How do you choose the best Bay Area lawyer for your case? How do you know the lawyer whether local to the Bay Area or from another city will represent you properly? You don’t. All you can do is try to make as good and well informed a decision as possible. In order to make a well informed decision you have to ask and receive answers to several questions.

When you are looking for a local Bay Area lawyer you will have well intentioned friends and family members wanting to give all kinds of advice about both the type of lawyer you should hire and which lawyer you should hire. I personally believe you should hire a local Bay Area lawyer to represent you for local cases. I believe that, all things being equal, a lawyer local to the Bay Area will have more tools to help you than a lawyer from somewhere else. But that is my opinion. So, for now lets say you decide to hire a local Bay Area lawyer. Just by virtue of a lawyer being from the Bay Area does not mean that he or she is the best for your case. There are a few rudimentary questions that you should ask before you hire them.

1. How long have you been practicing law. There are several variations of this question. You could ask how long you have been practicing law in the Bay Area. How long have you been a Bay Area lawyer? These are all basically the same question. But, they all get to two key points. How long has he or she practiced law in general and how long have they been a lawyer in the Bay Area. Obviously, the longer the lawyer being interviewed has been practicing law the more experience they have and the more contacts they have. The longer they have been a practicing Bay Area lawyer the more local contacts they have that could help your case.
2. How long have you specialized in DUI, criminal, divorce, or injury cases. And a follow up question would be how long have you practiced this specialty in the Bay Area. Obviously, you do not want a Bay Area lawyer that has just made the switch from family law to accident law to represent you. Not to say that they would not do a good job. Just that you are better off with a lawyer with more experience in the field. Moreover, you are better off with a lawyer with experience in the specialty and one that is a local Bay Area lawyer.
3. Ask pointed questions like, “Is this case winnable?” You want the him or her to give you an idea of what the outcome might be. You need pat succinct answers. Remember this is your life that is in the balance. Having a local Bay Area lawyer that knows judges, prosecutors, and other people involved in the local judicial system will have a better idea of an eventual outcome for your case.
4. How well will you keep me informed about how the case is going? You would think that Bay Area lawyers always keep their clients well informed. Some do not. Or at least not as well as some clients would like. Dealing with the legal system can be very stressful. You need a lawyer that will help you get through the stress by communicating with you in a frank manner as to how the case is progressing and when and where you are expected to be for different parts of the case.

Once you have decided to go with a local Bay Area lawyer you then need to interview them to determine if they are are a good fit for you and whether or not you feel as if they have the qualifications to succeed in the case. Just because you choose a local Bay Area lawyer does not mean that they will be the best for you. These questions will help you get information so you can make a well informed decision about which Bay Area lawyer to hire.