So, you’ve spent money on a consultation fee and you’ve met with an attorney to discuss your legal matter…but, something just doesn’t feel quite right about that attorney. Should you hire the attorney because you just shelled out your hard-earned money for the consult? Should you meet with another attorney for a second opinion? The answer to this is simple and actually crucial: you need to feel comfortable with the attorney that you hire.
You may likely feel that because you have invested your money in a consultation fee that that attorney must be the one to hire. The decision is ultimately up to you but you must trust the attorney that you hire to represent you. About half of our consultations end up hiring us right there on the spot – and that is great, because they feel comfortable during the consultation and trust the attorney to work hard to represent them.
We do have clients wait a few days, weeks, and even months to hire us. Sometimes, it is a timing issue – maybe their year-long separation is nowhere close to finished, maybe they aren’t yet ready to move forward with their custody case – whatever the reason may be, we do have clients that hire us well after their initial consultation. The only negative to this is that we only keep your information (intake form, attorney notes) for 2 months, so you may need to refresh the attorney’s memory about your case.
Whatever the case may be, it is important to go with your gut. If you meet with an attorney and don’t feel that they answered your questions, or you just don’t feel that it’s a right fit for you or your case, get a second opinion. You need to feel that the attorney you hire has your back, has your best interests in mind, and will go above and beyond for you and your matter. You should trust your counsel – that’s a must!
If you have met with an attorney and need a second opinion, give us a call at 757-656-1000. We will be happy to schedule you with an initial consultation to discuss your matter. If you have any questions about second-opinion consultations, feel free to email us at info@attorneyholcomb.com.
To read more about how to have a better initial consultation, check out our blog post!