If you are considering proceeding with a lawsuit in relation to an accident or injury (whether it is a car accident, a slip and fall or trip and fall), you will want to choose a lawyer and law firm that is competent to effectively handle the case. When speaking to a lawyer that you are considering hiring you may want to ask the following questions:
(1) Will you provide me with a list of all of the charges that I will have to pay,
(2) Is the consultation free
(3) When do I have to pay (ie: can I pay out of the final award or settlement?)
(4) What experience and knowledge do you have in this area of the law?
(5) Does your law firm have the financial and other resources to fund the litigation and to go to trial if necessary?
(6) Do you focus your practice on litigation and lawsuits or do you practice in other areas too? (some lawyers carry on a general practice where they try to practice in a number of areas - this is especially true in smaller centres like Ajax, Whtby, Oshawa, Milton, etc.).
(7) Ask the lawyer to explain the legal tests involved in the case and what the game plan would be for meeting them?
(8) Ask whether the firm is well known and whether insurance companies will know the firm
(9) Ask the lawyer to send you one or more decisions in cases that he/she has argued
(10) Ask the lawyer what the challenges are in your case