Choosing the right attorney for your next case can be a tricky endeavor, particularly if you need to hire local counsel. A local attorney is well-versed in their local courthouse, has relationships with the judges and other attorneys, and knows the routines inside and out. You often need this degree of experience and expertise to help round out your case. The trick is finding someone who is going to work well with you for a reasonable fee.
What should you look for when hiring a local counsel provider? Here are just a few of the top things that you should keep an eye out for.
You want to ensure that the attorney you hire has plenty of experience working with the local court system. For most cases, this means that you will want them to have at least two to three years of experience handling cases. If you are extremely lucky, you could find local counsel that has been entrenched in the local court system for more than a decade.
The more experience that a local counsel attorney has, the better it will be for you in the end. This means that they have built up good relationships and rapport with the judges, other attorneys, and even the courthouse staff. They know what paperwork to file and when to file it in order to make the most impact for your case. Experience is perhaps the most important thing to look for when hiring local counsel, so don’t underestimate what a few years can truly mean for you.
Are you working on a major case that requires most of your time with research, writing arguments, interviewing clients, and more? One of the best things about hiring a local counsel service is that you can delegate some of your more mundane tasks to this secondary attorney. While you do have to keep them in the loop and build a relationship with them, a local counsel attorney can handle filing your paperwork at the courthouse and take care of smaller matters.
You do not want to pay an arm and a leg for an attorney that isn’t going to be presenting the majority of the case. Ask around to find local counsel that is experienced but still offersreasonable billing. You should be able to pay them a reduced rate to file the paperwork and show up for court appearances, allowing you to pass those savings along to your client. However, you still have to ensure that you are receiving a good value for the money that you are spending.
When it comes to hiring local counsel, you want to make sure that you know what you are really getting. Look for some of these attributes to help you find the perfect attorney to work with you and your client. When you need experienced attorneys for local counsel, Attorneys on Demand is here to help. We can match you with an excellent attorney that meets all of your needs in no time at all!