The initial consultation interview is crucial for selecting the right injury lawyer for you. Bring all the paperwork concerning your case to the interview so the lawyer has a good chance of seeing how to best present your case. Here are ten questions to ask your potential lawyer.
Have You Ever Handled a Case Like This Before?
Even if an attorney advertises that he or she concentrates on personal injury cases, this is still no guarantee that he or she has ever handled a case like yours before. Also ask what percentage of the firm or practice deals with injury cases. This will give you a good idea at how experienced they are.
Will You Be Handling My Case Personally?
This is especially important to ask when dealing with a firm instead of an individual attorney. The lawyer you interview may not be the one that’s assigned to the case. You may even have more than one lawyer assigned to your case.
How Will You Handle My Case?
Some attorneys will be far more aggressive than others. Will you want that or do you want the final say on accepting a settlement offer? A nervous client may feel more comfortable with a calmer approach.
What Are My Options?
You may assume that you need litigation or go to court, but you may not. A good attorney will give you all of your options, legal or otherwise.
Will You Represent Me in Court?
Never take for granted that the lawyer you are interviewing will be comfortable representing you in an actual courtroom. Although most cases are settled out of court, there still is a chance that your case could go to court. You need to know now if the lawyer will represent you in court.
How Can I Get In Contact With You?
Good lawyers will be easy to get in contact with and will get back to you in a reasonable amount of time. You may be given more than one phone number, fax number or email address so help you get in contact with your personal injury lawyer.
How Does The Fee Structure Work?
You should never wonder about your fees. The lawyer should explain in layman’s terms what types of payments are accepted, what services you are paying for and when payment is due. Some lawyers bill by the hour and some when the case ends. No one type is better than the other.
What Do I Need to Do?
You may not need to do much of anything during the course of your case. However, this is up to your lawyer. You may need to produce more documents, get certain medical tests or testify in court. It’s good to be prepared now.
How Long Will My Case Take?
Although a good lawyer cannot guarantee how long your case will take, but based on their experience they can give you a ballpark figure. This will help you and your lawyer help figure out how large your fees will be.
Can You Guarantee That I Will Win?
The answer should be no. The law is just too unpredictable for any competent lawyer to guarantee a win or how much you will win. The only promise a good lawyer can make is to promise to do his or her best for your case.