Wilmington Lawyer

The Right Wilmington Lawyer

Chances are pretty good that you can find residents in North Carolina, specifically in the city of Wilmington, that are in need of a very good Wilmington lawyer. And each reason for needing one may be different –

Common reasons may be:

• Divorce

• Auto Accident

• Probate

• Taxes

• Malpractice

• Criminal Charge

• Mutual Funds

• Family Law

And there’s plenty more out there. The underlying truth of it all is that the legal field is a huge industry where both supply and demand for attorneys will never falter. So one important question then remains for the Wilmington resident:

How Do You Find the Right Wilmington Lawyer?

It’s an important question to ask, because there are so many Wilmington lawyers out there, and all of them specialize in specific niches within the industry. So how does one go about doing it?

Here are the appropriate steps to take:

• First Step: Do the Correct Research

• Second Step: Schedule Every Free Consultation

• Third Step: See the Wilmington Lawyers Work

• Fourth Step: Make the Final Decision Without Fail

It’s crucial to follow each step exactly. Completion will ensure the best possible chance that a dispute, settlement, case, or even criminal charge will come out positive for a client.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that these steps are easy to take. They’re not. A lot of work goes into making sure all the research is done right, all the appointments come out with the most comprehensive information possible both on the case and on the Wilmington lawyer, and the client gets a good idea of how each attorney handles the court room.

So we’ll start slow, from the beginning, with….

The Research

Believe it or not, a client’s going to start with the phone book. Now everyone knows that’ll be an easy move, as the Yellow Pages is generally regarded as a major go-to for phone numbers and addresses, and that makes it simple to find a Wilmington lawyer.

A client, though, needs to remember one important thing: that the research starts with the phone book, but it most certainly will not end there. Here’s why:

When searching for Wilmington lawyers, the important thing to do is to gather up a “shortlist.” A client has the best chance of doing this through the phone book, because all that’s necessary for the “shortlist” is contact info. That’s it.

Typically, a shortlist will have five, maybe six listings of Wilmington lawyers to choose from. But a client’s not going to just pick any five or six Wilmington lawyers.

The key to researching the right Wilmington lawyers is to pick the right ones. How? Check out the ads.

If a client sees any ads that ‘scream’ out advertising, listing clever 1-800 numbers, using heavy language, capital letters, and maybe even an exclamation point or two, chances are that client may be dealing with a Wilmington lawyer that has little to no experience.

Experienced attorneys from Wilmington, North Carolina, will know that they don’t necessarily have to ‘sell’ their services. All they need to do is list their contact info, and the rest is all downhill. Simple as that.

In fact, legal ethics state that a lawyer simply can’t advertise his or her track record as a means to gain clientele; and promising that a case will be won is ridiculous, as no lawyer can guarantee anything.

The ads a client needs to jot down are the ones listing the basic info:

• Full Name of Firm or Office

• Valid Phone Number

• E-Mail

• Web Site

• Location

That’s all a client’s going to need.

From there, a client can call each attorney up and ask a couple questions – like “What do you specialize in?” or “Is your caseload full?”

The answers to these questions can determine the next step pretty quickly. But let’s not stop there. Because there may be a chance that a client may come up short on a shortlist through the phone book.

So what can a client do? Research on the internet.

The World Wide Web is that cherry on top, not only providing contact information for more lawyers in the Wilmington area (albeit searching for contact info online is a bit harder than searching for contact info in the phone book) but also in-depth detail on the attorneys, like reviews, testimonials, articles, and even information about licenses.

To go even farther, clients can ask around with friends and family; seeing if it’s possible to hire a relative may save some money!

Once it’s all said and done, though, a client has the next step to tend to, and that step is called….

The Free Consultation

And an important consultation, it is. Why?

Because it gives the client an opportunity to meet with each lawyer to determine something extremely basic: whether or not the lawyer has the necessary skill to handle the case.

The same goes for the attorney: honestly, a good lawyer’s going to want to hear the details of the case to determine if the case is viable enough for the lawyer to try in court. Hence once the consultation is complete, the honest truth is any given lawyer may decline.

But rest assured: a client shouldn’t fret. Because in all honesty what one lawyer reject, another lawyer may accept. Each case is unique; and likewise, each lawyer is unique in their own ways. This is the reason for the shortlist – to always get a second opinion and see how it fits.

Common questions a client may ask include:

• How many years of experience do you have?

• What kind of rates and fees do you charge?

• How MUCH do you charge?

• How many clients do you currently represent?

• How many cases have you tried in court?

• Which law school did you graduate from?

And there are many more questions a client can ask to get a better idea of what kind of experience the attorney has and whether or not to keep that attorney on the shortlist.

When it’s all said and done, it’s very possible that a client may have whittled down the shortlist to two, maybe three, possible candidates. This then presents the next step in the process of finding the best lawyer in Wilmington:

See the Attorneys Work in the Court Room

This is truly a secret weapon, because honestly many might not even think of doing that. Choosing to hire a lawyer after consulting with each attorney may be the norm at times. Sometimes, though, a client still might not be too sure.

This is where the court room comes into play. At this particular time, a client may have some in-depth knowledge of what hearings are scheduled for the remaining lawyers on the shortlist, so what does a client do?

Visit the courthouse on the scheduled days and sit in on the hearings to watch the attorneys work.

You can’t even imagine just how much you would learn in the courtroom, watching each lawyer deliver opening and closing statements, talk to the judge, and talk to the jury (if there is one). If that wouldn’t make the decision easy, who knows what would….

The Last Step: Making the Decision

Without a doubt, it’s possible that a client can represent himself or herself in a court of law. This is why this last step is an important step. The most important piece of advice is here: hire a lawyer.

Yes, attorney charges can get expensive, but it’s worth it when it can mean the increased chance of making it through a dispute, settlement, case, or criminal charge unscathed.