Lawyers can be a great asset to your company. They offer legal expertise and guidance that you may not have the time or knowledge to do yourself. However, lawyers also come with high rates, complex billing structures and hidden costs.
When hiring a lawyer for your case, it is essential to know what questions need to be asked before signing any documents. If you don’t ask the right questions, then you might end up paying more than if you had done some research on your own first. This blog post will discuss things that every business owner needs to know before hiring an attorney.
1) The Lawyer’s Reputation
The first thing you should ask any lawyer is to see their Attorney Profile. This will give you an idea of the success rate, average billing rates, and other important factors for your case. If this information isn’t publically available, then it may be a red flag for why they are hiding their success rates.
2) The Lawyer’s Experience
You also want to make sure that the lawyer has experience in your type of case. If a business owner is trying to hire a personal injury attorney for their employment law case, they are going about this all wrong. This can be very frustrating if you have spent thousands on an attorney, and they don’t know what to do with your case.
3) The Lawyer’s Fees and Billing Structure Should Be Discussed
Hiring a lawyer is not like hiring somebody for an hourly job. You must understand the billing structure of their fees before signing any contracts. Some lawyers charge by the hour, while others will offer flat rates or fixed prices for particular cases. It is also good to find out if there are additional costs involved, such as filing fees and court costs, so that some things are clear from the beginning rather than getting surprises later on in the process.
4) The Communication Structure
When working with a lawyer, you must be kept in the loop at all times. Lawyers have some discretion when it comes to how they handle your case. Still, suppose you notice that there is little communication between yourself and the attorney. In that case, you might need to consider finding somebody else who can keep you more involved throughout this process.
If an attorney doesn’t communicate well enough or fails to get back to your calls on time, then chances are they will do so during their busy season, which could delay things even further. This means that if something needs immediate attention, then they may not provide any updates until later, which defeats the purpose of hiring them in the first place.
5) An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
If you have had previous issues with an attorney or law firm in the past, then it might be worth looking into your legal options before hiring somebody new. If there were any missed deadlines, communication problems and other issues in the past, then chances are they will continue to plague future cases.
This isn’t always true because some people don’t work well together under stress when things get hectic, but it needs to be taken into consideration, especially if it has happened more than once before.
6) What To Ask Your Lawyer
There are some questions that every business owner should ask their lawyer before signing any contracts. These include the hourly rate, how many hours it will take to complete your case, and whether they offer flat fees for particular types of cases.
It is also important to know when you can expect updates on your topic so that at least one thing isn’t lingering over your head day in and day out without knowing where things stand with your legal situation.
7) How To Approach Your Lawyer
Sometimes a business owner may feel that their lawyer isn’t doing enough to resolve a legal situation. You can approach your attorney in two different ways, the first being more aggressive by telling them how you would like things handled and what needs to be done from here on out.
The second option is asking for advice that might help improve communication between yourself and the law firm or attorney, so they know exactly where you stand with everything before moving forward.
8) What To Expect From Your Lawyer
When working with a law firm or an attorney, it is essential to know what they can and cannot do for your business. Suppose somebody tells you that anything less than a million-dollar settlement will be considered a failure. In that case, this probably isn’t the best person/firm for you in the first place, so don’t sign any contracts until everything has been discussed from start to finish.
It is also good to get some estimates on how long things might take so that at least one thing won’t linger over your head indefinitely without knowing when it’s going to end. Many people have unrealistic expectations about legal cases, which makes them upset even more after spending thousands of dollars on their circumstances.
9) What To Do If Things Don’t Go As Planned
Unfortunately, legal situations do not always work out in favour of the business owner due to unforeseen circumstances, but this shouldn’t be taken as a sign that you should try and seek damages again on your own. Lawyers are trained professionals for a reason, so if something goes wrong, then it is best to let them handle it before doing anything else, which could make matters worse than they already were.
This means staying calm throughout everything even when things aren’t going your way because at least some progress is being made rather than figuring things out by yourself, only prolonging the process further down the road.
Do I need a lawyer, or can I handle this on my own?
It is essential to know the limitations of your legal knowledge. If you find yourself doing extensive research and having trouble understanding all the laws, then hiring an attorney might be best for you. However, there are many times that business owners have handled legal issues on their own.
If you would like more information about hiring a law firm or attorney, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. We have vetted all of our lawyers for these reasons, which means we only work with professionals who keep up good communication throughout their process. We hope you found this blog post helpful in understanding how to hire the right attorney for your case. Feel free to contact us if you have more questions about hiring an attorney or law firm in Austin.
