Find the right lawyer for you

The last few articles I’ve written have been time sensitive to upcoming events, holidays or current issues (New Year perspective, domestic violence, prenuptials, spring break, et cetera). Now I have the luxury of starting from the beginning of a legal action.

The first step is to find the right lawyer for you. Most people still find their lawyer by word of mouth. Your friends and family can be a great referral source, but remember, the outcome of a similar legal action for one person may not be the outcome for another. Cases are fact dependent and each little fact can influence the outcome.

The Idaho State Bar (208-334-4500) can also provide you with names of several local attorneys who handle your type of case. Not every lawyer works in every field of law, so it is a good idea to know what area of law you need; For example, family law generally encompasses divorce, modifications, child custody, child support, division of property/retirement, business issues, paternity, grandparent rights, guardianships and conservatorships, et cetera.

When you call the attorney’s office to determine whether or not the attorney handles your area of law and is taking on new clients, you should provide not only your name but the name of the other potential party to ensure there is not a conflict of interest. Attorneys are required to have some system in place to avoid such but we need to know the names of persons we may be dealing with first.

Then make an appointment to meet with the attorney for an initial consultation. Some law offices may provide you with a reduced rate for the initial consultation so find out before you go. Also find out how long the initial consultation will be scheduled for, as this will tell you if it’s simply a “meet and greet” for a few minutes or if it’s longer so that you’ll actually get some answers and direction from the attorney.

Occasionally my office gets a caller who says they only have one or two questions they want to ask over the phone. Unfortunately to do so would be a great disservice to the caller, as the law is full of general rules with complicated exceptions. A lawyer needs to know more detailed information from the person to provide competent legal advice. Inevitably any conversation leads to more questions by both the person seeking advice and from the lawyer who is trying to provide the best assistance.

For these reasons our office uses hour long initial consultations to adequately gather information from you about the situation, educate you about your legal rights and discuss what options are available given the facts. Options vary and can range greatly depending on the situation.

We believe it’s best to review all options available to you so that you can make an informed decision on what to do. We can then discuss with you how to go about achieving your goals. In my next article, I’ll review what to prepare for and what to expect during the initial consultation.

Merrilee has been serving the needs of families, individuals and business owners in the North Idaho area since 1997 and would be happy to consult with you. Call Merrilee Parr Attorney at Law, at (208) 667-1227 to schedule an initial consultation.