What Makes A Legal Expert?

A legal expert is someone who has expertise in a certain area of law. There are many things that can make someone a legal expert, and it’s not necessarily limited to passing the bar in a particular state. The law is a complex construction, and there are many individuals who are experts in certain facets of it. Of course, it would be impossible to be an expert at all parts of law – it is simply too varied for one person to be an expert on all of it!

The purpose of this website is to provide an aid in helping you find an appropriate attorney. In San Antonio, a Bing query for “San Antonio attorneys” brings back over 9 million results. Thankfully there are not 9 million attorneys in San Antonio, but we need a way to determine how to choose an attorney that has the consumers best interest in mind and not his own pocketbook.

There are certain things the consumer can look for in choosing the best attorney for their case. Internet reviews, Better Business Bureau listing, Board Certification and recognitions the attorney has received is always a good place to start. Attorneys are only allowed to call themselves an expert in a specific area of the law if they can demonstrate a special competence in that field and they have passed rigorous testing on an on-going basis. In Texas, a lawyer can only call himself a legal expert if they have been Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

The television and radio is blanketed with attorney ads. Some of the attorneys seem to be on every commercial break and some even showcase their wealth in an effort to make themselves look powerful. Don’t make a decision about your legal case based upon how well the marketing department works or how much money they spend on advertising. Some of these attorneys are spending more in ads in one month than most of us make during a full year. Generally an attorney that spends that kind of money is actually the head of a big house full of attorneys. Those slick TV ads featuring that powerful attorney that got you through their front door will never see your case. Your case will be assigned to the next available attorney.

Television ads and Marketing Departments should not be used to determine the best attorney to handle your case. We have a few suggestion on how to choose an attorney that will be able to help you in your situation.

Conduct interviews. There are a lot of attorneys to choose from. This means that you have the right to pick and choose between them. Here are some good questions to ask when you are choosing the right lawyer for you:
What kind of experience does the lawyer have?
How long has the lawyer been practicing?
What is the lawyer’s track record?
What are the lawyer’s fees?
How will the lawyer inform me of case developments?
Research. Legal experts don’t operate in a vacuum. Before deciding on any lawyer, make sure to do research on the attorney by looking at the State Bar of Texas or the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Attorneys also receive various accolades during a year. Check to see if your attorney has been recognized by his peers. Has he been honored by U.S News, Million Dollar Advocates, Super Lawyers or does he have a great rating in Avvo? The internet if full of reviews, so make sure you look over the attorneys reviews before making a decision. There are numerous legal directories touting the skills of an attorney, but just being listed in a directory does not make an attorney an expert, no matter how much they pay for the listing.
Query others. If you know any attorneys (even if they practice in a different area than the legal expert you need), ask their opinion. While law is vast, the law world is small, and you might be surprised at how much lawyers know about one another.
Tour the law office. Use your good sense. Is the law office well-run, neat, and efficient? If it isn’t, you might want to consider looking somewhere else.
Board Certified Attorneys
Only about 10% of the attorneys in the State of Texas has been Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and these attorneys have shown a high level of expertise their area of practice. Steven C Benke has earned the right to represent himself as an expert in the area of Family Law. Mr Benke is a San Antonio Divorce Lawyer that has been Board Certified in Family Law. David T Cain has earned the right to represent himself as a specialist in the area of Bankruptcy. When your finances overwhelm your life, David Cain has the expertise to provide you with legal relief from your debt. Mr Cain is a San Antonio Bankruptcy Attorney that is Board Certified in Bankruptcy. Bryan A Woods in a San Antonio Construction Defects Attorney. Mr Woods has been Board Certified in the area of Consumer Law and Commercial Law which covers warranties, sales, leases, insurance and other activities involving individual of business consumers. Mr Woods specializes in the area of foundation defects and represents the consumer again large home building corporations.

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Answers from Experts on San Antonio Legal Experts are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. San Antonio Legal Experts is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. Our Legal Experts are not your attorney, and their responses on this website do not constitute legal advice. You should not propose specific actions or address specific circumstances based on our responses. This is only a forum to give you a general sense of the principles of law in reference to a particular situation. Before acting on any situation you may read here, you should hire an attorney that is licensed in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains. The verified credentials of our Legal Experts are included on their Expert page.