These are a compilation of excerpts from different legal sites  The Florida Bar, lawonline.com, and The West Group.

It is difficult for the layman to know how to find a good attorney. The legal profession is no different than any other profession as to having good, competent and honest members as well as bad, incompetent and dishonest ones. Unfortunately, only fellow lawyers and judges know which is which!

The primary considerations in selecting an attorney should be whether the client feels comfortable with the attorney selected and if he is confident that the attorney is competent in his field of expertise.  Do not be intimidated by the attorney, you are the employer. Much depends upon an individual's judgment, and many times an attorney is hired on the basis of referrals from other individuals who have for one reason or another experienced an attorney/client relationship as a result of work performed. You must feel very comfortable with the attorney and must feel confident that the attorney selected is the one who can capably handle your needs.  Depending on how much time you have, we would recommend that you familiarize yourself with how the law works. We recommend that you go to Jurisdictionary and learn about the "Rules of Law" and how the system works.  The more you understand, the better prepared you will be!   This is written in plain English so that non-lawyers can understand what is going on.

Realize that most lawyers are technologically impaired. The main reason is that they are traditionalists by nature. Many firms do not have web sites and if they do it has been done by one of the lawyers in the firm.  They want to do business the way they always have.  Research books - not CDs and certainly not information online!  Depending on the type of law, you are paying by the hour. If the attorney does not have a computer on his/her desk, ask him if he is computer competent.  They may be dealing with out of date information. Experience, as in any profession is invaluable. However, if your case is dependent on current information, then you better have an attorney with computer savvy. Whatever happens, the attorney wins. They get paid - win, lose or draw!

A local law firm tries to warn you on TV about hiring an attorney.
Any good attorney will agree with the following statement.
The only thing worse than not having access to an attorney is to have a bad one!

Some of the questions that would be helpful to most individuals in selecting an attorney include the following:

• Has the attorney handled matters like this one before?

• Approximately how many matters like this has the attorney handled previously?

• Does the attorney specialize in the area of law in which the client is interested? (e.g. Corporations, Contracts, Domestic, Criminal, etc.)
• Will I be charged for my first consultation?
• How much does the attorney charge per hour?
• How many hours does the attorney believe it would take to complete the task?
• Does the attorney object to the client obtaining information about the subject matter before visiting with the attorney? If so, for what reason? (With the advent of the Internet, this is becoming more prevalent as Doctors are finding out!)
• How do they charge. If a contingent fee, and what percentage does the attorney charge?
• Are there any government licensing fees or filing fees for this type of work? If so would they provide a documented list.
• Are there any statutory guidelines for this type of work?
• Does the attorney provide the client with a written contract or a letter confirming employment? If so, ask to see an example.
• Does the attorney have any references?
• When did the attorney graduate from law school?
• Has the attorney ever been admonished or cited by an ethics committee? (They must tell you!) If so, for what reason?
• Has the attorney ever had any complaints filed against him? If so, for what reason?
• Has the attorney ever lost his license and, if so, for what reason?
• Does the attorney object to the client asking these questions? If so, for what reason?
• Does the attorney(recognized by his peers for his expertise) receive referrals from other attorneys relative to this particular area of law (Corporations, Contracts, Domestic, etc.)?
• Is the attorney licensed in any other state or has he ever been?
• Has the attorney ever received any honors; if so, identify and describe the honors.
• Has the attorney ever published? If so, identify the publications and area of publication.
• Has the attorney worked with any other attorneys or firms to whom the client may be referred for evaluation of an attorney?
• Does the attorney refer work to other attorneys in other areas of the law where the attorney is not an expert?
• Identify some of the seminars the attorney has attended during the past several years and what have been the areas or topics of discussion?
• Is the attorney computer literate? How and where does he do his research (You pay by the hour)? Look and see if he has a computer at his desk. Does he have to go to a Public Legal Library? How up to date is the firms Legal Library if they are not online.
• How much experience has the attorney had in this sort of case? What percentage of his Practice is devoted to this area?
• Will anybody help the attorney work on the case, and if so, who?
• How long will it take for the case to be resolved?
• If the client is not satisfied with a settlement offer, can you insist on going to court?
• How often will you and the attorney communicate about the case?
• Can you call and expect a reasonably prompt response?
• How can you contact the attorney in case of an emergency? Does he have a cell phone, Pager?
• Who can you talk to if the attorney is unavailable?
• How much will the case cost? Does the attorney absorb incidentals or are they charged to you?
• What can you do to help the case?

A client may think that certain elements of the attorney-client relationship are more important than others. For people with less money, attorney fees may be a deciding factor. Clients who do not need to consider money as the primary factor may wish to find an attorney who has the best reputation in the particular field of law. Other clients may place a greater emphasis on personal rapport with the attorney.

 

Have you had experience with this type of problem before? How recently? How often? What was involved?

1. What percentage of your practice is devoted to this kind of problem?
2. Will you actually be working on my case? In what way? Will any other persons be doing work on my case? What will they do? How will it affect my fee or relations with you?
3. Will you talk to me in plain English when I do not understand "legalese"?
4. Will you provide me copies of all documents and letters received or written in my case? Will you treat this as an out-of-pocket expense or will you want me to pay for it in advance? Will you allow me access to my case file at your office?
5. Will you keep me informed about all developments in my case? For important things, will you allow me to make the final decision?
6. Will you send monthly billing statements?
7. Are you willing to submit any fee disputes to binding arbitration?

Remember: When you hire a lawyer, the lawyer will be working for you. He or she should be genuinely interested in your problem and in giving you the best possible advice. The lawyer may not be able to accomplish everything you wish because of the facts or the law that apply in your case. Many times a good lawyer will advise you to avoid court action. A lawyer should be able to explain, in terms you can understand, what he or she hopes to accomplish for you and how he or she plans to do it.

Next, you may want to ask the lawyer questions such as:

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?
• What would you advise me to do about my situation?
• Can a timetable be set for my case?
• If I hire you, what will you be doing for me, and when and how will we get back in touch with each other?
• Is there a statute of limitations, or legal deadline in my case that we must be careful not to miss?
  

WHAT IF I AM NOT PLEASED WITH MY LAWYER?

If you aren't happy with the way the attorney you've hired is handling your case, you have the right to dismiss him or her and find another. You will probably be responsible for paying for time and costs associated with your case to that point, so it's not a step to be taken lightly. That's also why it's important to read and understand any contract for services you may have signed with an attorney to understand what your financial responsibilities are if you decide to take your case elsewhere.