How To Choose A Lawyer
When an individual or family is facing a serious legal problem, it is imperative
to find and hire a lawyer that will efficiently and effectively handle your case.
Although the specific questions that you need to ask your prospective lawyer
are uniquely defined by your type of legal issue, the following are guidelines
that may help steer you in the right direction when searching for the right representation.
Referrals That Work
Virtually everyone will need a lawyer at some point in their life and, as a
result, many people will have a strong opinion about an attorney they hired
to help them with their legal matters. Therefore, the first place to find an
attorney that can help solve your legal problem is to ask someone you
trust for a referral.
Inquire about how the attorney handled the case, whether or not the
outcome was a success and what the client liked or disliked about
working with that particular person.
Research Your Choices
Although an enthusiastic recommendation is a great place to start, it is
always even better to conduct additional research about an attorney you
are considering hiring. There are numerous resources in which to find
out more about a person’s legal education, expertise and record. These
resources include:
Texas State Bar
P.O. Box 12487
Austin, Texas 78711
Texas State Bar
1414 Colorado Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Lawyer Referral Service
(A service of the Texas State Bar)
1-877-9TEXBAR
The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the
judicial branch in Texas. Every licensed attorney is a member of the
State Bar, which provides a wide array of services to its members and
the public.
The State Bar of Texas can be found at www.texasbar.com and
offers referrals for attorneys when there is no local lawyer referral
service in a client’s area. Participating lawyers in the service have
to apply to the service to be referred and are listed by practice area
and the county or counties in which they work.
The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
A national publication that lists lawyers by city and by state and lists their
area of practice. The publication can be found at your local library or found
online at www.martindale.com.
Many bar associations will offer referrals to attorneys in your area. There are
several associations in San Antonio including:
Bexar County Women’s Bar Association
P.O. Box 2297
San Antonio, Texas 78298-2297
www.bexarcountywomensbar.org
Mexican American Bar Association –
San Antonio
222 S. Flores
San Antonio, Texas 78204
210.226.5656 Phone
210.226.2241 Fax
San Antonio Bar Association (SABA)
Bexar County Courthouse, 5th Floor
San Antonio, TX 78205
Lawyer Referral Line
(210) 227-1853
www.sanantoniobar.org
Remember, research is a key component of finding the right lawyer. Never
hire an attorney based completely on one factor especially advertisements.
Experience Counts
When trying to resolve an issue as serious as a legal matter, you need an
experienced attorney on your side. It is important to choose an attorney that
has dealt with cases similar to yours. If at any time, the attorney doubts his
or her competence, it is crucial to ask for a referral to a lawyer whose expertise
may be stronger in that area. In fact, not only should an attorney have experience
in the area of law you need but should also describe to you how he or she handled similar cases, what the outcomes were for those cases and if he or she expects a comparable result in your case.
Initial Consultations
A face-to-face meeting with a prospective attorney is an essential step toward
finalizing your choice. Many lawyers offer a free initial consultation but it would
not be unreasonable for an attorney to require a fee to cover the time he or she
will need to discuss whether or not a case like yours requires a legal professional. Either way, this meeting is your opportunity to explain your situation and discuss potential actions and solutions.
In order to be fully prepared for the initial consultation, ask the attorney or
paralegal for a list of relevant documents you may need to bring to clarify
your legal matter. Many attorneys will also ask you to fill out a questionnaire
beforehand so that time will be saved during the initial meeting.
Questions that you may want to ask a prospective attorney during an initial consultation include:
Do I need an attorney to solve my problem?
What fees and costs will be involved with my type of case?
Based on my situation, is this the type of case you routinely handle?
How do you work with clients in my situation?
How long will it take to solve my legal problem?
