No matter the nature of your legal issue – divorce advice or bankruptcy filing – online databases offer assistance by connecting you with lawyers with experience in that particular field.
Local bar associations also provide referrals based on your area of law need. Check your phone book under “Lawyer Referral Service,” or follow this link for a state-by-state directory.
Referrals
Numerous attorney referral services can be found through local bar associations – typically listed in Yellow Pages under your community name (or state-by-state on this ABA website). These programs can match you up with an attorney with the experience necessary to assist in any matter you need help with.
Becoming known as an authority in your field can be an effective way of driving referrals. This involves writing articles, sharing educational content on social media channels such as LinkedIn and engaging with followers regularly.
Once you’ve established a strong relationship with a referral source, it’s essential that you thank them for their business. By showing that you appreciate them and showing that you trust them implicitly through testimonials from past clients (if allowed by ethical rules in your jurisdiction), you demonstrate to potential new ones that your practice can be trusted – which could ultimately make the difference between their retaining you or looking elsewhere for legal help.
Ads
Google Ads makes it possible for law firms to engage potential clients who are actively searching for legal services. Select relevant keywords specific to your practice areas, and create ads with call extensions, location data and links directly back to your website; this way you will quickly hear from those in need of your services and build lasting relationships.
Local Service Ads (LSAs) are cost-effective ads that only charge when someone calls your firm, making them an economical way of reaching people searching for lawyers. To ensure eligibility and increase credibility with prospective clients, pass a background check and provide proof of insurance coverage – once approved a Google Screened badge will appear alongside your ads and give credibility and trust with prospects.
Investment in online marketing is essential to building their brand, driving visibility and generating qualified leads. A professional website detailing your firm’s practice areas, team and approach is one of the best ways to reach potential clients.
Online
Many individuals rely on online resources when selecting their attorney. These services enable individuals to search by practice area and jurisdiction, provide contact details and reviews from past clients, and find local lawyers specializing in their legal issue.
An additional way of finding an attorney qualified enough for your situation is through personal recommendations from friends and colleagues. While personal recommendations can be extremely useful, individual situations vary so any lawyer recommended for one may not necessarily be ideal for another.
If an individual cannot afford their own attorney, they should reach out to their local bar association or legal aid office for support. Certain organizations provide criminal legal aid while others offer civil legal aid. Some attorneys also offer pro bono legal services free of charge based on criteria like income limitations or military service status – known as pro bono lawyers.
Local
Finding an attorney local to you is the ideal way to build a strong, trusting relationship. Additionally, local attorneys know more about the laws in your area than online resources can. Furthermore, selecting an attorney with an excellent reputation both within their community and among past clients will be most advantageous.
Most communities provide lawyer referral services that connect individuals to qualified local attorneys to evaluate their cases. You can locate these in the yellow pages or under “Lawyer Referral Service” online. In addition, many courts have volunteer lawyers available at courthouse to offer advice to court attendees. There are also state and national organizations which provide legal aid programs for specific groups like seniors, veterans or victims of domestic violence (click here for an alphabetical listing of legal aid programs); additionally you can obtain answers to simple legal queries for free through the American Bar Association’s Free Legal Answers service.
