Important Questions To Ask Your Lawyer

Once you've decided that you need an attorney to assist you with a legal matter, there are several questions you should ask before choosing an attorney to represent you.

• What experience do you have working in this field?Look for an attorney who has experience handling cases such as yours. If you are consulting an attorney to file a lawsuit, you may want to ask if he or she has ever handle a lawsuit with the same party on the opposing side, or similar facts. You may also want to ask if he or she has filed lawsuits before in the court where your case will be filed and how often he or she has appeared before the judges of that court.
• Who will be working on my case?Find out whether the attorney will handle your case personally. Aside from the attorney that you choose to retain, your attorney may assign junior associates, paralegals, and other support staff from his or her firm to work on the case. Be sure to ask the lawyer about the experience level and billing rates of anyone working on your case.
• What are your fees?During your initial consultation with a lawyer, the subject of fees will usually be addressed. Be sure to ask your lawyer how he or she assesses fees. Lawyers can charge fixed fees for certain services like drawing up a simple estate plan. Some lawyers charge hourly for their services. Some lawyers may take matters on contingency, where they would collect their fees from any amount the client recovers. Depending on your legal matter, you may be able to recover the fees you pay to your attorney from the opposing side because the fees are recoverable by statute or by contract. Be sure you understand exactly how fees will be assessed before retaining an attorney.

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