Dennis Beaver: Jewish World Review
"If you're looking to retain an attorney, you might have heard: "Check their state bar's website profile, because it will reveal anything negative."
"That is bad advice.
"While it's useful to look at a lawyer's profile to confirm that they're licensed to practice law, if there are complaints filed by dozens of clients over several years, you might never see them. Besides that, the absence of bad stuff on their profile is no assurance that you are dealing with an ethical attorney.
"Please take a moment and read my article Why a Law Firm Secretly Recording Client Conversations Is Wrong (and Illegal), written last year, and ask yourself, "Would I hire this attorney?". . .
1. Begin your search with Google, typing into the search bar: (name of attorney) and then add each of these search terms (do the search for each term separately)" . . .
2. Next, read Yelp comments, beginning with the one- and two-star reviews. While the four- and five-star comments will be interesting, even though it is illegal to falsify glowing praise, some lawyers are just like Jim Carey's character in the film Liar, Liar. Red flags to watch for include comments such as: . . .
3. Check local court records to see what might not be covered in reviews. Has the lawyer been sued for malpractice? What was alleged? Was there a settlement? How much?
"Has the attorney been sued often for stupid things, like not paying the rent or the company that repairs office equipment or even paying employees their wages? People are consistent, and you don't need that craziness." . . .
4. Ask around. "If you have a court case and know someone who works in your local sheriff's department, ask if they know a court bailiff who would be able to share their assessment of the lawyer." . . .
5. Once you get to the interview phase, watch for more red flags. "If the lawyer says, "I can guarantee we will win," run the other way. It is illegal for a lawyer to guarantee a result.
"If you can't get a reasonable answer to, "How much will you be charging me?" find someone who became a lawyer to help clients rather than think only of their bank balance."
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