If you are considering hiring an attorney, it is very likely that you are doing so for the first time. If you have been accused of a crime or served with a divorce petition or lawsuit, you may be confused and are certainly under a great deal of stress. An attorney can help put your mind at ease by telling you exactly how to proceed for the best possible outcome. If you are hiring an attorney, however, you should look for one who is experienced. How can you be sure that the attorney you are considering is the best one for you?

1. Ability to speak eloquently about your case

An attorney should have prior experience handling cases similar to yours. Look for one who can speak eloquently about your specific situation, without resorting to complicated legal jargon. Be wary of an attorney who refuses to speak at your level, because they may be attempting to disguise insufficient knowledge.

2. Refusal to guarantee specific results

No attorney can guarantee a particular outcome, no matter how experienced. An experienced attorney might be able to tell you what is most likely, but an attorney who attempts to guarantee a particular result is overconfident, which is a sign of inexperience.

3. Avoiding sales tactics

Be wary of any attorney who attempts to use sales tactics to convince you to hire them. A qualified, experienced attorney will make you want to hire them because they put you at ease about the circumstances of your case, not because they apply sales pressure.

4. Over-reliance on paralegals

Paralegals fill an important role within a legal firm. Law is a complicated field, and paralegals perform much of the research that can help strengthen your case. However, watch for an attorney who relies too much on their paralegals. If an attorney is not able to provide any relevant information to you on their own, they may be attempting to work outside of their regular area of law. You may also be able to gauge this by observing the paralegals themselves. Do they appear over-stressed?

5. Appearance of the office

 You can learn a great deal by simply looking around. Are the degrees or qualifications of they attorney hung around the office, and do any legal books appear as though they have actually been read? These can help you create a more complete picture of the attorney's prior experience.