If you’ve never had to work with a lawyer before but you suddenly find yourself in a situation when you’re needing legal representation, knowing what to do and how to handle yourself can be overwhelming. Luckily, there are some things that you can do when interacting with your lawyer that can help you through this process.

To help you with this, here are three tips for working with a lawyer for the first time. 

Choose Someone With The Experience You Need

Part of having a good working relationship with your lawyer is choosing the right lawyer for the get-go. Ideally, when you’re needing to hire a lawyer for something, you should choose a lawyer that has direct experience with the exact type of experience you’re having. While someone who’s a divorce lawyer will likely have more knowledge about legal proceedings in general than you do, they might not be who you want to call when you’re needing help with judgment collections and appeals. So even if you know a lawyer personally, if they don’t have experience with the type of law you’re needing, it’s going to be best to hire someone else.

To help you determine this, you can do an attorney search on your state bar website to see what kind of law a lawyer practices and how many cases like yours they’ve dealt with. For example, if you need a gun rights lawyer, you’ll want to choose someone who has a proven track record in that specific area. It’s also a great idea to check out testimonials and online reviews to gauge how other clients have felt about their experiences. These insights can provide a comforting level of transparency and reassurance that you’re making the right choice. Remember, a lawyer’s willingness to answer your questions and explain the legal processes involved can also be a good indicator of their commitment and compatibility with you. 

Take Advantage Of The Initial Consultation

Once you’ve narrowed it down to a lawyer or two that you could potentially hire for your legal issues, you should then schedule an initial consultation with them to see who’s going to be the best fit. In many cases, these consultations are free, but make sure you double check before you go into the meeting.

At the consultation, make sure you come with a list of questions that you have both about the lawyer themselves and about the way that they’d handle your case. With their answers to these questions, you should be able to see who you click with the most, who you feel that you can trust with your case, and who’s going to be able to handle the work you’re bringing to the table. 

Help Them By Taking Quick Action

When you’re in the process of working with your lawyer, it’s vital that you trust them with your case and take their legal advice into consideration when making decisions. However, this can leave you feeling like you’re not doing anything. But there is something that you can do to help move your case along, and that’s taking quick action when they ask you for something or to do something. 

If there are papers that they need you to sign, make sure you do so quickly. If they need more information or documentation from you, do your best to get this quickly so that they can work on your case and give you the best possible outcome. 

If you’re worried about working with a lawyer for the first time, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you hire the right person and work with them seamlessly.