RESOURCES
If you are looking for an attorney, there are many resources available to help you do this. Depending on what you already know about your situation and the kind of legal help you need, what is the best way for you to look for an attorney is likely different to what is the best way for another person to do this.The following are resources and methods that people before you have used to successfully find excellent attorneys that were particularly well suited to their legal needs.
Friends and Acquaintances in Law
People who work in different roles in the legal field can be excellent resources for people who are looking for attorneys. Attorneys, paralegals, assistants and receptionists at law firms, judges and court staff such as clerks, court reporters and bailiffs, as well as people who work in a variety of other for-profit and non-profit legal organizations, can be great resources to help you begin and guide you in your search for the right attorney for you. Talk to trusted family, friends and neighbors who work in various legal fields or ask them if they know anyone who does, that you can to talk to for recommendations of where to begin looking for an attorney or law firm in your area that is good at handling your particular kinds of legal needs.
Be careful though about what you say and to whom you say it. Many legal issues are of a sensitive nature that most people would prefer to not have other people know about. Whether deliberate or not, someone you trust can give information to someone that could then be used to be detrimental to your case. As well, anything that you put on social media can be used against you by the opposing side in your case.
Word of Mouth
If you do not know anyone who works in the legal field, the good old fashioned method of word of mouth, is still effective today. Trusted friends, family members, neighbors, community and spiritual leaders, co-workers and employers, can all be great resources when looking for a attorney.
As mentioned above, beware about putting too much of your private information out in public via friends, etc., and on social media. If the other side in your case thinks that information from these sources can be used to better their side’s case, they will use it to do this.
Internet & Search Engines
The internet and search engines are likely to be an integral part of your search for a good attorney in your area. You will likely use it from the very beginning of your search to help you determine what kind of attorney is best for your needs and who they are in your area; to doing research on potential attorneys that may include reviews from previous clients, rating by clients, peer and other professional groups; to their educational backgrounds; to their track records of success; and other information that is important to you.
State and Local Bar Associations
Many state and local bar associations provide online services to locate license, and administrative and disciplinary actions, information. Many of them can help over the telephone as well. There are other resources out there that may be helpful to you. These include but are not limited to libraries, legal aid groups, online directories, phone books, professional journals and magazines.