Top 9 Qualities Your Lawyer Needs to Have

A lawyer can help you get out of difficult situations, guide, and advise you, as well as direct and assist you with new investments and business decisions, real estate planning, or even family matters. If you are looking for a lawyer make sure to check out professional legal services like Chris Hudson Law.

Choosing the right lawyer for you, however, can be a rather frustrating process given the fact that there are so many lawyers out there. How would you know if they can handle situations while ensuring your best interests at all times? How would you trust them with all your confidential information and trust this person with your will and your family’s future? 

Here are 9 qualities that would make things easier for you when headhunting an attorney.

1. Area of Expertise 

You need to make sure the lawyer you hire is an expert in the field of law you require assistance in. The legal field is filled with a variety of practice areas, if you would like to get some legal advice in regards to your divorce, financial situation, getting involved with assault charges, or in case you were in an accident and suffered an injury, you will have to hire a different lawyer for each of these specific cases.

Some lawyers can help in more than one area of practice, but only to a limited extent, so it depends on your situation. 

2. Good with People 

Hire a lawyer that has a sense of professionalism and shows responsibility towards his/her relationship with other people, whether they’re clients, other lawyers, judges, or other legal workers.

If you’re hiring an estate planning lawyer to help planning your estate as well as for handling your trust, will, health, and financial decisions in the event of your passing, then you need to make sure they are firm, confident, and a little aggressive when needed.

This lawyer will be handling your family and the distribution of your wealth, the future of your business and assets. So they need to be able to calm people down, showing respect, are polite, and empathetic, which are vital characteristics for a good lawyer. 

3. Negotiation Skills 

Make sure your lawyer has the energy and tolerance to get into debates and never give up. This is one of the most important qualities a lawyer can have, the ability to debate in front of the audience, people, judges, and other law workers, persuade and convince them of his/her point of view is the basics of being a good lawyer.

Make sure the lawyer you hire has excellent negotiation skills because they are supposed to get you what you deserve out of tough situations and while making important deals. 

4. An Eye for Details 

You don’t want to hire a lawyer that could make mistakes and end up forcing you to sue them for malpractice and getting you in trouble, right? That’s exactly why you need to hire a lawyer who is detail-oriented because one wrong word can change the entire course of a contract or your legal situation.

Lawyers are supposed to be able to stay focused and have a great memory so they can back you and themselves up during difficult situations. 

5. Research and Analytical Skills 

Research in law means digging up old cases and studying tons of material, information, facts, and charts to evaluate situations and get you the results you expect. In cases where lawyers are needed for advice or guidance, their analytical skills will be needed to find the most suitable solution for your case without consuming time or forcing you to take unnecessary risks. 

In order for a lawyer to make sure that the odds are in your favor, they need to be excellent researchers and great investigators. 

6. Time Management 

The core of a lawyers’ work ethics is to be able to prioritize their work, follow up, and stay up to date with clients, and their situations. If your lawyers can’t manage their own time, then they will not be able to meet your expectations when you most need them.

Lawyers have plenty of workloads and face real stress on a daily basis, but a good lawyer is one that can handle these situations smoothly and peacefully without neglecting or forgetting any details. 

7. A Good Listener 

A good lawyer is someone that you can talk to without feeling frustrated or unheard. Attorneys are usually needed in tough and difficult situations where you feel distressed, disoriented, and can barely think for yourself.

Your lawyer must listen to everything you have to say about a situation, your emotional feelings towards it, and your logical analysis of it so he can tailor a solution that fits your needs and makes you comfortable. 

8. Creative 

The ability to hustle and maneuver their way out of situations is perhaps key to an outstanding lawyer.

Besides the ability to logically analyze situations, a good lawyer needs to be flexible and open to a wide range of possibilities. You need a lawyer that is persistent and doesn’t take no for an answer then make sure you get one that can come up with plenty of backup plans and options in case things don’t go your way. 

9. Judgmental 

You need a lawyer that can come up with solutions on the spot and at the same time have the ability to make their case even stronger by finding weaknesses and flaws in your opponent’s situation. You need a lawyer that can easily make possible conclusions from the little information they receive. 

Many law firms offer free consultation services. You can try and send out questions to as many firms as you want until you find the most suitable one for your needs. It’s important to pick a lawyer that you can easily communicate with as well as understand and feel comfortable around.

Remember, a lawyer is like a psychiatrist, if you don’t pick one carefully, you can end up in really unpleasant situations that cause more harm than good.

You can also look for law firms that are AV preeminent certified, it’s one among many other certificates that lawyers acquire. It reviews and evaluates your lawyer’s ethical and moral standards as well as their legal ability. That could narrow the options down for you if you’re still confused. Just make sure you make this decision wisely. Remember the mentioned qualities when you hire someone to represent you.