The lawyer intervenes in many fields and in very different situations: family life, company law, labour law. He can just advise you or take legal action. Here’s how to choose it to be well defended.
Identify precisely your need.
You can call upon a lawyer both to advise you in a specific area of law drafting the statutes of a company or a contract and to defend yourself in proceedings before the courts.
Generalist or specialist
As with doctors, there are generalists and specialists. The former can, in principle, deals with all files. However, in practice, they have often focused, over time, on particular areas of law, without still holding a specialization certificate generalists often deal with cases relating to family law, work, real estate. Specialist lawyers, on the other hand, have officially validated their specific skills by a certificate. You need to keep a San Diego Employment Lawyer by your side in such cases.
You can also contact a general practitioner as well as a specialist, the whole being to verify that he has sufficient knowledge in the field which interests you: a simple phone call is enough for that. A conscientious lawyer is not supposed to take on a case in an area that he does not master, especially if it is complicated. However, for thorny and particular problems (patent law, company statutes, town planning law, tax law, etc.), contacting a specialized lawyer will assure you that the professional has all the required skills.
Don’t choose your lawyer at random.
Choosing a lawyer near you is the most common solution. It is, in fact, more practical, if you call on him for an advisory mission (drafting of the contract, legal consultation, etc.) or for a procedure taking place near your place of residence, as this will facilitate your meetings and your trades. On the other hand, if your case is tried far from your home, it may be better to hire a lawyer on the spot. In fact, lawyers depend on a bar, and each bar is attached to a tribunal instance. A lawyer can defend you anywhere in this country. Still, in another case, he has, without exception, the need to use a “postulant” (that is to say a colleague of the bar attached to this court), to carry out the procedural documents. This leads to an additional cost. It is therefore preferable, in this case, The Employment Lawyer can be perfect in such cases.
Example: you live in Marseille, and your trial takes place in Paris. Either you take a lawyer in Marseille who will plead the case for you, but will have recourse to a Parisian lawyer for the procedural acts; either you take a Parisian lawyer directly. This last option can be more interesting if your business is simple, and if you can follow it remotely after a first appointment.
How to find it?
Word of mouth is an effective way to select a lawyer. Indeed, if it is recommended to you, it is because it has given satisfaction to one of your acquaintances or that this one knows it personally. On the other hand, avoid being defended by a member of your family or a friend, because your relationships will be more complicated, and the risks of scrambling exist.
If no one around you (friends, family, notary) has been able to give you the contact details of a lawyer, you can consult a list of professionals at the Law Society closest to your home (which, moreover, often has ” a website offering a directory with a search engine by specialization), but also at the district court of your city, or possibly in your town hall. You can also use the telephone directory and the Internet.
Note that free consultations can be organized in courthouses, town halls, houses of justice and law or in professional salons. It’s an excellent way to have the first contact or to be referred to the specialist you need.
Be attentive during the first contact.
The first meeting with your future lawyer is significant: it is not enough that he has the required knowledge and that he is near you! A relationship of trust must be established between you. Besides, if you appeal to him within the framework of a lawsuit, be aware that the case can last a long time.
Attention: during the first interview, pay particular attention to the following points: does the lawyer listen to you? Are they asking you questions? Is it expressed in accessible language? Do you seem available? Do you seem competent?
If the contact is not good, do not hesitate to consult another professional: it is better to pay the first two consultations than to change the lawyer during the procedure. It is usually more expensive than not following up after an interview. When making this contact, you must explain, as clearly as possible, the situation that brings you. It is also essential, even if it is not essential, to take all the elements which relate to the business if you have some. However, do not leave any original documents. Provide photocopies in case you finally decide not to entrust the case to this lawyer.
