Finding the right lawyer is really important.
There are some lawyers who do not care about their clients, some who are just too busy to do a good job, and others who are only concerned with getting paid. Don’t get me wrong, I believe lawyers should be paid, but I also believe they should give their best effort to help the people they represent. This includes court-appointed attorneys. So even if your attorney is a court-appointed lawyer, you still need to do your homework and follow my advice. If you are struggling with this reality, read about when I faced this reality.
Once you have a short list of attorneys who have a reputation of taking care of their clients, start making calls and setting up appointments. There is no substitute for actually meeting the person you are about to trust with your future! It will take some time and effort, but this is really important. In order to find an attorney, you will need to do a few things.
When you meet, there are 3 things you need to find out:
- What is their experience with your type of case?
- How much do they charge?
- What do they expect you to do to help?
Knowing the answers to these 3 questions will help you narrow down your list to the right attorney.
I have found that the more work I am willing to do on the case, the less money it will cost me. But if you don’t have the time to put into supporting the legal end, you are better off paying the attorney to do it. You can use a free online tool such as legalmatch.com.
Ron and I prayed for wisdom as we have had to hire attorneys over the years (read our story). God has always guided us to the right attorney and made it clear during our meeting with them.
After you hire the attorney, be sure to stay in regular contact with them. This doesn’t mean calling every day or being super demanding. It does mean a call once a week, or even every other week to check in and see if they need information from you or your husband, and to check on their progress. The friendly, supportive client gets the best service.
If your attorney is not doing what they were hired to do, fire them. This includes court-appointed attorneys. Your future is too important for you to put up with a lazy or ignorant attorney.
I am rooting for you!
Cathy
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