There are countless reasons that you could end up having to hire a lawyer or law firm at some point in your life. It could be for a criminal case. There may be business litigation you’re involved in. There are divorce cases. Automobile accidents. Or a military case, which will need the expertise of a military defense attorney. The list goes on interminably.
But, one factor in all decisions regarding lawyers and law firms is the question of money. How much can you spend? What can you afford? How will the cost compare with what you can get out of it? So to make the smartest decisions possible, keep the following five tips in mind – read the results of cases of law firms, determine what your budget is in advance, ask friends for personal recommendations, research success rates of different firms, and avoid Pyrrhic victories.
Read the Results of Cases
When choosing a law firm, it’s important to consider what their clients have potentially settled for in the past. Research case result pages and find out the numbers in terms of financial settlement and see if that particular firm is in the ballpark of the kind of money you think you’re entitled to. Having this base of understanding is very important early in your consideration process.
Determine Your Budget First
If you go into a litigation situation without knowing your approximate budget in advance, it’s very easy for things to get out of control. Lawyers generally are very direct and can be overbearing – it is their job, after all – so if you don’t have your set of acceptable numbers set before even entering into a conversation, you’re at an immediate disadvantage. So try to determine your legal budget before you make even the very first phone call.
Ask Friends for Recommendations
One of the best ways to get a good lawyer at a good rate is by asking friends who they’ve used in the past. That kind of personal recommendation can save you thousands of dollars in the long run, because you won’t have to research and guess at the outcome.
Research Various Success Rates
Different types of litigation have different success rates with different law firms. This is the hard reality. So before you put money down on a particular firm, research legal success rates and find out where you on the spectrum. The statistics on public defense in particular are truly fascinating in context as well.
Avoid the Pyrrhic Victory
If you are the one who is taking someone to court, but you end up spending more money on lawyers than you get from winning the case, that’s a perfect instance of a Pyrrhic victory, and though you may feel better about beating someone, if the ends don’t justify the means, it’s often better to just leave a situation alone.
