This is only an opinion of us as a lawyer. To make sure you pick up a good lawyer, we suggest you take a bit of work and watch for the red flags of the sign:
The sign of a good lawyer
- Work Habits: A lawyer’s work habits are one of the largest indicators of competence. if you find one of these habits, you know you have not got a good lawyer-Unreturned phone call, Unanswered e-mails, Missed deadlines, Promise of a court victory or successful outcome, Refusal to provide references…
- Legal office: A lawyer’s work premises, from the building location and exterior to the reception room, conference room and offices, can speak volumes about a lawyer’s work practices and clientele.
- Billing Practices: Hidden expenses – Watch for hidden expenses that were not disclosed at the outset or in the fee agreement or retention agreement. Flat-fee billings are showing the confidence and competence of a lawyer.
- Surcharge on legal expenses – Some law firms add a surcharge to routine expenses such as copying or postage fees as a way to boost profit levels. In most cases, such charges are inappropriate and unethical, but check it out it might be neccessary when an extra effort is required.