Guide to Finding Canton Lawyer

Canton is one of Ohio’s largest cities, with hundreds of thousands of residents in its metropolitan area. Among those residents are many Canton lawyers, ready to help citizens with all of their legal needs. But that doesn’t mean that finding a great Canton lawyer is an easy task. Rather, it is a demanding process that only begins your legal concerns, but it is made much less taxing when you know what you are doing.

Canton Lawyers and Specializations

Every lawyer licensed to practice in the state of Ohio has gone through a rigorous law school program educating them in all areas of the law, and their knowledge has been tested in an all-encompassing Bar Examination. What that means is that no matter their experience, any Canton lawyer is qualified to represent you in a court. However, most individuals will want a lawyer with particular experience in the field related to their needs, and for them the Attorney Specialization Program might be helpful.

The Attorney Specialization Program certifies Canton lawyers with specialized knowledge and experience in a particular area of the law. Qualifications vary, but they usually include 3-5 years of experience and additional education and testing. The different types of Specialist Canton Lawyers are:

Administrative Law Certified Specialists

Appellate Law Certified Specialists

Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Certified Specialists

Family Relations Law Certified Specialists

Federal Taxation Law Certified Specialists

Labor and Employment Law Certified Specialists

Real Property - Business, Commercial and Industrial Law Certified Specialists

Real Property - Residential Law Certified Specialists

Workers' Compensation Law Certified Specialists

It would be silly to disregard every attorney who doesn’t have a Specialization, since the requirements disqualify lawyers with more varied backgrounds and those too busy for additional schooling. However, those same requirements recommend Specialist Canton lawyers for their dedication to their fields. A list of Ohio Specialists is available on the website of the Ohio State Bar Association.

Where to Find Canton Lawyers

A person can use one of many different strategies to find great Canton lawyers. These are just a few, but they may prove invaluable to you as you begin your legal journey.

1. Use a referral service—Many Canton residents don’t know about referral services, but they’re truly helpful ways to find excellent Canton lawyers. They charge a small fee, but for the price you’ll be interviewed by a trained legal professional about what you are looking for in a Canton lawyer. The professional will then recommend an attorney particularly suited for your needs, and you’ll schedule a consultation, the price of which is included in the referral service fee. The best part about referral services is that all the lawyers are pre-screened, so that you know you’re getting a bar member in good standing who is licensed to practice Ohio law. Stark County runs a referral service that can be reached at 330-453-0686.

2. Pay attention to ads—Believe it or not, distrusting ads isn’t always in your best interest. While one should always take advertised claims with a grain of salt, Canton lawyers who are able to advertise have unusually successful practices to pay for the ads. This past success should be a recommendation in itself assuming the Canton lawyer works in a field related to your needs.

3. Ask around—Legal concerns are so common that you should expect a friend, family member or coworker to have needed to reach out to a Canton lawyer in the past. Many of these people may have developed great relationships with their Canton lawyers and know intimately what there is to recommend in their practice. Even recommendations for Canton lawyers who work in fields separate from yours, or who are too busy to take your case, may be able to refer you to another Canton lawyer who can do a great job for you.

4. Research, research, research—Whether you find your Canton lawyer through one of the above methods or by sticking your finger down at random in the phonebook, you should research them to make sure that their claims are valid and that they will work well for you. See if they’ve been in the news in the past, or if there are any reviews available of their firm. Check to see if they’re a member of the Ohio Bar Association; this isn’t required of Canton lawyers, but many are, and the strict ethical requirements of the Bar means finding a lawyer who is a member is a good idea.

If You Are Unhappy with Your Canton Lawyer

It is simply natural for Canton lawyers to get into casual disputes with their clients. After all, the idea is that you both have strong opinions about the issues at hand, and when opinions disagree the conflict can get passionate. Usually these calm down after a few days and normal relations return. Sometimes, unfortunately, more time simply reveals the gulf between your expectations of your Canton lawyer and what they are doing for you.

If you believe that your Canton lawyer has committed an ethical violation while dealing with your case, you should report it to the appropriate authorities. Examples of these violations include negligence that resulted in irreparable harm to your case or repeatedly lying to you about pertinent legal matters. The Stark County Bar Association runs a Grievance Committee to deal with these issues. Filing a complaint with them will launch an investigation into the actions of your Canton lawyer which may end up in the Ohio Supreme Court.

You should not file a grievance complaint if your primary issue involves your Canton lawyer’s fees. No matter how outrageous they may be, the Grievance Committee deals exclusively with ethical concerns. Thankfully, Stark County does also run a Fee Dispute Committee that investigates such claims and makes recommendations. When those recommendations don’t result in an improvement, a binding arbitration may be executed, which is like a less formal court hearing in which both client and Canton lawyer voice their opinions and try to find a suitable solution.