These questions will vary as per your case. Go through these points and know how to get started.
- What are your areas of specialization?
- What is the cost of the initial consultation?
- Have you handled cases like mine before? How many? What was the outcome?
- Will you be the only attorney who works on the case? If not, who else will work on it?
- How long will it take for this case to be resolved?
- How much will my case cost? Can you take my case on a contingent fee basis?
- Can I do some of the work on the case to keep the cost down?
- Are there things I should do to improve my case, or to help you?
- How will you keep me informed about the progress of my case?
- If I contact your office with questions, how long will you take to return my call?
- If you are unavailable or on vacation, who can I speak to about my case?
- Can I reach you after hours, if I have an emergency?
- How often do you go to trial?
- If I am not happy with a settlement offer, and you want to settle, will you go to court anyway?
- If I am happy with the offer, but you think we can win more at trial, will you follow my wishes?
- Have you ever been disciplined by an ethics committee, or been suspended from the practice of law? If so, why?
- What “continuing legal education” courses have you attended during the past few years?
A written agreement is a must
Always get the written retainer agreement so that you have your rights protected. Before signing the contract, go through the points carefully and if you have any queries, get it clarified by your attorney. If you are paying thousands of dollars just in fees, you might even like to get the contract reviewed by another attorney and compare. The retainer agreement should accurately describe the legal issues for which the attorney is representing you, the amount of fees and all terms that have been discussed.
Terminating the agreement
You have the right to terminate a relationship with an attorney in an ongoing case. It must be noted that you have to pay for the services that the attorney has already performed for you. If the attorney has mentioned about recovering the complete cost of the case even if you decide terminating the agreement in between, you will have to pay the full amount.
Dispute between you and your attorney
In the event a dispute arises between you and your attorney, dispute resolutions services are offered by the state bar councils. These services are particularly beneficial in the event of fee disputes. Each state has a “grievance” procedure where you can file complaint against your attorney and have them investigated.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 7:23 pm and is filed under Laws, Tax. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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