Finding a good attorney is an instrumental part of any legal case. The legal representation you choose can greatly impact the outcome of your case, not to mention the stress (or lack thereof) you experience along the way. Because of this, it’s important to know what to look for in an attorney. Aside from their education and experience, the best lawyers are those who possess qualities that make you feel comfortable and confident. Personal injury cases, civil lawsuits, divorces… all of these legal processes can take months, often years, to resolve, which means it’s important to find the right lawyer.
In order to help you get started with the process of choosing a lawyer, here are some skills that the best lawyers should have.
Communication Skills
The attorney you choose should have superb communication skills. Not only should they be able to effectively listen to your concerns and respond in a way that helps you understand complex legal issues, but they should be able to use their communication skills in the courtroom if your case will involve litigation. This includes being able to argue convincingly, speak properly and clearly, and speak confidently. Having an attorney who speaks as though they are unsure of themselves will not convince the jury or judge of your claims.
Analytic Skills
Law is not an easy thing to comprehend, and legal issues are so rarely black and white. Practicing law requires the ability to evaluate situations and decide what choice is the most suitable. Oftentimes, there could be more than one reasonable conclusion or path to take. A lawyer must be able to make these choices wisely.
Judgement Skills
Lawyers can sometimes be given very little information to work with, yet they are required to make important decisions on your behalf. In these instances, they must be able to draw reasonable and logical conclusions with the limited information they have. Additionally, they must always be anticipating the opposing party’s next move and any potential weaknesses in either argument. This requires an attorney to make a lot of important decisions without a lot of time for consideration.
Problem-Solving Skills
Lawyers must be able to solve problems in a logical way, but they should also show creative problem-solving skills. In legal cases, the best solution is not always the most obvious. Because of this, lawyers should possess the ability to think outside the legal box, so to speak.
Choosing an attorney is not something that should be rushed. When you go to find an attorney, it’s important to remember that while there are a lot of lawyers in the world, there are also a lot of legal cases, each of which is unique. These cases can be personal injury, negligence, workers’ comp, or car accident cases. In fact, there were more than 30,000 fatal car accidents in 2014 alone. Even just from car accidents, there is a large number of differences between cases. It’s important to remember that no case is the same and that you should look into the best lawyers for your individual case.