Joel Williams

BY JOEL WILLIAMS

Finding the best lawyer for your legal needs is not always easy. Lawyers tend to specialize in specific areas of the law. These areas include personal injury, family and divorce, property, criminal, mergers and acquisitions, workers compensation, premises liability and elections. The list goes on.

The first step you must take, when searching for a lawyer, is to identify the area of the law that you need legal expertise. For example, if you are injured in an automobile accident, you will need to find a lawyer that specializes in injury and insurance law. If you are charged with a crime, you need a lawyer that specializes in criminal defense. When starting a business, you may need a lawyer that specializes in corporate law, taxes or regulations specific to your industry.

Once you know what kind of lawyer you require, you will need to search for one that can serve your specific needs. Online searches are a good place to start. Most law firms have websites that list their areas of practice. Take your time researching. Read customer reviews, and look up the lawyer’s social media accounts. Always check the State Bar of Georgia website to make sure the lawyer has not been disciplined for unethical behavior.

After narrowing down your list, start making calls to the lawyers’ offices. Find out how much they charge, and begin setting up inperson, Zoom, or phone consultations with your top picks.

Once you have initial meeting dates set with at least three law firms, make a list of questions to ask. For example, you may want to know: • How many cases do you handle at one time? • How long will it take to handle my legal needs? • How long does it take you to return phone calls, emails or text messages? • Can you tell me what to expect during each step of the legal process? • How many times have you handled issues like mine?

After the initial interviews, you can decide which lawyer is the best fit for you. If you are having a difficult time finding a lawyer in Cobb County, you can call the Cobb County Bar Association Referral Service. For a small fee, the referral service can help you find a local lawyer that is competent to handle your legal issue. For more information, visit https://cobbcountybar.org/page/ LawyerReferralServ.

Joel Williams is a partner at Williams|Elleby, a Kennesaw based personal injury law firm. www.gatrialattorney.com.