How to Hire a High-Quality Lawyer For Cheap

There are many reasons why you may wish to consider hiring a lawyer, from filing a suit for medical negligence or personal injury, to negotiating a divorce or car accident settlement. When you have a good lawyer on your side, you can easily navigate complicated legal matters, and rest easy, knowing that your lawyer will pursue the maximum compensation you are owed. 

Of course, many people are worried about what hiring a lawyer will cost, on top of wondering how they can locate a quality lawyer without breaking the bank. This post will examine some of the things you may want to consider when hiring a lawyer so that you can get the most for your money.

Find a Lawyer That Specializes in the Appropriate Area

Every attorney will be an expert in a different field of law, such as:

• Business
• Civil
• Criminal
• Family
• Bankruptcy

So your first step when looking for a lawyer will be to make sure you find one that specializes in cases like yours. All too often, people hire lawyers that they’ve used before, thinking that the lawyer who handled their bankruptcy can now handle their medical malpractice lawsuit. The law is vast and complex, and finding someone who specializes in your case will greatly increase your chances of success. 

Finding the Right Lawyer for Your Case

You can start by asking your friends, colleagues, and family members for referrals. While they may not know a lawyer who can handle your specific needs, the lawyer they refer you to may know someone, as lawyers often know other lawyers. Once you’ve created a short list of potential attorneys, you can start to narrow down your choices.

Things you may want to consider when selecting law firms to contact are:

• Size of the firm: A small firm may be better suited to handle smaller cases than a large firm that has hundreds of lawyers. 
• Their track record: Have they handled cases like yours before? What was the outcome? Local law libraries, or websites like Lexis or Westlaw can provide this information.
• Consultation fees: Some lawyers will charge a fee for an initial consultation, while others offer the initial consultation for free. When looking for ways to save money in hiring a lawyer, it is always advisable to find one that offers a free initial consultation.

Talk to Your Lawyer About Legal Fees

Don’t be nervous about discussing the fee structure with any potential lawyer you are going to work with. Experienced attorneys want to make sure their clients are able to pay them for the cost of funding their case, and will be happy to explain how their fees are calculated.

Lawyers may charge you using different models such as:

• Flat fee: Business transactions are often billed in this manner. Make sure to ask if there will be additional fees if the case takes longer than expected. 

• Hourly: Hourly rates can vary from $100-$1000. Always ask if you can negotiate the hourly rate, what the minimum billing increments are, and whether there will be charges for phone calls, emails, or letters. 

• Contingency: This will be a percentage of the amount recovered in your case, and is often used for personal injury cases. Ask what the percentage will be, and then compare to what other personal injury lawyers are offering. 

Do I Need a Lawyer?

After speaking with a few attorneys on your list, you may decide that you do indeed need a lawyer to work on your case, and you should hopefully have a rough idea of what costs will be associated with it. Make sure you’ve locked down the costs before signing an agreement, and that you are comfortable with the payment plans and fee structures that the attorney offers.

The attorneys at Richard Hollawell are always happy to offer a free initial consultation to discuss our fee structure and payment plans. Once we have discussed your case, we can offer you an idea of how much you are likely to win, and what our fee for handling the case will be so you can make an informed decision. You can call us at 1-800-681-3550 or fill out our contact form here.