Hiring a Lawyer?

Before hiring a lawyer there are a few things you should know. You should first be able to speak with the lawyer about your legal concerns, and you should understand what the lawyer says about your situation. Are there issues about the facts or the law that the lawyer must explore to start? Does the lawyer advise you to take any particular course of action? The scope of legal services offered to you and details about legal fees and expenses should be clearly explained to you in writing before you hire the lawyer and pay anything. Rule 4-1.5 of the Florida Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct requires that attorney’s fees must be reasonable and lists a number of factors that are considered to determine what a reasonable fee should be in a particular case. A reasonable fee in your particular case will differ greatly from what fees are reasonable in other cases with other attorneys. You may want to research online what fees are typical for your type of case in the place where you are looking to hire an attorney. If the attorney’s fee will be contingent on the results, such as the amount of money recovered for your damages, Rule 4-1.5 requires that the attorney and client sign a written contingency fee agreement that sets fees within the percentage limits detailed in the rule. Take your time before hiring a lawyer, it is an important decision. Ask yourself if you feel comfortable speaking with the lawyer, whether you feel heard and understood, whether the attorney seemed to understand and describe your concerns and circumstances clearly, explains exactly what the attorney proposes to do for you and what the charges will be. If you will need to work closely with the attorney and trust their judgment, do you feel that you will be able to do so? Consider how you found the lawyer. Did you meet or know the lawyer before reaching out for information? Do you know someone who hired the lawyer previously? Did you find the attorney or the law firm online? Do online reviews seem genuine and helpful? You can also look up attorneys on the Florida Bar’s website to see if they were ever disciplined for professional misconduct.

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​Disclaimer: Everything shared on this website is provided for general information purposes only and is not legal advice for anyone's particular circumstances.

 

For more information and to discuss your particular concerns, you can talk to Stuart Reed at Law & Mediation, LLC. Call 727-565-0590, email Talk2Stuart@aol.com or use our online scheduling system.