How to Hire a Lawyer: Five Easy Steps

It happened: Your day was rocked by a car accident, and now you’re up against the burden of fighting the insurance company for a settlement. The last thing you want to focus on is the stress of the claims process.

Hiring an attorney may seem like a daunting task. You might not have ever planned on hiring legal counsel, and yet here you are. How do you go about finding and hiring the right attorney for your case?

Five Steps to Hiring an Attorney

Keep the following tips in mind so that, when the time comes, you can make the right decision and move forward towards recovery.

Get a Personal Referral

Do you know someone who has worked with a lawyer in the past? Even if their experience wasn’t with personal injury, ask for a referral. The legal community is a tight-knit group. Lawyers tend to be well connected, and they can help guide you to the right person for your case. Tap into their professional network to find someone who can help.

Contact Your Local Bar Association

You may not want to divulge your personal business to friends, neighbors, or coworkers in the search for an attorney. In that case, another great option is to approach your local bar association.

The Indianapolis Bar Association is wonderful resource for those who choose to pursue legal business anonymously. The association has a complete directory of attorneys who are fully qualified to assist you with your case. The Indianapolis Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service can make referrals by telephone or via online request form.

Conduct Research

Even with a few referrals in hand, it’s important to do your due diligence and research the lawyers. You can find an incredible amount of information from an attorney’s website, online classifieds, or review pages. Most lawyers have brief biographies on their websites that list their education, practice areas, accolades, bar affiliations, and professional memberships or licenses. You can also visit Martindale-Hubbell, an online resource that rates lawyers, for additional help. Other lawyers complete the Martindale Peer Review Ratings, which is another credible source for background information.

Schedule an Initial Consultation

Throughout your research, you should prepare to schedule initial consultations with one or more lawyers. Many law firms offer free consultations and case evaluations. Take advantage and use these as an opportunity to meet your lawyer in person and see if they are right for you.

Before you meet with your prospective lawyer, make sure you collect all of your records and that you have questions prepared in advance with regards to your case and their experience. After two or three meetings, you’ll have plenty of information you can use to compare each attorney. These consultations are a great way to get a sense of your case’s worth and to evaluate your needs moving forward.

Consider the Scope of Practice Areas

Always look at the scope of your attorney’s practice. Some law firms offer assistance in every area—from car accidents to banking—while others focus on a few specific practices of law. When an attorney is focused on a specific practice, they generally have more knowledge and experience in that area, giving you better peace of mind that they will be the best choice to handle your case.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of negligence, contact an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer from Wilson Kehoe Winingham. The lawyers at WKW can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out an online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

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