How to pick an Attorney

Question

I'm at the point to find an attorney to go forward with my business.  I plan to meet with a few very local ones today before I check the bigger city (Tampa, FL).  I have a small list of questions I've come up with but does anyone have any must ask questions?  Any tips for picking the right attorney?

Chris Kennedy · Answer

I have a few criteria for finding a good attorney:

1. As mentioned above by @Joel Owens he/she should be a specialist, not a generalist

2. I prefer older attorneys who have been active in the local area for many years,15-20 is ideal. If they go to court on a regular basis as part of their specialty (evictions attorneys for example), they should know the local judges and be able to give you insight on the likelihood of one outcome or another based on a judge's past decisions.

3. I usually look for small firms, with no more than 3 attorneys. That way you almost always work direct with your attorney. In most of the large firms your work will be delegated to a new associate, and you do not get the experience you're paying for. You will also likely take a back seat to bigger clients.

4. If you are starting out and have nobody to refer you to an attorney then use google to search local. Call at least 10 attorneys and see who gets back to you fastest (or at all) and who takes the time to speak with you.

5. Be prepared to pay a higher price for a more experienced attorney. It is usually worth it.

Good luck!

Collin Goodwin · Answer

@Chris Kennedy, great advice. I just went through this recently......I called 2 of the larger firms in my area, one got back to me initially so I decided to meet with them and hire them for a contract review... 3 months later, I received the product. There were some questions I had pertaining to their work (which did not come from the attorney I originally met with) and never heard a response. A bill showed up in my inbox a month later.

I am going to reach out to some smaller firms.

Peter Sanchez · Answer

I agree with @Joel Owens

and @Chris Kennedy

said, I can't emphasize enough how important a specialist is.  Don't hire someone who does "a little bit of everything."

Something you can also do is look for CLE classes for attorneys (they have to take a few of these periodically to keep their license current). I'm not saying to take the class, but look at who is teaching it.  If the person is teaching other attorneys on their subject (like Real Estate) then they are regarded by other attorneys who practice real estate law as someone who really knows what they are doing.

Joel Owens · Answer

Make sure the attorney SPECIALIZES in the area of practice you want.

For example you wouldn't want a residential attorney helping you with commercial real estate.

You would look for an attorney where commercial real estate makes up their core business. If an attorney is a generalist ( does a little bit of everything ) they tend to make mistakes.

Account Closed · Answer

i would reccommend contacting the department of real estate and get a referral, you must be careful to follow all laws as some types of investing require you to be licensed.

Ned Carey · Answer

I think the best way to find a good attorney is networking. Ask other investors who they use. Good attorneys are not hard to find (but there are plenty of bad ones).

I agree with the others. I use several attorneys depending on what I need to have done. I rotate among about 4 title companies, have a generalist, a tenant and collections guy, a bulldog litigator and a tax foreclosure guy.

Attorneys do not have to be expensive. My guess is that the firm @Collin Goodwin used charged him a lot for bad service. I am amazed at how little one of my attorney charges us for some stuff. My main attorney does all kinds of stuff for me just as part of our relationship. We regularly talk on the phone for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. I never get billed for those calls.  I bring him upwards of $100K in business.

If you hire a firm with fancy offices and a big name you will pay more but not necessarily get more. And yes they will absolutely bill you for those 30 min phone calls.

The attorney that will likely cost the most is the litigator. Going to court is expensive.

Adrian Smude · Answer

Thank you all for the advice!  I will call around today.  Love the ideas.

How to pick an Attorney

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