- 1). Speak with associates, co-workers, friends and family members about any attorneys that they would recommend. Don't weed out attorneys that may not practice in the field you need; they may be able to direct you to other attorneys who specialize in that field and can help you.
- 2). Look up attorney ratings online at Martindale-Hubbell's website at martindale.com or contact your local bar association to find out if the attorney is in good standing (see Resources). Don't use attorneys who are currently under any investigations for illegal practices such as double-charging or otherwise taking advantage of clients.
- 3). Contact the attorney you have chosen by phone and request a free phone consultation before visiting his office for a one-on-one appointment. Most attorneys will invite a brief phone conference to "feel out" your case and decide if if it is worthy enough to take on. Attorneys who refuse this option or want to take your case without hearing its details may only want your money and may not provide a thorough representation after you have paid them a retainer.
- 4). Visit the attorney you have selected in her office after speaking by phone. This is to ensure that the attorney has a real office and is not so new from law school that she doesn't have a secretary, paralegal or other signs of a successful law practice.
- 5). Go over any retainer agreements that the selected attorney asks you to sign. Look for instances of misspellings and grammatical errors. You don't want your new attorney sending off your petitions with the same shoddy errors that were shown in your retainer contract. This may show a lack of detail in her other work for you.
- 6). Sign the contract after you have taken at least 24 hours to sleep on it and review it. Allow your spouse or other family members to review it. Sign it only after you are comfortable that you will be able to honor the contents and the amount being requested. Pay the retainer amount using a credit card or check only. This can lend you some degree of comfort, since the amount can be disputed should any errors come up or the attorney fails to honor the agreement within a certain time frame.
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