If you have never been exposed to the legal process before, you may have reservations and expectations about what to expect from legal counsel. Although it may sound obvious, the most important factor when beginning your search is to first understand what you are seeking. Are you looking for a divorce lawyer, a corporate lawyer, or a criminal lawyer? Each type of attorney will have different perspectives and thus different demands and benefits.

In general, a legal counsel will first want to meet with you in person to get a better sense of your needs and discuss the particulars of your case, or, if you represent a larger entity, the potential and actual needs of your institution. Legal counsels generally are very detail-oriented and unafraid of confrontation, although these traits may not manifest vividly the first time you meet. 

The fees of a legal counsel are based both on his or her particular field of specialization and his or her relative prestige and desirability in the particular geographical locale in which he or she is based. A corporate legal counsel will probably bill more per hour than a divorce attorney, for example. Of course, there is the possibility that you are seeking a pro bono attorney, or an attorney who works for a social cause and charges the absolute minimal fees possible.

It is also important to realize that billing ‘hours’ often accumulate rapidly, as an eight minute phone conversation could be billed in a 15 minute increment, or in the cases of some high-powered attorneys, as a full hour. Therefore, it is vital to understand the ins and outs of your particular legal counsel’s billing style before agreeing to take him or her on. Remember, most legal counsels subtract overhead from their hourly fee, and do not necessarily pocket the entire sum of money for themselves. 

When you agree to hire a legal counsel, that counsel should have your best interests as their driving motivation. You should expect them to be proficient and knowledgeable not only in their field, but as you become better acquainted, in the particulars of your case. You should expect unfettered access in terms of being able to place phone calls or have them review legal documents in a timely manner. Ultimately, you should be able to communicate easily with your legal counsel, and expect a high degree of dedication and professionalism from them.