Finding Your Lawyer Fit
When it comes to finding a family law, personal injury, or criminal defense attorney in Reno, NV. – there are several variables you should consider prior to retaining your attorney in Reno. The below points provide an overview of questions and items you should consider when looking for an attorney who fits your specific needs.
Not All Attorneys and Clients are a Fit
It’s important to remember, not all attorneys and clients are a fit, and that’s ok. What is most important is making sure that personalities are suited well enough to have honest and frank conversations when they are required. Oftentimes, the legal road ahead can belong. This is especially true in family law and personal injury law. Divorces, custody, injuries, personal injuries, and criminal litigation are areas of law that can often have legal timelines that can last over a year. So, follow the tips below and make sure you paired with an attorney who can accomplish the goals of your case. It important to remember, the road ahead will have highs and lows, you and your attorney must have trust and understand for the case to reach the best legal outcome. Have grace and patient with each other.
Reputation
First, it should be no surprise that a lawyer’s legal reputation matters. A lawyer’s reputation is especially true in the legal field. Nevada as a whole has an incredibly small community of attorneys. The reputation an attorney earns will last their entire career. So, the reputation of your attorney often turns into the reputation a judge may perceive of a client. Before you meet with an attorney be sure to read the reviews. Don’t rely on one source to obtain your reviews. One specific site you should check is Avvo. Avvo is different than Google in that it is specifically tailored to attorneys. Avvo is also really useful because of the functionality to lead peer reviews and to discuss matters that opposing attorneys have worked with a prospective attorney on.
Litigation vs. Negotiation
Next, is important to decide whether you believe a settlement may be achieved in your case. So, litigation whether it be family law, criminal law or even personal injury is well-served through aggressive attempts to compromise. However, in many cases, the parties begin in a place that is simply too far apart to exhaust time and resources towards settlement. The above being so, you should spend time in the beginning of negotiations and determine whether the attorney you are retaining has a reputation and willingness to negotiate the case or whether you would rather simply meet with an attorney who has a reputation as a litigator and would rather just take the case directly to trial. For example, at Carlson & Work, our managing partner Rebecca J. Carlson has a very healthy relationship within the family law community and has a firm understanding of which attorneys are willing to accept a call to resolve a family law case. In contrast, our founding partner, Mathew Work has a background as a trial attorney and is often more inclined to simply allow the facts to speak for themselves directly at trial. Ultimately, both approaches are
Free vs. Paid Consultation
Depending on how immediate you need an attorney, you may be able to find an attorney who offers free consultations. However, at Carlson & Work, we are unable to offer a free consultation. In the past, we have found that free consultations simply harm our retained clients and take away from the time that should be dedicated to clients who have invested in our law firm. However, our intakes are incredibly detailed and cover a lot of ground. With that said, there are still numerous family law and criminal law attorneys who still offer free consultations and still do great work for their clients. At Carlson & Work, we are always willing to refer our legal clients to these firms should they need assistance.
