Long Island Attorneys-Finding The Best Long Island Attorneys-New York

In our continuing blog on Long Island Attorneys, I thought we would discuss credibility issues. Checking With the local BAR association will help to alleviate many questions that you might be having regarding Long Island Lawyers. I remember an associate of mine who secured and attorney with a binder for  simple domestic case. Things went smoothly until he found that there was a conflict of interest between my associate attorney and the defendant in the case. This didn’t come out until way into the case.

Another thing you want to be in tune with is the level of expertise in particular fields. Long Island attorneys are some of the best in the country, and come from some of the best Law Schools around. Finding a lawyer who specializes in a particular field (i.e. criminal, civil, vehicle, business, etc) will be your main challenge. But let’s face it, a counselor of law who specializes in a particular area will save you time and money in the long run.

We will continu this series on finding the best Long Island Attorneys. Next issue will be discussing fees and expenses.

Since the purpose of this site is not to “Hype” any one Law Practice, all names will be left out. Thus, you should get some unbiased opinions if any.

Picking a lawyer on Long Island, New York can be quite challenging. I have many associates (especially malpractice), who believe that the only real good attorneys are located in Manhattan. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, as some of the most experienced Counselors Of law are either on the Island, or have since re-located there.

Let’s face it, you should really do your homework prior to giving anybody a retainer. If you are going in cold turkey, and really are just stumbling through the yellow pages of Nassau and Suffolk County, then you have a right to ask some genuine questions to the Law Firm. Here are some examples:

–Is the attorney actually licensed to practice in the jurisdiction where legal intervention will be required? This seems irrelevant, but I had secured an attorney in Nassau County, Long Island for a simple closing on a local property here on the Island and another in New Jersey. Well guess what? Yep, the island property was no problem, but the New Jersey jurisdiction was off limits. So make sure you ask not only if he or she is licensed, but also licensed to practice exactly where?

–Visiting the Law Office would be the next step, as a binder/retainer would be the next course of action. Visibly observe what the office is like. I went in one office in Hauppauge New York where it was so cluttered and the desks where so piled high with leftover work, I just knew that my case would be put on the back burner. Again, visit the office, check the credentials on the wall (license), and you will begin to get a feel if you are in the right place.

–Specialty and expertise is also very important. Some attorneys specialize in personal injury cases, other in matrimonial affairs. Lets not forget about general business law, civil law, tax laws and criminal law. It truly is an advantage to find a lawyer that is well versed in a specific field. I made the mistake of hiring a criminal attorney for a simple closing for a property in Wantagh, New York.  I figured that I was doing the man a favor by giving him an easy one, but it turned out to be a nightmare for the poor guy.  I learned that day that there is more to real estate law then meets the eye.

Finding a good attorney on Long Island can be a bit of a challenge. Just the demographics alone can be problematic. I remember the time I had got involved in a summer property in Montauk, Long Island while I was still living in Wantagh in Nassau County, New York.

Well things went smooth for a while, as the majority of the legal work was done over a fax, and not even by a lawyer in Montauk, but the legal aid assistant within the counselors office.  Well the time actually had come for the lawyer to not only attend the closing, (yes in Montauk, New York), but to attend some sort of pre-sale board meeting that is required in some of these small town municipalities.

It was a true challenge to get everybody together, and the costs of what I initially thought was a “good deal” for a Counselor Of Law, turned out to be an enormous fee. Lesson learned is do your research, if possible find the best local attorney on Long Island, who is in close proximity to you and the courts. I know what you are thinking, just because the attorney comes from the adjoining town doesn’t make him qualified. I agree, but that’s why you have to do your research.

I truly believe that Long Island Attorneys are some of the best in the world. My experience with the majority of them is nothing short of wonderful. Let’s face it, some of the Law Schools that many of the lawyers attend are some of the best in the world. Thus the education that they are receiving is top shelf, and the subsequent legal advice is excellent as well.

If you are looking to find some of the best Long Island Attorneys the first thing I recommend is the old “word of mouth” research. Start asking people if they have ever used and attorney from Nassau or Suffolk County, and ask what their experience was with them. There is nothing better then the information coming straight from “the horses mouth” so to speak. The next step is to check the B.A.R and other available organizations for credibility. After doing this, you will be on you way to finding some of the best Long Island Attorneys.