Now 5 Helpful Questions To Ask Lawyer During The Consultation
Many lawyers offer to speak with potential clients for a free initial consultation. This helps you in finding a qualified attorney and choose if they are the right person for you. Knowing the questions you want to ask before meeting the lawyer is, therefore, very important. Here are some of the questions you should consider asking:
1. How Many Cases Similar to Mine Have You Handled Before?
It’s important to determine how long your attorney has practiced law and whether they have handled cases like yours in the course of their experience. Asking the attorney such a question will help you determine if they can handle your case.
If they have dealt with similar matters, they are likely to be sufficiently competent to handle your type of case. At this point, an experienced attorney may even be able to present you with testimonials of similar cases to yours that they have taken.
Other related questions:
- What type of cases do you primarily deal with (criminal law, family law, etc.)?
- When did you start practicing law?
- Can you give me examples of similar cases you have handled?
2. What Strategies Are You Going To Use For My Case?
Even though many lawyers won’t go into the details of the strategies they plan to use since it’s just the first meeting, the right one should give you an overview of what he or she plans to do to help you with your case, if you take him or her on as your legal representation.
Other questions to consider include:
- Which strategies do you intend to use? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- In your opinion, how long will this case take if you use this strategy?
- Have you used these strategies before? Did they work?
3. Are There Other Alternatives Apart From Going To Court?
Legal services do not begin and end in the courtroom. There are often ways that one can avoid going to court. A Lawyer can often negotiate and come to a fair conclusion before the opponent files a lawsuit. In some cases, even after a lawsuit is filed, mediation and arbitration are still options to avoid going to court.
Other questions you can ask:
- In the cases you have handled in the past, how many have you settled outside court?
- Do you see yourself as a successful negotiator?
- Are you open to the possibility of taking the case to court in case a settlement is not reached?
4. How Much Will It Cost Me?
This first meeting is the right time to talk about legal fees. When you ask about the cost, you will consider the lawyer’s response and see if you can afford it. In personal injury matters, a law firm will usually only require you to pay only after you receive your settlement.
Questions To Ask The Right Lawyer
Other questions to consider include:
- What is your attorney fees structure? Is it per hour? Flat legal fee? Contingency?
- Will there be extra costs?
- Can you give me an estimation of the total cost?
5. What Are The Possible Outcomes Of The Case?
A good legal professional should be able to predict the outcome of the case. They should not just tell you what you want to hear, but should instead tell you the truth.
Other related questions you can ask:
- Do you see us facing significant legal challenges?
- How can I avoid a lawsuit?
In conclusion, taking advantage of the free consultation to know about your Lawyer, their abilities, and their credibility will go a long way in helping you with your case. You may not get all the legal advice that you want at this stage because this is just the first meeting. In any case, the choice is of whether or not to hire a lawyer is yours to make. Hopefully, these tips provided will help you make a wise decision.