What to look for in a good attorney?

There is an old saying that goes ‘Finding a perfect spouse is easier than finding a perfect attorney’. The process will be easier if you knew what to look for in your attorney. If you want the attorney to represents you in a court of law, you have to have confidence in him or her to understand you properly. So rather that running to an attorney when in trouble, you need one at your side to help you be on the right side of law. He or she should be there beside you while drawing up contracts and business agreements and to look into the legal facets of both personal and professional dealings.

A dynamic attorney and not an aggressive salesman- The last thing you want your attorney to do is to behave like an over ambitious salesman. He or she should have the patience to explain the fine print in the documents that you are about to sign, rather that thrusting them in front of your face. When you sign the service contract, a good attorney will explain every paragraph and make you aware of the scope of services and the limitations of the contract. Also he or she will explain the terms of termination of the contract if you wish to do so. Your attorney should be able to translate all the legal jargon to one that you can understand, so you are not left guessing the facts.

Keeping in touch – A good attorney is never ‘too busy’ for the client. It is also his or her job to be in touch with you. One common complaint of unsatisfied clients is about attorneys who do not communicate with them or bother to return their calls. The attorney has to communicate at regular intervals so that clients do not feel that they are being ignored. It is very annoying to ignored, especially when the client is not aware of his or her legal position. The corollary to this would be that a good attorney never takes up more cases than he or she can handle. As with other services ‘quality and not quantity’ should be a good attorney’s motto. The reputation of the attorney is in the line of fire when the quality of service gets affected.

The attorney is not god almighty- However qualified or experienced, an attorney can never predict the outcome of your case to the last decimal. The nuances in a case are multiple and any of these factors may affect the final result. He or she should not try to give you false promises and hopes which could end up disastrously later on. Rather, the attorney should explain the consequences in case a possible loss or a win. The attorney should pursue the case assertively and uncompromisingly for as long as it will take. The final judgment should be left to the jury, rather than to inaccurate predictions.

Before you decide anything, make sure that you have verified the credentials and experience of the attorney. It would also be worthwhile to check the success rate with the previous cases because you do not want to end up with an attorney who makes a practice of losing.