The construction industry has certainly faced hard times throughout history. In fact, statistics gathered from April 2006 to January 2011 found that the construction industry had gotten rid of over 40% of its workforce. Considering that, it’s wise for any construction employee to have a lawyer in mind to prepare for stressful situations including being fired or laid off. With that in mind, here are three steps to follow while hiring a lawyer.
- Find a Lawyer Specializing in Your Industry
You don’t want to have a divorce lawyer attempt to work your claim that should be handled by someone practicing construction law. Therefore, you’ll want to ensure that you are looking to find a construction attorney. These attorneys often take on clients from various working roles within the construction industry. Therefore, you can likely rest assured that you are working with an attorney that understands the industry you work for. - Prepare Questions About Your Claim
Certain construction law firms will offer evaluations for new client’s cases. If you’re a potential client visiting a law office for a consultation, you’ll be expected to answer some questions. Considering that, it’s wise to prepare questions of your own to ask a lawyer while at this evaluation. Many disputes within the construction industry are often settled through what is known as alternative dispute resolution. In fact, statistics gathered from the American Arbitration Association in 2015 found that largest arbitration case was settled for a total of $96 million. - Choose Firm That Provides Transparent Pricing
The last thing you want to worry about while dealing with a construction claim is not being treated fairly by your lawyer. Therefore, it’s wise to ensure you are working with a construction law firm that provides you with fair and clear pricing. By having this type of pricing presented to you, it’s unlikely that you’ll be surprised with new charges in the future.
To summarize, there are several important factors to think about while choosing a construction law firm. It’s essential to find a law firm that specializes in the construction industry. You don’t want to have a lawyer that specializes in a completely different field trying to represent you in regards to a construction case. Many construction law firms will interview potential clients in order to determine if these people have a case worth taking on. You’ll find that it’s best to prepare a few questions of your own before attending one of these evaluations. Lastly, ensure that you choose to work with a construction law firm that provides you with fair and upfront pricing.