Should I Interview my Personal Injury Lawyer?
Before you retain a Phoenix personal injury lawyer, it is very important that you learn basic information about them.
This can be done in person, in an interview over the phone and/or through e-mail, before you decide to hire them.
Conduct a thorough interview with the injury lawyer, since you will be working closely with them. The outcome of your personal injury claim will depend on having a solid client-attorney relationship before any litigation actually begins.
What information should be obtained from the interview?
An interview of your lawyer should disclose detailed information in two general areas, 1) information related to the lawyer and 2) information related to your personal injury case. Ideally, you should ask questions about these two areas. Here are some questions to get you started:
Information related to the Injury Lawyer:
Lawyer Background check:
o What law school did the lawyer obtain their degree from and when?
o Are they in good standing with the state bar? (i.e., not disbarred, has not been subject to discipline)
o Do they ever go to court? Do they take cases to trial?
o How long have they been practicing in the field of personal injury?
o Do they have any areas of expertise or special knowledge that might be relevant to your case?
Is he/she a Certified Specialist in the area of law that you need?
Lawyer’s role in their firm:
o Are they a partner or associate?
o Will they be working alone or with another attorney?
o Will you have direct access to him/her during the course of the representation?
Personal views/conflicts of interest:
o Do any attorneys in their firm do insurance defense work?
o Does he/she do any work for insurance companies?
Information related to your Personal injury case:
Success in related cases:
o Has the attorney ever handled a case like yours?
o What is the rate of success for clients in similar cases?
o How many have been won and how many have been settled?
o What is the estimated amount of time that it will take to resolve your case?
Attorney Fees:
o Can they tell you how much the case will cost?
o Will they be working on a contingency fee basis or an hourly rate?
o Do you have to pay anything to get the case started?
Projected outcome of your personal injury case:
o Do they know all the arguments for/against for your case?
o Will it be necessary to file a lawsuit?
o Are there any alternatives to litigation (such as mediation or alternative dispute resolution)?
Be sure to include any questions or concerns that might be relevant to your specific situation.
Are there any other considerations?
Make sure the attorney you are ?interviewing’ has the credentials and is valid to practice personal injury law in Phoenix, Arizona.
Make sure that your Lawyer has communication with you on a regular basis. A Personal Injury Attorney should always remain in contact with you in regards to updates and other circumstances regarding your case. This is a key part of making sure you retain the right attorney for you.
