As a young business owner, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is hiring a low budget attorney. You think you are saving money for the business, but after years of problems, you will come to the realization that you do get what you pay for. So when the time comes, and you are sitting there, wondering “do I need an attorney”, and the answer is yes, pick the right one!
Nobody enjoys writing checks or sending bank transfers to their attorney – most people don’t like dealing with lawyers in any situation. It isn’t usually the individual lawyers who cause this unease. It is more the unease of needing a lawyer in the first place. Unfortunately, we live in a world where lots of us will end up needing a lawyer at some point. Making the right decision when this happens, is vitally important.
When you are looking for a lawyer, you are going to want to find one with the following qualities. If they score low in any of the following, you might want to consider re-evaluating your choice in attorneys.
Communication
One of the most important qualities a good lawyer should have is the ability to communicate with you well. They should be easy to get a hold of when you need them and if you can’t get a hold of them straight away, they should at least be contacting you as soon as they possibly can. You are paying a lawyer for their time, budget attorneys tend to spread themselves thin, meaning they will not have the time for you that you require.
Enthusiasm
A good lawyer should wow you with their enthusiasm and confidence. If they can’t convey this to you, how can you expect them to apply the effort for you. Good lawyers can charge what they do because they are experts in confidence and enthusiasm.
Ethical Behaviour
Attorneys are students of law and ethics. The number one tell-tale sign of a bad attorney is unethical behavior. Unethical behavior can be turning up late to meetings often, not filing their documents on time or incorrectly, making important decisions without you or having a conflict of interest.
Empathy
Your attorney should not only be enthusiastic, ethical and good at communication. They should also be able to empathize with you. There are lots of lawyers out there who are more robot than human. Make sure you pick an attorney who you get along with. Someone who empathizes with you will fight harder for you.
If your budget lawyer is failing on the above qualities, maybe it is time to switch to a more qualified one. If you are making the decision to swap over to a new attorney, make sure you focus on quality before budget. The decisions that are going to be made by the man or woman that you hire could be life-changing ones.
Remember that great lawyers are not cheap and that cheap lawyers are rarely great.