lawyer and not a general practice lawyer or someone who "does everything."
Secondly this attorney has to be available and not overloaded with work. There is very little value for you in the best attorney, if he is too busy and he is simply unable to put as much work into your file as necessary to reach a good result.
Lastly, your attorney must be responsive to your communication. If you are unable to get in touch with your attorney for weeks or months (it does happen), or if you are only able to speak with the secretary/paralegal, you are going to feel alienated and removed from your case, and you should never feel that way.
So, how do you find a great lawyer. Well, like in virtually every other business, you should ask around and find people or lawyers who had an employment case that was successfully prosecuted or who know someone who was happy about an employment attorney's services. You should then contact that attorney. If he is unable to help you or if he is too busy to represent you, you should ask him to give you a few names of other trusted employment lawyers in the area who might be available for representation. A referral from another professional in the same area, who already has great reputation, is a much more reliable source of finding a good attorney for your case than any advertisement or directory.
