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Hiring a Patent Lawyer

Posted on 02 Jun 2011 by admin | Filled under: patents

Many of us have seen the commercials on TV. Different law firms offering to help you make rich when you slipped in a store. Or maybe you were injured while at work. Just look in the phone book under attorneys and you will see a wide selection of ads touting lawyers of each kind ranging from personal injury, divorce, DUI, etc. But can you be sure if they are high quality? Just utilize this list to help you narrow down the potentials.

1) Does your attorney's expertise suit your particular problem? You wouldn't go to auto mechanic if you had to have your refrigerator fixed. It's the same thing with lawyers. Make sure your lawyer specializes in your particular legal need. An example is, divorce law, criminal law, personal injury, etc.

2) How much would they charge you? This has to be negotiated before they are doing any work for you. Attorneys generally get retainer agreements before any work is carried out. It is suggested that you will get written statements explaining the costs for service and how often you will be charged. In addition you need to find out if there are any upfront costs. Finally if they are billing you on an hourly basis we suggest you request monthly billing statements.

3) Be truthful with your attorney. You could be tempted to lie to your attorney because you may be in the wrong with what happened. That would be a mistake you should tell your attorney everything so that they can give you a fair estimate of how the case will play out. Also he/she needs to know everything so that they can properly prepare for the case. Finally whether you hire the attorney or not you've what is called attorney-client privilege. This suggests that anything you tell them is confidential.

4) Is the attorney saying something that is simply too good to be true? If that's the case, it most likely is. While most attorneys are honest, moral individuals, not every one of them are. Some greedy lawyers will tell a client whatever they want to hear just to get the case. If an attorney is guaranteeing you an outcome or telling you not to worry about how much it will cost, you should be concerned.

5) Inform yourself. Now we're not saying you need to get a quickie degree in law but you need too arm yourself with the right knowledge.

For starters you should take the time to learn about your prospective lawyer. Asking the following questions should help:

Have you ever been disciplined by the state bar? If they answer yes you should look elsewhere.
How many years have you been in practice? The period of time in practice is not a guarantee one way or the other but this answer when added to the other answers should give you the bigger picture.
Do you have any client testimonials? Normally an attorney should be able to give you a few names and numbers of previous customers who were satisfied that you can contact. If not, you may end up less then satisfied yourself.