Craig sat in his lawyer’s office, feeling hopeless. He lost the lawsuit they’d been fighting for weeks. Now he was going to have to pay up, even though he wasn’t any better off than when he started the case.
“Why did I hire you again?” Craig asked, exasperatedly as he threw his hands up in the air. He felt angry and betrayed by this man who promised him victory at first.
Don’t wind up like Craig. If you’re getting ready to hire a class action lawyer, you owe it to yourself to find one with the right experience and demeanor.
Read on to learn exactly what to look for when hiring a class action attorney.
Quality Referrals and Reviews
First, it’s always a good idea to reach out to family and friends for a lawyer referral. If you know someone who’s already filed a class-action lawsuit, they should be the first person to go to for a referral. However, be willing to accept the names of lawyers, even if they didn’t specifically help your friend or family member win a group case.
Lawyers are a tight-knit group of individuals, and they’re always networking. If the attorney that your friend refers you to doesn’t handle class action lawsuits, they probably know somebody who does. When you can get a direct lawyer to lawyer referral, the chances of working with a credible law firm go up.
Solid Credibility and Experience
What does credibility mean when it comes to class action attorneys? In short, it means that the lawyers have a lot of experience handling class action cases.
Class action lawsuits involve a large group of people suing a corporation or wealthy individual. The case will be over some sort of fraud, misconduct, or negligence. That’s why hiring a lawyer who specializes in these sorts of cases is so important.
Another thing to keep in mind is that while many attorneys may advertise themselves as “class action” attorneys; very few are. You should also research any attorney who happens to be running ads for filing open class actions. If there are still a lot of cases out there, it doesn’t mean they’re a great attorney, just that they advertise more.
Want to verify an attorney’s license? It’s easy to quickly search for a lawyer’s license, to fully verify them, online.
Lookup Class Action Lawyer in Yellow Pages
Another way of finding a class action attorney is to use your phone book’s yellow pages. It’s not as technologically advanced these days as the search engines we’re all used to on the internet. However, if you go through your local YP and look for attorneys who list “class action” in their specialties – you should be able to get started with some basic research.
If you live in an area without a YP directory, try using Google or Yahoo. Although, this works better if you have some basic knowledge about what type of class actions may be common in your area. For the best results, try searching keywords like, “class action lawyer near me” or “class action attorney near me”.
Strong Online Presence
After finding an attorney that handles class action lawsuits, whether online or using the yellow pages, it’s time to check out their website. A reputable law firm will have an up-to-date website that’s user-friendly.
A user-friendly website means that the page loads quickly, and the information you need is easy to find. Notice how quickly the text and graphics load for reliable sites like Financialjusticenow.com.
If a law firm’s website appears outdated, take your business elsewhere. Hold out for a law firm that cares about updating its website to make itself more accessible to new customers. It’s also a good sign if the law firm has active social media accounts.
Approachable Demeanor and Personality
Oftentimes, class action attorneys are willing to provide free consultations during your initial visit. The consultation is an opportunity for the attorney to assess the details of your claim, and to decide whether or not you have a class action lawsuit.
However, consultations are a two-way street. It’s also an opportunity for you to assess the attorney’s personality and demeanor. If the attorney is difficult to communicate with or seems irritated by your presence, it’ll be difficult working with them throughout the case. For the best results, you’ll want to hold out for an attorney that makes you feel welcome and heard.
Workable Payment Arrangements
After finding an attorney with the right demeanor and experience, it’s time to talk about money. Keep in mind that filing a class action lawsuit doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be lining up to get a large settlement award. Sometimes, splitting the award between multiple plaintiffs means that each payment on the amount is significantly lower.
The good news is that sometimes class action attorneys are willing to work on a contingency fee structure. A contingency payment plan means that the attorney is only going to collect payment if you win your case.
If the case is successful, the lawyer will then collect an agreed-upon percentage of the settlement award. If the case isn’t successful, the plaintiffs won’t be on the hook for overwhelming legal fees. However, it’s worth noting that each contingency payment plan varies slightly from one to the next.
Make sure you get all of the details about the fee structure you’re agreeing to, before signing anything. Even if you lose your case, you might still wind up having to pay nominal legal fees, such as filing costs and so on.
Find the Right Attorney
Hiring a class action lawyer who can help you win your case is possible. However, as with anything, it’s important to do your research first.
Now is the time to talk to friends and family members who may know of lawyers in your area or even search online for reviews. The more information you can gather now will help ensure success later on during this process.
Also, don’t forget to ask about what a payment plan would look like – no one wants to be surprised by unexpected fees! For more tips like these, explore the rest of our site.