How do I choose a lawyer or a law firm?
Every person may need legal services: whether he is an entrepreneur or an individual. In order to make the search easier, a client should learn the basic criteria for choosing a law firm, and be guided by them in the future.
Who to choose: a lawyer or a law firm
First of all, it is necessary to define the goal and objectives that the client sets himself. It is necessary to understand that each lawyer has his own specialization and a limited range of professional interests.
Someone is an expert in labor disputes, someone is closer to the corporate law, someone knows the Family Code “from and to” and so on. But in most cases, the same case covers several branches of law at once. In this case, it is worth turning not to a specific specialist, but to choose a law firm with a positive reputation.
It is worth paying attention not only to the cover, but also to the content: an optimized website, the presence of a huge number of complimentary reviews (often paid) – yet not a reason to opt for the organization. Try to find evidence that confirms the experience and professionalism of human rights defenders who work in the firm.
Make an appointment with a specialist from the company you like about the meeting, sign up for a preliminary consultation (online or offline). The lawyer-consultant will give a preliminary assessment of the project and help to understand the prospects for a successful outcome of the case. During the conversation with a specialist, you will get answers to your questions and understand if you should go to this organization or look for more.
You should not be in a hurry to make a decision. Compare offers from competitors, and choose the best option available to you.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Law Firms
The strengths of organizations that provide legal services are:
Uniform standards and regulations. Availability of ready-made solutions and successful cases for most legal situations.
High quality services and professionalism of each team member. Otherwise, the company will incur reputational costs.
An integrated approach. Involvement of experts of various profiles and specializations.
Turnkey administration of documents. The client is completely freed from the routine operations, including visits to various agencies.
No disruptions in work. If one lawyer will go on leave or sick leave, others will be able to continue his or her work without time loss.
Guarantees. The firm is responsible for competence of its employees. Client shall receive complex legal analysis of the situation and know the probability of favorable outcome of the case.
Confidentiality. The contract for legal services includes a clause on non-disclosure of information on case materials.
Financial benefit for clients – legal entities, associated with the nuances of taxation.
Weaknesses:
Higher cost of services compared to private specialists: you have to pay for professionalism.
Longer terms of consideration of cases: every action of in-house lawyers coordinate with the management.
You have to understand that a representative of a legal organization will not be able to be in touch with the client 24/7 and respond instantly to his requests (as an inhouse lawyer). This is due to the large amount of work and internal bureaucracy: every action of the expert is checked and agreed upon to achieve the best result for his client.
On the other hand, when a client goes to a proven law firm, he gets comprehensive support from a highly qualified team, which increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome of the case. Reputation and feedback are important for the company, so the management takes care that the knowledge of employees is updated and improved, and the percentage of won cases remains consistently high.