How do I know which lawyer to hire?

Hiring a lawyer is an extremely important decision and one that should be studied and measured with great care. I suggest that individuals research law firms, read all the material available on the potential attorney's websites and then make an appoinment to sit down and have a face to face meeting with the attorney. If you need an attorney, chances are good that you will form a relationship with the attorney your hire, such a relationship that will require you to not "like" your attorney, but be able to have full faith and confidence that you made the right decision and that your money will be well spent. What I suggest regarding research involves determining what type of lawyer you need. I use the analogy that if you need a heart transplant, you are not goign to go to a foot specialist. The same is true for attorneys....If you need a divorce, I would not suggest you go to a lawyer who advertises that he or she does divorce and car wrecks and contracts and wills and motorcycle wrecks and criminal...YOU WANT A DIVORCE LAWYER, not a "Jack Of All Trades." Find a divorce lawyer who does divorce and family law only and research that lawyer. Call the number on the website and talk to the staff....are they friendly? are they helpful? Reseach what is available to you from the website. Does the attorney appear to offer helpful information? Does the attorney appear to take his or her job seriously? The main thing is information. You cannot go through a legal proceeding in the dark. Make a well calculated decision when you need to hire an attorney.