Permit me to start with saying that do-it-yourself lawyering has its limits. Surely, you can draft contracts on your own, you can survive gruesome negotiations with your company clients, you can settle a marital dispute among yourselves nevertheless when the need to come to court arises, you need to get a lawyer. Expenses will soon be incurred, professional fees will have to be paid and the usually lengthy process will have to be endured. More frequently than not, the expense of resolving a problem are far more than the expense of preventing the problem. Prevention, as they say, is definitely much better than cure. So hire a lawyer and hire an excellent one.
Qualifications
The "practice of law" is loosely defined as ministering to the legal needs of someone else by the application of legal principles and knowledge with a person been trained in the law. By this definition however, a paralegal or possibly a secretary who has knowledge of the laws, who has been "trained" by the sheer fact of having been employed for a time period in a law firm, is known as engaged in the practice of law. When locating a lawyer therefore, locate a "qualified" lawyer. Meaning, be sure that your lawyer has successfully completed his law course, has successfully passed the bar examinations and is licensed to rehearse in the very jurisdiction the place where a particular legal relief is asked for. When facing a legal dispute, the last thing you will need is a phony lawyer. It's perfectly ethical to require a lawyer license when you even begin to talk about your innermost secrets with them. Normally though, they would hang their certifications on the wall.
Expertise
Every qualified lawyer has their own expertise. He might be a professional in just about any one of the following categories of law: international law, labor law, civil law, taxation law, litigation, or criminal law. They are the major categories attorneys. Thus, you might hear of a litigation lawyer or an immigration lawyer. Note however, that lawyers' specializations are "acquired" through experience, not since they think they are great at it.
Personal Qualities
This is taking care of of lawyering the place where a young, inexperienced lawyer can actually get ahead of an experienced one. Young lawyers are generally vibrant, supportive and sympathetic. They tend to take care of their clients like their babies. They take care of every little detail, even the unimportant ones. But this exactly is how paying clients desire to be treated. Clients have a tendency to feel they are getting their money's worth with the type of attention they are getting.
The private qualities to consider in a lawyer depend greatly on the type of client you are. If you're the no-nonsense type, you might would rather hire an older, retirable lawyer. These kinds of lawyer are less thinking about that which you have to say. Sometimes, they are not thinking about what they have to say. Lawyering has become a routine for them, much like brushing their teeth in the morning. But their experience is impeccable. Their strategies are tried and tested which means that your chance at winning your case is considerably high if you get them.
Credibility
The credibility of a lawyer may be observed in several contexts. It can mean not enough a poor reputation. It can be built on charisma in conjunction with referrals from past satisfied clients. It can be destroyed by the lawyer himself, as when he provides a legal advice and overturns their own legal opinion without cushioning the effects. To be certain, no lawyer can ever get clients if he is not believable and trustworthy.
Availability
So you now have a qualified, expert and credible lawyer having the non-public qualities you look for. The following thing to take into account is whether that lawyer can be acquired to attend to your problem. More frequently than not, your lawyer will say he is willing, able and happy to assist you. Behold, he said a similar thing to several others today, and last week, and the week before that. The purpose is, a lawyer can only just do this much. He can't be attending hearings all at the exact same time. He would probably resort to cancelling or rescheduling hearings and important meetings to make ends meet. If your chosen lawyer has a law firm, there may certainly be other lawyers who is able to attend for you in case he is not available. You may find this acceptable however, not until your case has been reassigned from hand to another.
Professionalism
Having a "professional" lawyer is indeed much different from a having a lawyer who were able to "appear" professional. They say that lawyering is 80% representation. The representation begins when you meet your client. A lawyer would normally supply you with the "lawyer look"--- wears a suit, clean-cut, drives a black luxury car, and brings a suit case. This, however, is not what defines professionalism. Professionalism means your lawyer does attend to your needs, makes his research, beats the deadlines, and returns your phone calls. So do not be fooled by the lawyer-look alone. It could be great if your lawyer can pull it off with the lawyer look and the genuine professionalism though.
