Communicate with your lawyer.

Communicate with your lawyer. A good lawyer should be easy to get in touch with and call you back quickly after you leave a voice-mail. You should not hesitate to call your lawyer to ask for some updates or schedule regular appointments so your lawyer can give you more details on what they have been working on.

Wait to sign a contract with an attorney until you feel the situation is right. Request an estimate from the attorney so that you know approximately how many hours he or she intends on putting into the case. If the lawyer refuses, move on. A range is acceptable, but it is not fair if you have no idea what you are getting into.

There are online services you can use to find good local lawyers but do not assume that these online services do a good job of screening the lawyers they recommend. Do your own research on potential lawyers and meet them in person prior to hiring them.