At a time when you are faced with serious legal or medical problems, you need to make a good, informed decision about who will represent you. When choosing a lawyer for your case, you need to feel totally comfortable when talking to that lawyer. You should feel confident in his or her abilities.

         Some people like to represent themselves. You certainly have the right to be your own lawyer. But remember that you will have to dedicate 100% of your time into studying your case, and all of the laws and procedures relevant to it. You should weigh the risks and benefits of representing yourself versus hiring a lawyer.

         People often believe that simply any lawyer could handle any case. This is misleading. No lawyer is skilled in every area of the law. You should ask what area your prospective lawyer specializes in.  Observe if the lawyer is willing to cooperate with you.

         The most important questions you need to ask your prospective lawyer when going through the selection process are:

• What amount of experience does he have in the area of your legal need?
• Will he handle the case, or an associate of his? If an associate will handle the case, ask to be introduced with him.
• Ask the lawyer if he has handled similar cases in the past.
• Tell him to provide references from previous cases. Call these clients to learn of their experience with the lawyer.

         Your local yellow pages are a good place to look for a lawyer. You will find loads of names and phone numbers to kick-start your search.