Finding a good attorney can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. To start, you should delineate your precise legal needs.

Ask friends, family and colleagues for recommendations. Then make sure you secure lawyer referrals that specialize in the area of law you need help with. After securing several candidate names, interview them.

1. Reputation

The reputation of an attorney is a big deal, just like any other business or service provider. Normally, the best way to find a good attorney is by getting personal referrals from friends and family members who have used them in the past. However, in the absence of that option, it is also possible to use online resources such as Avvo and other Q&A forums that specialize in legal matters to get feedback from current clients.

It is important to look at both the positive and negative reviews of an attorney. While some one-star reviews are to be expected, if an attorney has a plethora of poor reviews, it is probably not a good idea to work with them. It is also important to consider how the attorney communicates with their clients. If an attorney is not clear and concise in their communication, it can be very difficult to understand their advice.

Ultimately, the most important factor when choosing an attorney is finding one that you feel comfortable working with. After all, they will be handling some of the most sensitive issues in your life and it is imperative that you have a strong rapport with them.

Many attorneys will have a page on their website that lists their accolades and awards, as well as a list of their past cases and successes. It is also a good idea to Google the attorneys on your shortlist to learn more about their experience and knowledge of the specific type of law you need help with. Additionally, you should ask each attorney about their success rate and what they can reasonably expect from your case. If they cannot give you a specific answer, it may be time to move on to another candidate.

2. Experience

The experience of a good attorney is an important factor to consider. You will want an attorney with significant experience in your type of case. This is important because it will increase the likelihood that they can resolve your case successfully. The amount of experience an attorney has will be determined by their years of service, the number of cases they have handled and the specific area of law that they practice.

You can also find out about the experience of an attorney by looking at their website. Most attorneys will have a section on their site dedicated to explaining their experience and will provide information about their education and work history. This information will help you to screen out any attorneys that do not have sufficient experience.

3. Fees

When selecting an attorney, it’s important to understand how much the attorney will charge for his or her services. Some attorneys charge by the hour, while others may charge a flat fee for certain services, such as drafting a will. Still, other attorneys may charge a contingent fee, which is a percentage of any settlement or award that the attorney receives on behalf of his or her client. Some attorneys may also ask for a financial deposit, called a retainer, that is deducted throughout the course of proceedings.

When choosing an attorney, make sure to get referrals and review online resources for information about attorneys and their areas of expertise. Once you have compiled a list of suitable candidates, schedule an interview with each. This is a great opportunity for you to discuss your case and ask questions about the lawyer’s experience, knowledge, and expertise. In addition, this is a good time to see how comfortable you feel with the lawyer and determine whether or not he or she is a good fit for your needs.

In addition, if the attorney’s fee will be significant, ask about a monthly payment arrangement. This will allow you to spread out the expense, and will likely be more affordable for most people. Also, ask if the attorney will charge interest on any outstanding balance. This varies from attorney to attorney, but many will not add any interest to the outstanding balance as long as you continue to pay your monthly fees. This will help you avoid incurring unnecessary charges and will give the attorney an incentive to keep up his or her end of the bargain by continuing to work on your case.

4. Personality

Although a great deal of lawyering is cerebral, there is also considerable emphasis on building relationships with clients and colleagues. Consequently, human relations skills are critical for lawyers to be effective in their roles. When standardized personality tests like the popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) sort people into 16 different personality “types”, practicing attorneys cluster into five of them. One of those types, dubbed INTJ in the MBTI system, reportedly occurs in lawyers at a rate five times greater than it does in the general population. Dedicated attorneys in all areas of the law tend to be well-aligned with this temperament, which is characterized by internal values such as loyalty and unity.

5. Compassion

Compassion is recognized as important across many sectors of society and interest in compassion has increased substantially. However, there is lack of consensus on definition and few self/observer-rated measures exist. This study aims to consolidate existing definitions of compassion and review the psychometric properties of current measures. Five elements of compassion are proposed: recognising suffering; feeling empathy for the person in pain and connecting with their distress (emotional resonance); tolerance of uncomfortable feelings aroused in response to others’ suffering so as to remain open to and accepting of them; and motivation to act to alleviate others’ suffering.

Compassion, as defined in the present study, differs from other related constructs such as kindness, pity and altruism. While there are overlapping features, compassion is different from sympathy. For example, empathy is a necessary component of compassion, but if it is taken to an extreme it can lead to harmful effects. Compassion also differs from narcissism and selfishness. For example, while a narcissist may feel the need to show that they are caring for others, they are unlikely to go out of their way to do so.

The etymology of the word compassion reflects these distinctions. The Latin root compati means to suffer with, and while compassion is often associated with positive emotions such as warmth and happiness, it can also be associated with negative emotions such as anger, resentment and jealousy. The key difference between compassion and other related constructs is the intention to help others in their time of need. This is reflected in the core tenet of Buddhist philosophy that is “an openness to another’s suffering with the intention to relieve it”. A broader interpretation of compassion would therefore include a willingness to help those who are causing or experiencing suffering, even if they do not share the same beliefs as the benefactor.