How Do I Choose an Attorney?
Choosing the right Personal Injury Attorney is the most important decision you will make in your case. Some large law firms advertise the expertise of the Senior Partners and after you sign a contract the case is assigned to an associate. Some law firms allow the paralegals and legal assistants to handle the case and you rarely get to talk to the attorney handling the case. Rick will give your case the personal attention it deserves and will personally be available to discuss your case when you request an update.
When choosing the right personal injury attorney, consider the following:
- Interview the lawyer that will be handling your case and get a commitment that the lawyer you hire will be assigned to the case. Hiring the attorney must be based on a feeling that the lawyer is competent, aggressive and will have a good relationship with you. The attorney you hire should handle the case and not an inexperienced associate.
- Confirm with the State Bar of Texas that the attorney is in good standing and does not have a history of numerous grievances or pending grievances with the State Bar of Texas.
- Obtain references from family friends, and former clients of the law firm.
- Check on the experience of the lawyer handling the claim. Determine if the lawyer is a Board Certified Specialist or simply handles a small percentage of personal injury cases.
- Determine the legal fees and how much fee and when the fee is charged.
- Does the attorney contract stipulate that the client will receive a majority of the money from a settlement or does it allow the attorney to take the majority of the settlement. Rick’s contract stipulates that the client will end up with a majority of the net settlement funds and not the attorney.
- In the event that your relationship does not work out make sure the contract you sign allows you a way out of the contract for “good cause”. You should not be penalized by having to pay an attorney a full fee when the attorney did not perform their end of the contract.