How to find the best lawyer?
- First define your problem.
- When you do that, look into the story behind what is presenting it self, because most of the times the legal issue is an expression of a bigger, or other problem. Get to the root cause, instead of tackeling symptoms.
- Look into your own role in the issue at hand. Solving problems in a legal way is not always the best solution.
- Look to other ways of conflict resolution.
- Be aware of the fact that there are many lawyers. In The Netherlands alone there are more then 17,000 attorneys at law.
- So where should you start? To start: Ask in you own network to begin with. Most of the time friends and family can recommend someone they have positive experiences with.
- If that does not work, you can go online and google what you want to know. Go for instance to the website of The Dutch Bar Association and find a lawyer in your neighbourhood, who is also specialized in certain domains. That limits the amount of lawyers substantially.
- Finally be aware of the fact that lawyers are trained professionals in the domain of the law. They are legal specialists. So most of the time they are not equipped to say something about other domains. Think for instance about the medical profession, or any other profession.
- Be aware of the fact that professionals speak and write in professional language, also called jargon. If you don´t understand what they are saying, just ask them to explain what they mean.
- And first and foremost, when you find someone, listen to your feelings. Do you like the person? If not, go somewhere else.
© 2016 mr. A.R. Oosthout LL.M., Dutch attorney at law, advocaat, Dutch barrister, Dutch solicitor. Member of the The Hague Bar. Robert Oosthout is a Dutch attorney at law. His law office is situated in Leiden under the name Oosthout Advocatuur. You can find the office at Schipholweg 103, 2316 XC Leiden, or via the website heroes-test.nl.
Disclaimer: This document was written with the utmost care. You cannot make any claims based on the content of this document. If you have any more questions, feel free to call me on: +31 71 5249316 or send an e-mail to: oosthout@oosthoutadvocatuur.nl.
