If you work in construction, you know what an important industry it is for the United States economy. You also know how much downsizing has had an impact. Between the years of 2006 and 2011, nearly 40% of all jobs in construction were eliminated. If you have been injured on the job, through no fault of your own, you may find yourself looking to hire a construction lawyer. The problem is that you may not know where to start. Hiring a lawyer can seem like a daunting task but you can get the right one for your situation with these helpful tips.
- Ask around. The chances are good that you know other people who work in the construction industry. If you do, you may know people who have had to get the services of a construction law firm. This ma not be something that they have wanted to tell everyone about so you should ask the people in your life that you trust. They can, at the very least, point you in the right direction for your case and needs. Remember,
you may not go with the lawyer your friend or coworker used but you can get your list of lawyers to look at from your friends and family. - Make sure you get someone with a lot of experience in construction law. Like people who work in the medical profession, lawyers have their own specialties. You do not want to go to an oncologist if you break your leg and no matter how great your cousin, the divorce lawyer is, you need someone who is a construction lawyer. They need to be familiar with the ins and outs of this kind of laws and know what the rules and regulations are for your part of the country. If you have worked with any kind of lawyer in the pst, they may know good construction attorneys in your area who you can talk to.
- Look online. There is pretty much nothing that cannot be found somewhere on line. When you are looking for a construction lawyer (or lawn expert, doctor, whatever), you can look at sites like Angie;s List, Yelp and Facebook for advice for your area. There are quite a few Facebook groups and pages that are devoted to promoting local businesses so you should start there. Be careful if you see a lot of negative comments that were left anonymously. There may be something else going on there.
- Find out what you can about the lawyer’s reputation. When you are looking into the different law firms in your area, you should look into what kind of reputation the lawyers have. It is worth noting that most legal cases are not settled in a court room but are negotiated out. You need to find a lawyer with the right reputation as a good negotiator but also one who has no problem going into a court room. They should also know who the key players are in your local construction world. They should be able to bring in the right experts to tell your side of what happened.
- Make sure you know who will be working on your case. Law firms hire a number of people to work on their cases. They include paralegals, legal secretaries and others. These support staff members are very important in getting things done on your behalf. Also, there may be times when you have questions but cannot talk to your main lawyer, these people will be able to help you.
- Understand the billing policy. All law firms do this a little differently. Before you sign anything to hire any kind of lawyer, you need to know that you really understand. You need to know what their fees are,
what the terms of payment are and what other expenses you may have to pay for your construction lawyer.
No one really wants to need to hire a construction lawyer but sometimes it is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family. Finding the right one for your case can make all of the difference for you so take your time and make sure you hire the right construction law firm.