When you don’t need a lawyer, it seems to you that there are ads for a lawyer at every turn and that in case you need one, you would very easily find one. Theoretically, this is true, but finding a good and reliable lawyer is much harder than you think. Because the point is not just to have anyone, but one who will win the case for you. And when you start looking for one like that, then you will realize that it is not an easy task at all. But no matter how long it takes you to find the right one, don’t rush in making a decision, because finding the right lawyer is the most important step.
And what you need to focus on is finding an attorney who specializes in the kind of cases you need. If you are reading this text, then it is certain that you had a problem with city, town or municipality. It is clear to you that every city, especially the big ones, has a lot of property and employees. So it is not uncommon to be injured on municipal property or by a municipal employee. This means that the type of case is such that you need a municipal claims lawyer. We will help you by giving you tips on how to find reliable one.
1. Find municipal claims lawyer
We have already told you in the introduction that you need a municipal claims lawyer, but we will dedicate the whole passage to that, in order for you to understand the importance of the making right choice at the beginning. The biggest mistake you can make is choosing a general practitioner. It is a type of attorney that deals with a wide variety of types of cases and they can be suitable for very minor problems because they are cheap and have experience. But for anything else, such as municipal claims you have to choose an expert in the field. Just as you will not choose to contact a petroleum engineer when you need someone to make you a functional website but you will contact a web engineer, so you should not call a bankruptcy lawyer when you have this type of problem. They are of the same profession, but their knowledge of the law is completely different. Municipal personal injury lawyer also know a lot of people in City Hall which can be very helpful to you. At www.pilaw.com you can check types of lawsuits for which municipal claims lawyer is competent so to know if that is right one for you.
2. Ask for a recommendation
This is a common type of case, so it is possible that someone in your surroundings has already faced the same problem and needed this type of legal representative. Ask your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors if they can recommend someone to you. There is no better way to find one, because these are people who wish you well and will give you a sincere recommendation. Their positive experience is a guarantee that he or she is a responsible attorney. Also you will know roughly what the price will be. This type of recommendation is more reliable than online reviews. What we do not advise is to hire a friend or relative who is a lawyer, no matter how tempting it is, unless he is an expert in municipal claims. This does not usually end in success for several reasons.
3. Check online
The internet is a place where you can find absolutely everything, including a municipal claims lawyer. In addition to all of them having their own website, there are also special sites that are used to search the attorney. Most use sites for local search, but each of them can be useful to you because there are always search filters. Once you narrow down your choices, it’s time to read all the reviews you can find. First look at his website or the website of his law firm and make sure do recommendations look right or fake. After that, check Google reviews, because you can always find only positive ones on the site. As for Google reviews, if over 80 percent is positive, then it is a respectable lawyer. Don’t expect anyone to have 100 percent positive reviews. There are always clients dissatisfied with the outcome, although the work of the lawyer did not in any way affect the negative outcome. But client will blame him anyway.
4. Check law firm
If the lawyer is part of a law firm, the law firm should be checked in as much detail as the lawyer himself. If he works for a respectable law firm, it is your best guarantee that he is responsible and successful. Law firms have been building their reputation for decades and will certainly not easily hire someone without checking their background and without having had previous successes. Also, when he is part of a large law firm, he will have great resources at his disposal to do everything necessary for your case and not have to do 10 cases at once because he works alone. And the reputation of a law firm is sometimes enough to influence the positive outcome of your case.
5. Check the price
An attorney can meet absolutely all your standards and have an immaculate reputation, but if you don’t have the money to pay for his service, you will have to look for someone else. That’s why price is one of the first things you need to inquire about. It is usually difficult for them to give you the exact price right at the beginning, but it is enough to get information on how much that will be approximately. If the attorney is within your price range, then you can negotiate further. When choosing between several of them that cost similarly, then let other factors be decisive for you, not the price. There is one way you can hire an attorney who is outside your price range, and that is to offer them to work on percentage base and offer them a higher percentage than is normally given for this type of case. This is a good tactic only if you know that the damage will be huge and that it is important for you to win at any cost because of that.
Conclusion:
If you don’t have money because your income is very low, you can contact a legal aid office in your area that works pro bono. However, our advice is that if you can, you go and hire a municipal claims lawyer, because it will be very profitable for you in the long run.
