Guides to finding and working with a lawyer
Plain-language guides to choosing a lawyer, checking a license, understanding fees and handling common legal problems. General information, not legal advice.
Finding and hiring a lawyer
A step-by-step way to go from "I think I need a lawyer" to a short list of licensed attorneys who handle your kind of problem.
Every state keeps an official record of its licensed attorneys. Here is how to look a lawyer up, what the status labels mean, and how to find discipline history.
A bar number is the ID a state gives each lawyer it licenses. Here is what it is used for, where to find it, and why some states don't publish it.
What to bring to a first meeting with a lawyer, and the questions that help you compare one lawyer with another.
Legal aid, law school clinics, pro bono programs, bar referral services and court self-help centers: what each offers and who qualifies.
Lawyers are licensed state by state. Here is when an out-of-state lawyer can handle your matter, and when you need someone licensed locally.
Board certification is a voluntary credential for lawyers with substantial experience in one area. Here is how it works and how to check it.
Fees and agreements
The common ways lawyers bill for their work, what each one means for you, and the difference between fees and costs.
What a contingency fee is, typical percentages, how costs are handled, and what to check before you sign a contingency agreement.
A plain-language checklist for reading an engagement letter or fee agreement before you sign it.
Common legal problems
Small claims court handles smaller money disputes with simpler procedures. Here is how it works and when a lawyer may still be worth it.
What to do after an accident, the deadlines that can catch people out, and how personal injury lawyers usually work and get paid.
What family lawyers do, ways to resolve a divorce without a trial, how they charge, and what to prepare before your first meeting.
The basic estate planning documents, when to update them, and when it makes sense to hire a lawyer instead of using a form.
Your right to a lawyer if you are charged with a crime, how public defenders are appointed, and what to know about hiring a private defense lawyer.
Working with your lawyer
From a frank conversation to fee arbitration, a disciplinary complaint, a client protection fund or a malpractice claim: the options and when each fits.
What you tell a lawyer is protected, within limits. Here is what privilege and confidentiality cover, and the common ways people accidentally lose protection.
Where the information on a LawyersIndex profile comes from, what each field means, and how to confirm it with the official state record.