In a perfect world we would not need lawyers. There would be no car accidents, no on the job injuries, and we wouldn’t ever be harmed by the products we buy. As nice as it is to think about, that’s simply not our reality. When something like this happens to you, the sensible thing is to hire a lawyer, but where do you start? With so many firms out there, finding a good lawyer can feel like a roll of the dice.

You may think that finding a specialized law firm is the right way to narrow down your choices. If you are in a car accident, you hire a car accident law firm. If you have a defective product injury, you hire a defective product lawyer, and so on. However, it is not as simple as that. A firm can specialize in a certain niche, but that does not automatically make them the best at what they do.

Often, many larger firms have the most qualified lawyers for what you need. The bigger they are, the more departments they have and that is what the best lawyers gravitate towards. Starting with that assumption there are a few criteria for finding the right lawyer.

Some basics to get you started are finding out what kind of experience the firm has. Look at the percentage of cases they have tried versus how many they have won. The higher the percentage, the better your odds are. Look at what level of winnings the firm brings in for their clients. The more money they claim, the higher the chance you will get what you deserve. In addition, it helps to know how much experience the lawyers have. The firm will often list the collective trial experience of their lawyers. The more years they can boast, the better.

Another thing to help in finding a good lawyer is any publications that have named the specific firm as the best in your category. These ratings are done by unbiased third parties and are very reliable. Then there are the ratings of the lawyers. Less than 40 percent of lawyers receive a C rating, less than 24 percent get a B, and less than 9 percent earn an A rating.

The best firms will also be members of prestigious boards such as the American Board of Trial Advocates. One to specifically look for is the Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys. Less than 5 percent of firms get to be listed there, so if you see it mentioned, you know they stand above 95 percent of the competition. Finding a good lawyer can be tricky process, but if you follow these guidelines, you will end up in good hands. For more information see this.