It can be hard to know if you’ve found a good law firm. Most of us don’t deal with lawyers regularly, so by the time you do contact a firm, you won’t have much to compare the quality of their service against. If you’ve been wondering if the firm you’re working with is one of the good ones, here are some of the signs that a law firm is reliable.
1. Clear communication
One of the jobs of a law firm is to make sure you understand what is going on with your case. After all, you are the one who should be making decisions about your legal defense; the lawyer’s job is to advise, not call the shots. But you can’t make informed decisions if you don’t understand what is happening, which is where clear communication becomes very important.
Whether you are working with a federal offense attorney or a personal injury lawyer, your point of contact in the law firm should be able to explain things in a way that is easy to understand. And they should be willing to answer your questions and discuss things until you are satisfied with the amount of information you have. It’s one of the traits of a good and reliable law firm — the dedicated time and energy towards communicating with you as clearly as possible.
2. History of success
Of course, one of the ways to know if a law firm is reliable is to check its previous history. Law firms that have been in the market for years and have a long history of success with their clients will often proudly display that history on their websites. You may also find that your law firm has earned awards and been the subject of plenty of news coverage in the past.
This is not to say that newly-founded law firms can’t be reliable. And while a new law firm might not have a history of success as a collective, you can still look into their team members to see what kind of track record they have.
Make sure to check if your firm’s previous history is in an area relevant to your case. A history of successful family law cases may not indicate that the firm’s employment law division is particularly effective or reliable.
3. Accessibility
It’s generally a good sign when a law firm makes themselves easily available to their clients. You can tell you’re working with an accessible law firm when you can call them at any time during business hours and get someone on the phone who’s both willing and able to answer questions and give you updates on your case. Some law firms even make themselves available outside of business hours.
5. Regular updates
The only thing better than being able to call to get updates is to have the law firm call you. It’s a good sign when the team at your law firm makes a point out of getting in touch with you regularly with updates regarding your case, be it via phone calls or email.
