Legal services are like any other product and a wise consumer will thoroughly research their options. Instead of receiving a uniformly similar product, each lawyer will have various ethical standards and it is one of the many factors to consider. It will take time to regard each candidate for your legal matters and it can be tough choosing a lawyer in the end. At Ramos Law, we welcome you to contact us at one of our local offices throughout Colorado for a free detailed consultation with an attorney. Do your due diligence before settling on an informed decision that will decide the outcome of your case.
“… to take good care of good people.” – Dr. Ramos
Consult Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
To assist with your research for candidates, Martindale-Hubbell is a primary legal resource with information about law firms and its lawyers. It can be found at Martindale.com and at your local public and law libraries. The directory offers solutions for both consumers and professionals who often use it themselves to recruit legal talent in other jurisdictions. It is a free resource to discover detailed professional biographies of top lawyers and law firms in North America. However, this system is not foolproof and there are more concrete ways to strategically choose the best lawyer for your case.
Schedule and Conduct Interviews
Many law firms in the country offer complimentary consultation, for an hour or less, allowing you an opportunity to assess a lawyer’s legal abilities with a face-to-face interview. Attorneys at Ramos Law take pride in honesty, hard work, and fairness in which we will do all we can to help you and your family receive the protection they deserve. The first time you contact us, we take all the time you need to discuss your case and legal issues at no cost to you. It is essential to prepare quality questions to ask during the meeting so you can establish common-ground with our attorneys at Ramos Law.
Questions To Consider Asking Us
- What experience does the lawyer have in your type of legal matter?
- Are there any alternative ways to solve my legal matters?
- What are their ethical standards or philosophy of representing a case?
- How many case hours can they dedicate for your legal matters?
- Other than a law degree, what areas of expertise do they posses?
- What are your attorney fees and costs, and how are they billed?
- How will we keep a reliable line of communication?
- Will any portion or all of my case be handled by paralegals or legal assistants?
- What is the likely outcome of my case?
If you are uncomfortable with addressing certain questions, at least cover the ones relevant to your legal case. The personal injury attorneys in Colorado and Arizona at Ramos Law care about people just the way a doctor cares about their patients and they are here to help those who need legal assistance. We make sure that you never sign anything until all options are considered and you fully comprehend the terms of an agreement. After consulting with a Ramos candidate, ask yourself some key questions to reflect on the interview.
Questions To Consider Reflecting
- Is the lawyer’s experience or background compatible with your legal needs?
- Do they provide prompt and confident answers?
- Do you feel confident they will communicate well as the case progresses?
- Does the law firm look orderly and properly managed?
- Are you comfortable with the fees and how they are structured?
- Do they seem honest about the potential outcome of the case?
- Did any part of the interview seem unethical?
- Is the lawyer covered by malpractice insurance?
- What style can you expect from the lawyer: relentless or open to settlement?
Ask Other Attorneys
The Bar Association is a small community where lawyers often know the skills and reputations of other lawyers. If you network well, attorneys might provide you with reliable information about a lawyer’s demeanor, practice habits and most importantly, their ethics inside and outside the courtroom.
Conduct a Background Check
If you are hiring a new lawyer for the first time, contact the lawyer disciplinary agency in your state to confirm the lawyer is not involved in any illegal activity and is a standing member of the bar association. If a lawyer violates a rule, the agency can deliver monetary fines, require a lawyer to make restitution, and suspend a lawyer’s license to practice or disbar the attorney. Therefore, a thorough background check will eliminate any uncertainty and you can check a lawyer’s peer reviews at Martindale.com. The peer reviews provide an unbiased account of a lawyer’s ethical standards and professional ability that are generated by members of the bar association and judicial systems.
Visit the Lawyer’s Office
Request a brief tour of Ramos Law firm after an initial meeting and you will feel the warmth and respect our clients deserve. By offering multiple locations, we make sure your legal process goes smoothly and painless with reliable communication between both parties. At day’s end, you will only have first impressions and referrals to consider which require clients to trust themselves to choose an ethical lawyer.
Common Legal Ethics
- Represent their clients with undivided loyalty
- Keep their client’s confidence
- Represent their client competently
- Represent their clients within the bounds of law
- Put their client’s interests ahead of their own
Common Violation of Legal Ethics
Neglect and Lack of Communication: Attorneys are required to respond and remain in reasonable contact with their clients, keeping them properly informed and thoroughly explaining matters that are key to their respective cases.
Commingling: Attorneys must keep their clients’ trust accounts separate from their personal or other accounts. Violations are usually due to negligence or mismanagement.
Solicitation: Attorneys may not be misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive in their advertising ( lawyers may not use statistics or client testimonials, and must refrain from guaranteeing specific outcomes for cases)
Malpractice: Although these claims are difficult to prove, lawyers may be sued if no reasonable attorney would have made the same errors.
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