A lawyer really has to wear many hats. Law schools can teach lawyers many technical things, but they are not going to teach them everything that they need to know to be a truly effective and efficient lawyer. And, when you put your hands in a lawyer you have to trust them to the fullest. In some cases, you are placing your financial future in their hands so you need to make sure they have your best interest in mind. Whether you are hiring a divorce attorney or a personal injury lawyer, you want to make sure that he or she has the following five qualities.
Listening Skills
First and foremost a good lawyer will have excellent listening skills. Your lawyer will have to listen to the entirety of your case and evaluate what type of situation that you are facing. Without the right listening skills, your lawyer could potentially miss pertinent information. If your lawyer doesn’t understand what you are saying and looking at the case from all angles it is possible that they could end up misrepresenting you. So, how do you know if your lawyer has good listening skills? During the meeting, he or she should engage in the conversation, ask questions, and possibly even record the meeting.
Speaking Skills
Any lawyer must be able to speak clearly and concisely. Your lawyer must be good in front of a large group of people. Not only will your lawyer need excellent speaking skills, but he or she must be able to use the correct terminology in the right context. All of this will be discovered when you meet with your lawyer. Pay close attention to how he or she speaks and if they are making constant eye contact.
Research And Investigating Skills
Most cases aren’t just as simple as listening to a client’s story and presenting those details in court. For example, if you are a business owner in California, you may not know that there are several tax agencies where you need to report and that each handles a different area of taxes: one for sales tax, one for payroll tax, and one for income tax. However, an experienced EDD attorney in Orange County, CA will save you lots of time in research and investigation and will be able to guide you on the right path and also save you the risk of any tax penalties. Your lawyer must know where to go to and who to talk to in order to procure more evidence and statics for your case. This will take time to discover. You will have to set up a weekly meeting with your lawyer and see the information that he or she has procured.
Responsiveness
Unfortunately, this is not a skill that every lawyer possesses. And, if your lawyer doesn’t possess this skill you are going to be at a huge disadvantage. Your lawyer needs to always be on his or her toes and quickly respond to actions that needed tending to. Putting off conversations or being hard to reach could cost you your case. Make sure that your lawyer quickly responds to your calls or concerns and doesn’t procrastinate.
Outside The Box Thinking
A good lawyer must be able to look at facts and analyze them from different points of view. For instance, your lawyer must know how the opposing attorney or the judge is going to react to certain facts. Will this fact cause the other lawyer to produce a better point of proof or connect with the jurors more effectively? Ask your lawyer how certain facts of statements will look in the eyes of the judges or jurors.
