When you are engaging in a relationship with a legal team, you need to know that you can trust them. They’re there to work on your behalf so it makes sense that you should want to put your faith in them. It’s up to your lawyer to ensure that you trust them, as the effort to prove themselves should come from them.
However, regardless of why you need a lawyer, you may have your guard up. Lawyers pop up in the news all the time, especially when there are sensational cases in the papers such as the one with Bryan Freedman or with OJ Simpson and his lawyer. You need to be able to feel confident that your lawyer is legit, and we’ve put together a list of signs that yours is trustworthy.
- They’ve got a state bar profile. Your state should have a public list of lawyers listed in the state bar association’s directory. Just because someone says that they’re a lawyer, doesn’t mean that they are one. So, it’s important that you are double checking their credentials before you put your trust in them. If you can find them with their state bar number and their name, you’re going to bring up their state bar profile and be able to read about them. The benefit of checking the state bar profile is that you can also check any ethical issues that they’ve previously been involved in.
- Get yourself on Google. Most sensational cases pop up in a quick Google search so always, always Google your legal team and find them online. You should be able to reveal any news stories, publications and websites available. This can help you to feel assured that you have the right team on board before you dive into a case with them.
- Get on Yelp. Did you know that you can look at a business profile on Yelp? Not only that, but you can look at previous client reviews? Yelp is a great resource for determining whether your lawyer is the real deal or not. Yelp reviews are super helpful and can give you some confidence in the lawyer you’re picking.
- Read their website. Your potential lawyer will have a website and if they don’t, that’ll be a red flag to pay attention to. You need to look at the publications, accolades, testimonials and more. You need to see whether the attorney also offers free consultations so that you can be sure that you’re choosing the right one. A poorly designed website doesn’t mean that they’re a bad legal team, but it’s not the best sign.
- Third party opinion. Speak to previous clients, people you know and trust and ask them their experiences. This will help you to determine whether you are going to be making the right choice with your legal team. There are questions to be asked, such as how involved in the case your legal team will be, and this can help you to make the best possible decision.
You can find all the information that you need within minutes – and it’s all you need to see your lawyer is the right one.