Anyone facing legal trouble will understand the weight behind finding a great lawyer to defend your case. However, knowing what and who to look for isn’t always easy. If things feel urgent, you might be inclined to hire the first lawyer you find, which could lead to regrets down the line.
You might also simply choose to work with someone based on a recommendation without looking further into things – yet another mistake. If you’re on the hunt for a good lawyer to help you out, this is what you need to look out for.
1. Qualified and Experienced in Relevant Field
First of all, you need to make sure you’re working with someone who is qualified and specializes in whatever area you need help with. For example, if you’re facing criminal charges, you’ll want to visit a law firm like Pringle Law Criminal Defence, where the attorneys will have experience like yours.
A personal injury lawyer won’t be able to assist you with a divorce case, and a family lawyer might not be a great fit for dealing with a work dispute. Therefore, your first course of action is to seek out a firm or a lawyer with a good amount of experience in exactly what you need help with.
2. In Line with Your Budget
Legal fees can truly financially wreck a person, so you need to be very careful when considering your budget. Of course, you want to choose the lawyer who is considered the best of the best and ensure you have the best chance of winning your case.
However, you also need to be realistic about what you can afford. Look at your finances and set a budget you can reasonably manage. Look into lawyers whose rates align with what you can handle, and discuss the financial aspect and payment options with them ahead of time.
Some lawyers might be willing to negotiate rates or allow for a payment plan, offering you a wider range of options.
3. Great Communication Skills
A lawyer needs to talk. We all know that a legal professional needs to be able to stand up in court and defend her case. However, there’s more to it than just that. It’s equally important that your lawyer knows how to communicate well with you as their client.
Soft skills like this are essential, and if they can’t communicate properly with you, this doesn’t bode well for your case and getting the best possible outcome. When you’re engaging with a lawyer, pay attention to how they communicate over email and on the phone.
Note whether or not they’re punctual, friendly, professional, and easy to understand.
4. Empathy and Compassion
A compassionate and empathetic lawyer knows how to combine the principles of justice and humanity. This skill is not mastered by everyone in the legal profession, but it can be very beneficial to the lawyer-client relationship.
When your lawyer is interested and sensitive to the emotion that surrounds a case, they’re not only more pleasant to work with but also more capable of understanding how humans operate, connecting with a judge, and displaying the passion it takes to win a difficult case.
Yes, lawyers need to be calculating, but this doesn’t mean they should be cold.
5. Integrity and Professionalism
To tie in with the concept of good communication, you should also consider how a lawyer conducts himself in a professional setting, i.e., any meetings you might have before agreeing to work together.
It’s important that a lawyer behaves professionally and shows integrity in all work contexts. Ethical standards play a major role in building trust, especially in client-lawyer relationships. Watch out for poor client reviews or behavior that seems suspicious in any way to you.
In these cases, it’s important to trust your own gut instinct and judge of character.
6. Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills
Another imperative soft skill to look out for in a lawyer you choose to work with is the ability to think outside of the box. Law isn’t an industry you might typically associate with a creative mind, but problem-solving plays a huge role in winning a case.
A more creative and innovative lawyer will know how to think differently and ask the right kinds of questions – ones that will get the best answers out of you as the client. They’re also more likely to be skilled at weaving their words in all the most convincing ways.
Remember that how we speak to others (and how we might defend a case) is an art!
7. Strong Negotiation Skills
With that being said, the lawyer you choose to work with needs to be able to negotiate professionally in order to achieve the best possible outcome for your case, whether in a settlement or plea deal.
Good negotiation skills could help you achieve a more favorable resolution and even save you time and money in the long run. It can be tough to gauge a lawyer’s negotiation skills upon a first meeting, but looking at some of their past cases, outcomes, and client testimonials can give you a good idea.
8. Perseverance and Commitment
Finally, especially for particularly challenging or long-winded cases, a lawyer needs to have tenacity and be able to see things through with the same passion they got started with.
With perseverance, your attorney will be able to stay focused, driven, and dedicated to your case, no matter how grueling it might get. They will be committed to achieving the best possible outcome for their clients, and they won’t take no for an answer.
Lawyers with these qualities are always more likely to win exactly the way they want to win. It’s a trait that’s difficult to identify at first, but you will be able to get an idea of this based on their past cases.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the ideal lawyer for you and your case will depend on your unique circumstances and personal preferences. Above all else, you’ll need to personally connect with the professional you decide to work with.
However, looking out for the traits and characteristics mentioned above will help you discern which of your options might be a good fit.
