I did a quick search on Google of bankruptcy attorneys in St. Johns County, Florida. This is because I recently opened an office in Green Cove Springs (GCS), Florida. While Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine are in St. Johns County, there is a large population that resides in the county, outside of any city limits.
How would a person in the country pick a bankruptcy attorney. For those unfamiliar with GCS, it is walking distance from St. Johns County. Both Clay County (where GCS is located) and St. Johns County have few attorneys practicing in the area of bankruptcy. This caused me to peruse the question of how would someone would pick a bankruptcy attorney?
When searching for the best attorney for filing bankruptcy, you should look at more than just price. In fact, price is probably the last thing you should look at.
Have you ever shopped for a good bottle of wine. Quite often price has nothing to do with the quality of the wine. Of course, I am not talking about the gut buster cheap stuff. But of the moderately priced wines, you need to know your wine to select one that meets your expectations. You could get an overpriced wine that has you walk away with a bad taste in your mouth.
Have you ever shopped for a good bottle of wine. Quite often price has nothing to do with the quality of the wine. Of course, I am not talking about the gut buster cheap stuff. But of the moderately priced wines, you need to know your wine to select one that meets your expectations. You could get an overpriced wine that has you walk away with a bad taste in your mouth.
Attorneys are not unlike wine in many ways. I suggest you should look at
- the attorney's experience,
- continuing education, and
- organization affiliations.
The experience has to do with the number of years of practice before sitting judges and familiar with case law within your jurisdiction. The law is always changing in every field of law, and bankruptcy is no exception. This is why continuing education is so important. That is also why membership in local bar associations and national associations is important. It is easy to search for national organizations that cater to fields of law. For consumer bankruptcy, it is the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.
Also look at surrounding counties, or nearby cities. Sometimes a short drive will reward you with an attorney with more experience, more individualized attention, and a better price. This is not just relevant to bankruptcy, but also probate, criminal law, family law, or any other practice of law you can think of. When you get into areas of practice that are highly specialized, like an attorney that specializes in zombi nuclear holocaust law (imagine that might be a specialty somewhere), you might want to look a little further than just your nearby county.
If you have some ideas of how to pick a good ... no, Great Attorney, please let me know.
If you have some ideas of how to pick a good ... no, Great Attorney, please let me know.
