Choosing Lawyers: What You Need to Know.

When people call my office, we always ask where did you hear about us. Many times it is from other lawyers, judges, former client or the Internet. It used to be the yellow pages but the internet has greatly changed the way people pick lawyers. Frankly, I know a good lawyer from a not so good lawyer by many things but a biography and length of practice often tell a great deal:

• Where did the attorney work before going into private practice?
• Did they work someplace that they learned specific knowledge such as governmental agencies?
• Do they meet with you or do paralegals do all the work -
  i.e. is it a high volume practice that needs to turn cases over quickly for cash flow?
• How are they rated by their peers?

There are several very credible peer review rating services that tell you a great deal about attorneys. The oldest rating service for lawyers nationally is Martindale-Hubbell which rates lawyers on the basis of AV, BV or CV or none at all. It is not unusual to see an attorney with no rating meaning that they either did not achieve at least a CV rating or are not known well enough by their fellow attorneys to get a sufficient number to rate them. AV is the highest rating available and is not generally earned until an attorney has been in practice over 15 years. It stands for preeminent in their field of law with the highest degree of ethics. BV is not too shabby as it means an very good attorney also with good ethics and CV is a good attorney. There are other well known peer rating services that are legitimate such as Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers™ and Chambers. These ratings cannot be bought. The advertisement of this achievement may be purchased, often at a steep price, so those who have earned these ratings all are equal but for the size of the article about them that is purely adverstisement.

Good lawyers listen to you and care about more than just your money. Make sure you feel comfortable with the person, ask all the questions that you have and always make sure you understand the fee arrangements. None of us can work for free, all the time, as we must support ourselves and families. Many of us do pro bono (free work) but that is limited by the size of the practice and the ability of the attorney to take on limited pro bono work. Be smart, getting the right lawyer means doing your homework and not picking the biggest ad.

Contact Us

If you need the assistance of a Maryland lawyer that is dedicated to making high quality legal services available to everyone, please contact Willig, Williams, Davidson & Singleton at 410-902-0073. We are committed to serving the long-term needs of each of our clients. Our Baltimore, Maryland area law firm is based in Owings Mills, Maryland and we serve clients throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area.