When individuals or businesses need an attorney's help in dealing with legal issues, the most important decision they face is choosing the right counsel to meet their needs.
While that task might seem daunting given the plethora of lawyers practicing in the Springfield area - 830 of them, according to the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association - legal experts say there are some steps that can simplify the process.
Ask around
The first step to finding a lawyer is to ask around, according to Tom Burke, president of The Missouri Bar and a member of St. Louis-based Hullverson Law Firm.
"It's the same as you would do if you were trying to pick out someone to handle another type of service - a dentist or a mechanic or a veterinarian," Burke said. "The first place a person should start is with their own family and friends and other people they trust, to see if any of those folks have used a lawyer or could recommend a lawyer who has handled a similar type of case or situation."
An even better option if it's available, according to SMBA Executive Director Crista Hogan, is to ask the people who know most about attorneys: other attorneys.
"It's the same thing I'd do if I was looking for a doctor: I'd ask a doctor," she said. "I think the people in the profession will have the best insight into their colleagues. If you have a lawyer as a neighbor, friend, someone who goes to church with you, that would be the first person I would talk with."
Do the research
If a lawyer friend is not available, and friends and family don't offer suggestions for potential attorneys, both the local and state bar associations offer referral services through their respective Web sites.
"Our Web site has more than 40 categories of lawyers so the public can go in and look for attorneys practicing in a specific area," Hogan said of www.smba.cc, noting that the site's lists of attorneys who take cases in specific areas aren't ranked.
Hogan said The Missouri Bar's Web site, www.mobar.org, contains the Official Missouri Directory of Lawyers, which has the name of every attorney in good standing with the state bar.
"If the lawyer's name that you put in doesn't pop up, that should be a red flag," she said.
Hogan cautioned, however, that it might not be easy to find everything about an attorney - from complaints to satisfaction ratings - from a single source.
"Sometimes clients are looking for Better Business Bureau-type information, but I don't know of anyone compiling that type of information," she said. "If such a resource exists, I don't know about it."
The BBB does not compile information about individual lawyers.
Pick up the phone
Once a list of potential attorneys is compiled, the next step is to find out as much as possible about each one - and that means some old-fashioned research.
While Burke said most attorneys have Web sites that offer basic information about themselves and their firms, a better method is decidedly more low-tech.
"They all have a phone," Burke said. "Call them up and ask about their experience, their qualifications, and also about their fees. The more background (research) you do, the better off you'll be. You'll know that you've checked around, and that gives you more security to know you're making a good choice."
Although it may seem intimidating to make a cold call to an attorney to ask them questions about themselves, it's not at all out of line, said Virginia Fry, managing partner of the Springfield office of Husch Blackwell Sanders.
"It's always fair, if you have a question and know a lawyer, to call them and ask them if they (could) handle your situation," Fry said.
Get personal
Once the professional information has been gathered, it's time to meet in person with the attorneys. Both Hogan and Fry said face-to-face meetings are the most important part of the selection process because of the personal nature of the lawyer-client dynamic.
Fry noted that most attorneys will offer a free consultation to introduce themselves and their services to potential clients.
Hogan's advice for choosing an attorney is that people find a lawyer they feel like they can really talk to about their issues.
"That's really all it is. You might interview one or two or three lawyers, but you need to go with the person you're most comfortable with," Hogan said.
Once the final selection has been made, it's time to meet with that attorney again to discuss fees - including whether the attorney will be paid by the hour or kept on retainer.
And, Fry added, clients shouldn't feel bad about meeting with several attorneys and only picking one to do business with; she called it part of the process.
"A client needs to select a lawyer that they feel they can communicate with, and one that they feel they can trust," Fry said. "They have to be able to trust the judgment of the person they choose to represent them, because ultimately that's what they're relying on."[[In-content Ad]]
