There are a lot of moving parts to negotiating, strategizing, and completing a construction project. Contracts have to be drafted, change orders have to be dealt with, and construction defects may come into play. The outcome of these issues can end up costing you a lot of time and money, which you ultimately want to avoid if at all possible.
That’s why you may be considering seeking out legal counsel. But with so many attorneys out there, how do you make sure that you’re choosing the one that’s right for you? It’s a good question, and one that should be thoroughly answered before selecting your legal representation. After all, if you try to represent yourself or you go with an inadequate attorney, you could be facing a result in your case that is far worse than you expected.
What should you look for in a construction attorney?
There are a lot of characteristics in an attorney that may be important to you. However, we want to touch briefly on some key components that may make all the difference in your construction law case.
- Experience: You may be facing some challenging legal issues that can’t be figured out by conducting an online search. If you want to competently navigate the problem before you, you need someone who has been there before. By obtaining assistance from an experienced attorney, you can rest assured that they’ve been there before and thus know what to expect and how to position you as strongly as possible. If you go with a less-experienced attorney, you might end up with someone who has never seen your kind of issue before and, therefore, doesn’t know how to properly handle it.
- Knowledge: Sure, you’ll want an attorney who knows the law, but you probably also want someone who knows about the construction business and how the law applies to it. This is a big differentiator, as many law firms out there simply don’t have the knowledge or skill set necessary to adequately address the legal issues that are seen in the construction industry. A lot of these attorneys also don’t realize how certain legal maneuvers can affect project outcomes. You want someone on your side who understands what you’re going through and can thus competently advise you.
- Fearlessness: Although attorneys are thought of as people who are chomping at the bit to go to court to fight for their client, the truth of the matter is that a lot of them don’t like litigating. There’s nothing wrong with resolving legal disputes without litigation, but you need someone on your side who is ready to aggressively advocate for you and your interests, even if that means taking your case to court to fight for what you deserve. Anything less could lead to an unfavorable outcome.
Choose the attorney who is right for you
We know that you’re stressed dealing with the legal issues in front of you. But don’t let your feelings of being overwhelmed force you to make a decision on legal representation that is too hasty. Instead, take the time you need to fully vet your options so that you’re comfortable in your decision. After all, your choice of attorney could make all the difference in your case.
If you’d like to learn more about our legal team and what we can do for our clients, please continue to read our website and our other blog posts.
