Are you dealing with a personal injury? If so, the court date for settling for compensation is probably not too far away. You want to make sure you find a lawyer to help defend get the best possible outcome for your compensation claim. What exactly should you be looking for in a personal injury lawyer?

Start with a Local Lawyer

The best thing you can do is find a local personal injury lawyer. The reason why you want to go local is that every area will be a little different in how they deal with personal injury claims. Ask prospective lawyers if they are familiar with the courthouse your case will be held. If they are, then they’ll know the prosecutors, what kind of strategies are used, and what your chances are winning compensation.

Assess the Initial Consultation

Many lawyers will offer a free consultation to give you an idea of what to expect with your case and their services. You want to see that the lawyer knows what he or she is talking about with your personal injury claim. You want to see that the lawyer is providing you with valuable real-world advice rather than making big promises. You also want to know that you’re going to get a lot of personal attention to your case. Remember, lawyers, are going to be working with other clients.

Ask for References

One of the best ways to see if the personal injury lawyer can provide excellent services is to ask for references. You want the lawyer to provide you with contacts to past clients as long as the clients have given permission. You want to get an idea of what the lawyer was able to do for the clients, how much attention they received, and what kind of situation the client was dealing with.

Go Online for Reviews

Another great way to confirm that the lawyer can deliver results is to read their online reviews. You can find usually find reviews on sites like Google and Yelp. There are also many legal sites that lawyers list their practices on. Look through these sites to see if your prospective lawyer has a profile. Go through the client reviews to see if the clients saw good results working with the lawyer.

Look Through the Lawyer’s History

Can you find out what law school the lawyer graduated from? How long has the lawyer been practicing? How many personal injury claims does the lawyer deal with within a given year? Does the lawyer belong to any professional legal organizations? What kind of success rate does the lawyer have when it comes to personal injury claims in general? You want to get a better understanding of the lawyer’s qualifications.

See If the Lawyer Understands Your Claim

Every personal injury situation is different. There are many circumstances in your claim. Talk to the lawyer to see if the lawyer has experience with your kind of situation. If the lawyer says something like, “I haven’t dealt with a claim like that, but I’m sure that you’ll be able to defend yourself in court without any problems,” you want to start talking to other lawyers. If your claim is relatively simple, you don’t need to go out of your way. But if there are special circumstances, you want to hire a lawyer with the right kind of experience.

Compare Legal Fees

Yes, legal fees do matter, and yes, you still want to save money. You want to ask how you are billed and what the rates are for the lawyer’s services. You also want to ask about financing options if you’re not in the best financial situation.

There are the things you want to look for and the questions you want to ask when searching for a lawyer. Following this guide will increase your chances of finding a lawyer for your unique case.