Helpful Hints In Hiring an attorney Here are a few helpful hints to keep in mind when hiring an attorney. 1. Choose an attorney who actually specializes in legal matters such as yours, there is no point using an attorney that does not know all of the particular intricacies of your legal matter to dabble or experiment with your life or business. 2. Do not be afraid to negotiate legal fees. There are no "minimum" fees and they are purely a matter of agreement. 3. Make sure all of your concerns, goals and requirements are set out in the legal retainer fee agreement. 4. Discuss the your goals with your attorney. Have your attorney explain their plan that will achieve your goals. Make sure you understand their approach and make sure you agree with it. 5. Make sure you get copies of all legal materials and documents. 6. Make sure you understand who is covering what costs and make sure your attorney gets permission for high dollar items before you incur the expense. 7. Make sure you have a schedule or preset time intervals for your attorney to provide you with progress reports and updates of your legal matters. 8. Make sure you have all your attorneys contact information (telephone, cell phone, fax, email, pager, etc.) Many attorneys have a tendency not to communicate with their clients as well as they should. 9. Always try to hire a law firm with more than one attorney that specializes in your legal matter and can handle your legal matters in case your attorney is not able to complete your legal work. 10. Make sure you know the names of your attorneys secretaries, assistants and paralegals in case an emergency comes up and you need to speak with someone who is familiar enough with your legal matter to try to find someone who can help you. 11. When involved in potential litigation do not be afraid to ask your attorney their opinion of the chances of success or failure. 12. When involved in potential litigation always ask your attorney what the best case and worst case scenarios are so you understand the scope of the litigation. 13. When involved in potential litigation always ask your attorney if you have the option of using alternative dispute resolution such as arbitration or mediation instead of litigation. It could be much less costly. In most cases if all parties agree it may be possible.