Out Swimming The Sharks:
Helpful tips when you have to hire an attorney

By Carl Simons

Regardless of what most people believe, the best attorneys are not always ex-judges, ex-mayors, ex-district attorneys, outrageously expensive, or those who work for large well-known law firms. Having worked in the legal industry for over 15 year, I have found the best attorneys have the rare ability to place your legal matter needs over their economic desires and ego.

When searching for legal representation, it is imperative that you and your attorney understand exactly what your needs are. Much like medicine, the legal field has become increasingly complex and specialized. Law is broken down into many different specialties, i.e. criminal, civil, personal injury, bankruptcy, real estate, family, and more. It is important to search for the particular attorney whose knowledgeable and experience fitsyour needs.

Your relationship with an attorney is an important and usually close one. You often share very personal information with them, and being able to trust the one you hire should be one of your most important considerations. When choosing an attorney, contact two or three who are referred by people you know who have personally utilized their services. Simply knowing a particular attorney or having one in the family is not enough in this day and age.

As each attorney has their own style and personality, interview each of them and see which one best suits your needs. Examine how accessible each attorney (and not their staff) is to communicate with and if they seem to truly care about your legal needs and the expected outcome of your case. See if their fees were "reasonable" for their particular knowledge, experience, and years in practice, and check calbar.org to see if they have ever been disciplined by the State Bar of California

Not a week goes by where I do not receive a phone call from a gay, lesbian, transgender, or HIV-positive person who was afraid to disclose some or all of this information to their attorney and let their them know of their needs in this regard. This is important because these qualifiers often can significantly affect your particular legal situation.

Are gay attorneys always the best attorneys for gay people? No, they are not. Trust me, there are plenty of bad gay attorneys, just as there are plenty of bad heterosexual attorneys as well. The best attorneys take the time to get to know you as a client and will never treat you with disrespect or ignore your specific needs and those of your loved ones.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that your attorney works for you and not vice versa. He or she should not be difficult to get in touch with, should return your calls promptly, counsel you, and take the time you pay for to keep you informed about your legal matter.

If you have any questions about this or any other legal matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (310) 749-4LAW. Additionally, I have posted most of my old articles at freelegalinfo4u.blogspot.com.