Guide to Finding Seattle Washington Lawyer

If you need legal advice or counsel in the greater Seattle area, you may not be sure where to begin. In any large city, it can be overwhelming to start looking in the phone book for lawyers. Seattle Washington lawyers practice in a variety of legal areas, and this guide can help you narrow your search and understand what you need in your Seattle Washington lawyer.

When Do I Need A Seattle Washington Lawyer?

You may not even fully understand your legal situation yet, or you may be curious if a Seattle Washington lawyer could help you to resolve a situation you are going through. If you have been charged with a crime in Seattle, you definitely need a Seattle Washington lawyer, but what about situations that are less clear cut?

If you have been in a car accident or were injured at work, you may be offered a settlement that barely covers your medical bills or even leaves you on the hook for money you don't have. A Seattle Washington lawyer can help you negotiate with insurance companies so that you don't feel alone.

Many Seattle Washington lawyers are experiencd in representing your interests to insurance companies so that you can be awarded the maximum possible settlement. If the insurance company refuses to offer enough to compensate you for your suffering, you can also direct your Seattle Washington lawyer to take the case to trial.

How Can I Narrow My Search for Seattle Washington Lawyers?

In order to know which Seattle Washington lawyer to contact about your case, you need to first understand the many types of Seattle Washington lawyers available. Do you need an estate lawyer to help you write your will? A divorce lawyer to help you seek spousal support? A criminal defense lawyer? A personal injury or medical malpractice lawyer after a bad accident?

Whatever kind of lawyer you need, the Washington State Bar Association can help you find a specialist Seattle Washington lawyer with proven experience. The website for the state bar association offers a selection of lawyers that you can search by city and practice area. Once you find a selection of Seattle Washington lawyers to choose from in your practice area, you can begin to phone them to see when you can schedule an initial consultation.

How Can I Investigate Potential Seattle Washington Lawyers?

Once you have narrowed your search for Seattle Washington lawyers to possibilities based on your own case, you may want to make sure that they will provide you with ethical representation. In addition to hosting a database of Washington lawyers, the Washington State Bar Association also details which Seattle Washington lawyers have been disciplined for ethical violations.

You can look up a lawyer's name on the searchable database on the bar association website. If your Seattle Washington lawyer has been charged with ethics violations, you can decide based on the information contained on the website whether you still wish to hire him or her to represent you in the Washington legal system.

Can I Afford a Seattle Washington Lawyer?

If you are worried that you cannot afford a Seattle Washington lawyer, you have different options depending on what kind of case you need a lawyer for. If you have been charged with a crime in the state of Washington and need a Seattle Washington lawyer but cannot afford one, the court will appoint you one of a number of Seattle Washington lawyers who work as public defenders.

You cannot choose which Seattle Washington lawyer will be your public defender, but every criminal defendant in the state of Washington is entitled to competent representation by a Washington attorney.

If you are suing due to personal injury, medical malpractice, or a variety of negligence claims, you can often obtain legal services at no immediate cost by looking for Seattle Washington lawyers that will take your case on a contingency fee basis. When a Seattle Washington lawyer takes your case on contingency, you pay a set percentage of your lawsuit proceeds (usually from 33-40%, depending on whether the case is settled or goes to trial).

How Much Can Seattle Washington Lawyers seek in damages?

Some states have made laws that limit the amount you can seek in non-economic damages (for instance, damages for things like pain and suffering). Washington has declared that these damage caps are unconstitutional based on state law, which means that your Seattle Washington lawyer can argue for as large an award as the jury finds reasonable to compensate you for your suffering.

However, unlike most states, the state of Washington does not allow so-called “punitive damages,” which are designed to punish the defendant rather than to compensate you for lost money, time, or health. Seattle Washington lawyers are allowed to seek damages based only on your injury, not on whether the person or company you sue should be punished for what happened to you.

What You Need To Know For Your Consultation

Going to an initial consultation with a Seattle Washington lawyer doesn't mean that you are hiring that lawyer or that the lawyer is taking your case. Instead, it is a time for you to talk about the particulars of your case, bringing any medical bills, police reports, or relevant documents to the Seattle Washington lawyers you choose to consult with.

You also should bring a pen and paper to write down answers to questions, and you may also want to bring a list of your own questions to ask your Seattle Washington lawyer. Writing your questions down ahead of time ensures that you can remember them at the time of your consultation. Seattle Washington lawyers are bound by the same ethical codes of lawyer-client confidentiality during your consultation that bind them during the trial process, so you can discuss sensitive or embarrassing personal topics without worrying that they may be divulged to others.

At the consultation, Seattle Washington lawyers can make your legal situation and options more clear, and decide whether to take your case as well as showing you their basic fee schedule. This allows you to understand ahead of time the financial consequences of securing legal representation.