If you have recently been involved in a car accident, you might have scheduled a consultation to meet with a Bergen County car accident lawyer. In many cases, this is a good idea. Of course, to get the most out of working with an attorney, it's important to hire the right person for the job. Asking a few questions at the consultation will help you determine if you have found an attorney that you want to hire, but you might be unsure of which questions to ask. These are a few examples.
How Long Have You Been in the Business?
Although there are a lot of good attorneys out there who are relatively new to the business, you will probably want to find a Bergen County car accident lawyer who has handled a lot of cases before. You can start out your consultation by asking the attorney how long he or she has been in the business, how many cases he or she has handled in the past and more. This will help you make sure that you are hiring someone who has plenty of experience.
Do You Think You Can Help Me With My Case?
Of course, some car accident cases are a little more complicated than others. You should ask the attorney for his or her honest opinion about your case. Although your lawyer cannot make any guarantees, he or she should be able to give you a better idea of whether or not he or she thinks your case might be successful.
Why Should I Hire You Instead of Another Attorney?
There are a lot of different lawyers out there who you can hire to help you with your case. Ask each attorney that you meet with what he or she can do for you. This can help you determine if you're hiring the right attorney for the job.
Do You Work On a Contingency Basis?
You will probably want to look for an attorney who works on a contingency basis. This simply means that the attorney will take a percentage of your settlement after you are paid. If your attorney does not help you win your case, then he or she will not get paid at all. If you'd like to encourage your attorney to work hard for you, finding an attorney who works on a contingency basis is typically a good idea. Additionally, you may find that it will help to hire an attorney in this way so that you don't have to worry about coming up with cash to pay for legal fees.
What Do You Need Me to Do?
Naturally, you are probably hiring a lawyer so that you can get help with handling most of your case. This does not mean that there aren't ways that you can help, though. Turning in the right documentation, for example, can make a big difference. Additionally, it is important to go to all of the appointments and court dates that are related to your case. Your attorney should tell you more about the things that you can do if you want to help your case.
Of course, you might have your own questions in mind as well. There is nothing wrong with asking questions before and after hiring an attorney to help with your car accident case. Just make sure that you ask the questions above, too. Then, you can help ensure that you are hiring the best possible car accident lawyer for your case.
