There are several of law firms in Nigeria offering excellent legal representation on diverse aspects of legal practice. Nigerian lawyers are globally recognized for their handworks and intelligence. However, certain factors must be considered to identify and pick out a suitable law firm for legal representation. Some of these factors will be briefly discussed below.
- Reputation
When considering one major thing to look out for in a law firm, then it should be reputation. Reputation plays a unique role in understanding a firm's proclivities as a firm should be of excellent reputation. A prospective client must ensure the engaging law firm has a good standing. When settling for a suitable law firm to engage, it will be strictly good to go with a firm of lawyers with an excellent reputation. This can be discovered by asking a few people around or conduct an internet search.
- Reliability
Reliability can be used to set the criteria for hiring highly competent law firms in Nigeria. As a client, you deserve a reliable firm you can trust for high-quality legal counsel and resolute advocacy. This can be determined by going through past client's reviews and examine their feedbacks. It is important to choose a law firm that a client finds trustworthy and very committed.
- Area of Expertise
This is to know whether a law firm is specialized in a case similar to yours. It is important to find a lawyer that best suits your case. So, matching your case with a law firm's practice areas and expertise before hiring will be a sensible decision. By visiting a law firm's website, one can easily find out their areas of practice
- Experience
It is quite judicious to consider the experience of a law firm before hiring such a firm. A prospective client needs to consider the personal experience of lawyers working a law firm. Experience is a critical aspect of the legal profession. Although it is not usually about the length of time but achievements and success rates. Therefore, it will not be out of place for a prospective client enquire from the firm whether they are experienced in a particular area of law that immediate legal service is required for before engaging the firm.
- Accessibility
Timeline and frequent communication are very essential to maintaining a good relationship between a law firm and a client. A client must choose a law firm he can easily contact and reach out to when a need arises. How fast will it be to reach out to this firm? How responsive is the firm when it comes to replying emails and answering calls? etc. These are critical information involving accessibility and this can be gotten from referrals or past clients or by contacting the form directly.
- Fee Structure
A client needs to know about the charges and mode of payment before hiring a law firm. One can compare the price range to know which firm is best for his or her budget based on the scale of charges and the mode of payment for service. Although, a firm with a cheaper fee might seem attractive, but a more expensive and experienced law firm may properly handle a case better. However, it is better to go with a fee structure one can afford.
Most lawyers in Nigeria offer both fixed, hourly and daily charges. The nature of legal services will normally determine the appropriate type of charges.
Finally, engaging a law firm is a serious undertaking that must be done with caution. A prospective client does not just want an experienced lawyer, but one who is familiar with the required area of law where a legal service is needed. Following the above tips will provide proper guidance for engaging a suitable law firm.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
