Experience
- How long have you been in practice?
- Can you tell me a little about your practice?
- How many lawyers in your firm?
- What is your client base made up of?
- What percentage of your clients is Christian/non-Christian?
- What are your areas of specialty?
- Have you handled complex situations?
- Give me an example of some of the complex cases you have handled.
- Have you handled many cases in my area of need (estate planning, business succession, tax planning, etc)?
Services
- Will you or an associate of yours work with me?
- How long will it take for you to do my work?
- How responsive are you to my calls and questions?
- How timely is your work generally done?
Referrals
- Do you have clients with similar situations like mine who might be willing to speak with me about your services?
- Do you have other professionals that might be willing to speak to me about your services?
Reputation
- Are you in good standing with your local bar association?
- Have you ever been cited by a professional governing body for disciplinary reasons?
- What organizations have regulative authority over you?
- Have you ever had any complaints filed against you with any organizations that regulate you?
- Have you ever been publicly disciplined for any unlawful or unethical actions in your career?
- Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?
- What other outside activities are you involved in?
Compensation
- Do you charge for initial consultations?
- How are your fees calculated?
- Can the fee arrangements be set forth in writing before the engagement begins?
- What are your hourly rates?
- What are the hourly rates of your associates?
- Will you be charging me for every phone conversation and/or meeting?
- What do you project my costs would be for your services?
- What can I do to help you with your work and keep your fees to a minimum?