How to Hire the Best Lawyers When You Need To

There isn't anybody in the world you know who enjoys writing checks to lawyers or wants to deal with lawyers in any way shape or form. Unfortunately, some of us if not all of us will have to deal with a legal issue in our lives at one time or another and it is important to know how to get the best help to get us out of trouble as soon as we get into it.

Hiring lawyers, especially if you're doing it for the first time is never fun. In fact, most of us find it daunting and intimidating because there's really no tried-and-tested easy way to deal with them. But that's exactly what hiring lawyers should be like – easy because they're human too and second, they can help us with our problem so there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of unless you are really guilty.

However, a major part of what makes hiring lawyers challenging for us is the thought of the legal fees that we have to pay. In business for example, the internet has made it easy for start-up business owners to deal with mundane tasks that technically should be looked over by a lawyer but is something that business owners try to do themselves because well, hiring a lawyer can be too expensive.

The thing is, being your own legal counsel can be more expensive than hiring an actual lawyer who knows what he's doing. And it's pretty easy to start when you have friends, family and colleagues who can give you their personal recommendations or referrals. However, understand that this may not yield the lawyer of your dreams but lawyers know other lawyers so they can definitely provide you with some resources.

If you happen to want to keep your lawyer-hunting a secret, you can go ahead and call your local bar association for a list of potential lawyers to choose from. However, being a member of the bar association only means that they are licensed to give you legal advice or help you with your case but that isn't an indication of how good they actually are. Do further research when you've narrowed down your list to make sure you are getting the best.

Many people prefer to go online to search for their potential lawyers and this isn't a bad thing considering there are sites that you can browse through that rate lawyers according to expertise. The best part is that these ratings are given by other lawyers so you know they're truly reliable and accurate. But then again, the information on these sites like details about the lawyers are often written by the lawyers themselves so again, make sure you do further research.

When hiring the best lawyers, always remember that big doesn't necessarily mean the best. The need to hire big or small law firms will actually depend on the case you want handled. If you're trying for a hostile takeover, then you need a big law firm to help you do that but if you are just trying to find great terms on a lease, a small firm will do.

If ever there was a great time to ask many questions this is it. When meeting up with your potential lawyer for the first time, you need to ask all the questions inside your head and don't hesitate because lawyers after all, are the best when it comes to grilling and answering questions. Be aware though that most lawyers charge for initial consultation so before you let it all out, ask if he does or does not charge for first-time consultations.

As for their legal fees, lawyers usually charge by the hour, one time flat fee and by contingency. Understand the fee structure very well so that you are able to set aside a budget for it and be able to pay when you need to. For businesses for example, lawyers will usually charge a flat fee but there are some who charge by the hour depending on the situation or task you want taken care of.

And last but not the least, make sure you ink a contract where the terms and conditions are very clear cut. It should include the nature of your legal concern, the method of payment and what you will be paying for and basically everything that you agreed to, all laid out in terms you understand. If you're unsure about anything, clarify it with the lawyer first before signing anything as once your signature is there, you will be bound to it and cannot back out of anything.

It always pays to find out more about hiring lawyers before you actually do it so never hesitate to ask questions rather than be sorry about your choices.

Toby King is a legal consultant and associate, working for a prestigious law firm in Sydney. He provides expert advice on corporate and personal legal concerns like property settlements and financial and accounting services.