Guide to Finding Texas Tax Lawyer

The Right Texas Tax Lawyer

Death and taxes. That’s what Benjamin Franklin said would be the constants in the human race, basically. Obviously, everyone’s going to have to deal with death someday, but no one has to deal with tax trouble. And, yes, sometimes there can be tax trouble – such as fraud.

So here’s an important question, pertaining to any resident living in Texas: what is a person to do when dealing with fraud? The answer’s simple….

You Hire a Good TX Tax Lawyer

Tax law is a tricky niche within the legal field. Why? Because it involves the IRS. It involves such complexity that it would make sense for any citizen to consult an accountant to deal with the taxes every year.

When fraud is shown, though, that’s when an experienced Texas tax lawyer comes in to take care of business, set the wrong things right and make sure all the money’s done right for both sides.

There are, however, important steps to take in finding a good TX tax lawyer.

Here Are the Important Steps

Follow these to the letter, to the law, word for word, ironclad, and without fail. And troubles with taxes hopefully will go away.

• Do the Best Research Possible for the Right Kind of Texas Tax Lawyer

• Schedule Free Consultations With Each TX Tax Lawyer

• Consider the Cost for All Texas Tax Lawyers on the “Shortlist”

• And Then, Finally, Make the Appropriate Choice

Sounds easy? No. It’s really not. But a client can think of it this way: the harder the work in researching, the harder the hired Texas attorney’s going to work for the case. Case closed.

Step 1: the Research

It’s not as simple as opening up a phone book and copying down a couple numbers, although the phone book’s where a client will start. Typically, to find a good list of TX tax lawyers, look for the ads that list the basics –

• The Full Name of the Firm/Office

• Valid Phone Numbers of All the Texas Tax Lawyers

• E-Mail Addresses

• Web Site URLs

• And, Most Definitely, a Location

These are important. A client should write them all down. Once getting this set in mind, a good “shortlist” of TX tax lawyers would number up to about five or six possibilities. Stay away from any ads from certain Texas tax lawyers that ‘advertise’ way too much, like they’re salespeople.

To be sure, a client’s not hiring a salesperson. A client’s hiring a lawyer. Plain and simple. TX tax lawyers that advertise both in the Yellow Pages and online making hefty promises and using overblown language typically are inexperienced.

When it comes to your taxes, experience matters.

After gathering all that information, a client’s ready for the next step in the process:

The Free Consultation

This is where a client gets to receive the best kind of information, information that can help make a well-informed decision when hiring a lawyer. It’s called the ‘free consultation.’ Many lawyers, if not all, offer this.

It’s basically an appointment, at no charge, to meet with the attorney and discuss the case. This can provide many things for both sides, such as –

• A Chance for the Lawyer to Accept or Decline the Case

• A Chance for the Client to Learn About the Lawyer’s Experience

• A Chance to Learn More About the Details of the Case

• And a Chance to Whittle Down or Solidify That Shortlist

No client should breeze past this step. The free consultation is crucial. Lawyers do offer it for free, because a truly experienced Texas lawyer’s going to need to know whether or not the case is viable. In addition, a client can tell a lot about a lawyer by meeting with him or her in person.

If someone’s going to handle your tax issues, better know the person well. Words of wisdom.

Some common questions a client may ask include:

• How many years of experience do you have dealing with cases like this?

• How many clients have you represented in the past?

• What kind of cases do you normally take?

• What kind of clients do you normally represent?

• Can you take my case?

• If not, can you refer me to an attorney who CAN?

And believe that there are many other questions to be asked. There’s never a limit. The point of the consultation is to get as much information as possible – on both sides – to figure out if it’s a go-ahead on the case.

There is, of course, the cost a client needs to consider….

The Rates and Fees of an Attorney

In Texas, like anywhere else, attorneys get paid for their services – unless they offer those services pro bono (free of charge). That’s unlikely, even with lawyers in the client’s family, so a client’s going to have to check the wallet –

Why? Because lawyers cost a great deal of money.

If you know what you’re dealing with, though, it should make the choice to hire an attorney a lot easier. If the client’s issue is a settlement, chances are a client’s going to be looking at a “contingency” fee, a percentage taken from the settlement after the case has been resolved. If it’s a fraud charge and the client’s facing it, more than likely an attorney will charge a “retainer” fee, a large sum of money to “retain” the services of the lawyer. And then, of course, there’s the standard hourly rate.

Each rate/fee has its purpose, and there’s no way to say that a rate/fee is ‘preferable’ or not. The point is to know what you’re dealing with. And when you do….

You Make the Choice: Hire the Attorney

This is the most important step. For obvious reasons. No client should believe that he or she can go it alone in any matter, let alone a tax issue. So know that hiring a lawyer is important.

Because taxes are important. Or else Benjamin Franklin wouldn’t have wrote about it!