We all know the importance of having a lawyer to give us advice on issues we do not understand. However, do we know how to choose the RIGHT lawyer?

Choosing the right lawyer can be the determiner between the success or failure of your matter. Some lawyers may not understand your issue and may give you the wrong advice; or they may easily get compromised and stop looking out for your best interests. All these then lead to paying for services that you did not like or enjoy which means you wasted your money hiring that lawyer in the first place.

Here are 6 things you must do when looking for a lawyer;

1. Understand what you need - Different lawyers have expertise and have specialized in different areas of the law. Others have expertise in employment law; others in alternative dispute resolution, others in family law and succession matters and others in business/commercial law. Understand what area of the law you would want your lawyer to have expertise in.
2. Ask around - After understanding what you need, you can proceed to ask your family and friends around for lawyers they know. Always be aware of location and where you need your lawyer to be situated. For further assistance, you can also ask the employees of the court of law in the preferred location.
3. Do an Internet Search - You can look for lawyers on the internet right from the comfort of your phone or computer. Hopefully, they have a website where they will have more information about the lawyer.
4. Search on the lawyers listing website of your respective country - In Kenya, all lawyers are listed on The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) website. Type in "search advocate kenya". Proceed to type in the name of the lawyers you already have in your list. There are 6 statuses available; active, inactive, struck off, suspended, unknown and deceased; all of which are explained on the LSK website. This will help you understand the status of your lawyer if you need them to represent you in court. This information will also alert you on the disciplinary history of the lawyer which is very important.
5. Make a list of the lawyers you are interested in hiring - Based off the steps above and the lawyers who check each step, make a list of the ones you would want to work with.
6. Schedule consultations with these lawyers - Finally, visit each lawyer on your list and have in-person or virtual consultations to analyse these 5 points;
   • How they are and their personality. Do you like them?
   • How they look. Are they well-dressed or shaggy? Please note well-dressed does not mean expensive, it means presentable.
   • What are their credentials and experience? Are they honest about this?
   • How frequent will they communicate with you? How do you want your experience with the lawyer to look like?
   • What are their fees and billing practices? How often will they send you an invoice?

Keep all these in mind as you look for your lawyer. Your lawyer will take you through tough times and you need to do your due diligence before you settle on one.

Waweru Macharia & Company Advocates offers legal services in Employment Matters, Land Matters, Succession Matters, Debt-Collection and Mediation Practice (Alternative Dispute Resolution).

Interested in our services? Visit our website and Book a consultation with us for further discussion on how we can assist you.