You know you need legal advice. And you think you might need advice on finding legal advice. Well you’ve come to the right place. FindLaw is the number one online resource for consumer legal information, so we’re experts at knowing when you’ll need an attorney and how to find the best one.
To get you started, here are our top ten tips for hiring an attorney:
1. Legal How-To: Research a Lawyer’s Reputation
Between the internet, state bars, and word of mouth, it’s easier than ever to get reliable information on an attorney’s background — know where to start and what to look for.
2. Can I Hire a Family Member to Be My Lawyer?
It seems like there’s a lawyer in every family, so finding an attorney in-house, so to speak, feels like the obvious choice. Just be careful if you’re asking your divorce attorney aunt to represent you in your DUI case.
3. Do’s and Don’ts of Hiring a Friend as Your Lawyer
If you go outside the family, you still want to find someone you can trust. Having a friend as your attorney has its advantages, and its own set of drawbacks as well.
4. Do I Need a Lawyer for a Gender Change?
Knowing where to find an attorney doesn’t mean much if you don’t know when you need legal help. Some states make changing the gender on your birth certificate easy; others, not so much.
5. Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Citizenship?
The path to U.S. citizenship can be a long and winding legal road. And an experienced immigration and citizenship attorney can give you directions, a road map, and may even be able to drive you there.
6. Do I Need a Lawyer to Immigrate to Canada?
Certain presidential candidates got you thinking of a move in the other direction? Find out what it takes to immigrate to the Great White North, and if you need an attorney’s help to get to the promised land.
7. What Hourly Rate Should I Expect When Hiring a Lawyer?
It’s probably the biggest question everyone has when getting an attorney: How much is this going to cost me? Lawyer fees can vary depending on the type of case and the type of attorney, but here are some general guidelines.
8. Can My Lawyer Lend Me Money?
They can just take it out of my settlement or award at the end of the case, right? Getting an advance from your attorney might seem simple enough, but there are plenty of reasons not to.
9. What to Do When You Can’t Pay Your Lawyer
Not every case ends the way we want it to. But before you bail on your legal fees, you should know that most lawyers can be flexible in sorting out payment plans, and resourceful in making sure they get paid.
10. Reasons to Fire Your Lawyer (and Get a New One)
Even the best laid plans for hiring an attorney can go awry, and just because you hired a lawyer doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind.
