An attorney is meant to be the person that you can turn to when you have legal issues that you cannot easily address. Attorney’s have a bad reputation, and this is due to the number of attorney’s on the market who are in this profession in order to rob an individual of their hard earned money. This is why it is imperative that a senior consider all their options as to who they can choose for their attorney. They will want to choose someone who has their best interest at heart and who is willing to work for the person, no matter what the case. With this being said, there are three aspects that every senior needs to keep in mind before they hire an attorney in order to ensure they make the right decision.

1. Always look at an attorney who specializes in family law.

This is going to ensure that your attorney is going to be able to handle a number of problems that you may encounter. For example, your family attorney should be able to handle your estate issues, any wills or living wills that you want put into writing, and still fight on your behalf should the need arise to sue someone. This attorney is one that is going to be an all around lawyer who deals with just about anything in the area, which is what you want. The beauty of this approach is that if you need a specialized attorney for another area (litigation, estates, criminal), your family lawyer can refer you to someone he or she knows and trusts.

2. Where did the potential attorney go to school?

Why is this important? Most judges are going to respect a lawyer who went to a known, traditional school, rather than a lawyer who obtained their degree from an unknown school or through an online university. Where the person went to school can affect just how they are treated in the community and how well they are received. In addition, if you know where the attorney went to school, you may feel more comfortable in their abilities to represent to the best of their knowledge. Are you dealing with someone who went to a mail order school? Just kidding of course but make no mistake, there are some schools out there that are not very trustworthy. Where you go to school doesn’t tell the whole story of what kind of lawyer you are, however, it is an indicator and a starting point to consider.

3. What is his or her reputation?

The reputation of an attorney is going to be the main reason why you will want to reject or accept an attorney. When an attorney has a bad reputation, chances are there is a reason for this. Whether the reputation is because the person lies and cheats in order to win cases, or is known as a person that is hard to get along with, these are all things that you will want to consider before you decide on an attorney to choose as your own. Remember that when an attorney has a bad reputation, this is going to go into the court room with them. If you ever have to have the attorney fight on your behalf, this can affect just how your case goes. We recommend checking with your local Better Business Bureau and also with your State Bar Association.

There is no avoiding needing an attorney at some point in your life. Through choosing an attorney that is going to fit your needs, you will be happier with the end results than you would if you were to simply go with the first person you find in the phone book. Any attorney that you speak with should allow for a free consultation which is when you can learn about whether they are a fit for you or not.