How do you know if a lawyer is good? -

My parents need a really good defense lawyer. He got into immense trouble and needs to pay heavy fines. We are unable to pay for these fines, and my parents may lose their assets. How do I know if the lawyer I m talking to is a good lawyer? What do I need to check?

Check your state s bar website. In CA they now list punishments, suspensions, etc. the lawyer has been disciplined for. I am a lawyer and my feeling is most potential clients are uneasy, for good reason, on the phone. I don t trust attorneys myself. They get a better sense of who I am and my character when we sit and talk in person. As far as a quot;goodquot; lawyer in the legal knowledge sense, and how hard they will work for a client, what kind of quot;advocatequot; they will be, that s another story. This is not always determined by how long they have been licensed or what size firm they work for. My experience has been most people go through a couple of attorneys before they really find the perfect fit for them. Some of what you re going to have to base this on is gut instinct at first. An quot;arrogantquot; lawyer is not necessarily going to be effective in court or respected by the judge. You do not want a lawyer who is too timid either. Newer attorneys can be more aggressive and quot;hungryquot; and make up for lack of experience with more research and enthusiasm. Good luck.

You need to ask around. Talk to people who have been in similar trouble and ask them who they used and if they were satisfied with the legal services. I would not put too much stock in Martindale Hubbell since I know some lawyers with a and b ratings who really are not that good. Some attorneys with a c or no rating are quite good but are not popular with their colleagues. Then again some lawyers with c or no ratings are pretty bad. The best indicator is from people who have had direct experience with lawyers in particular areas. Reality check: Lawyers with the quot;aquot; rating will cost you plenty.

Word of mouth is often the best way of determining a lawyer s quality. Ask around, request references from the attorney, and check with other attorneys in your area. Also, don t immediately dismiss the idea of getting a public defender - many are quite experienced and qualified (and, best of all, free if you qualify). At the least, a public defender might be able to point you in the direction of a competent attorney who specializes in the field of law you are dealing with.

check references. Martindale Hubbell is pointless since you pay to get into the book.

Martindale Hubbell is one reference, listing a and b rated attorneys.