Choosing a lawyer to represent you or your family may be one of the most important decisions you ever make. You shouldn’t even hire us until you are satisfied that we are the best law firm to represent you.

No “Jack of All Trades”

We believe a lawyer cannot develop expertise in every area of the law. You simply cannot be all things to all people.

If you are looking for a trial lawyer and you hire the lawyer who drafted your will or helped you buy your house, but has never done a trial, you may not be in the best of hands.

We believe it is so important you get the correct advice when selecting a trial lawyer that we have posted this information so you will know what questions to ask to help you find the best trial lawyer for your case.

If We Can’t Help You We Will Try To Find Someone Who Can!

We are very selective about the cases we agree to accept. We cannot help everyone who wants to hire us. There are simply too many people who need our help.

But if we can’t help you, we will try to give you the names of other capable lawyer who may be able to help.

Why would we refer you to our competitors? Simple – we support access to justice. We want to make sure that people with legitimate cases are represented by capable trial lawyer.

“So How Do I Choose?”

How do you find the best trial lawyer in Nova Scotia for your case? There are certain things you can look for that will help you find the best lawyer to help you with your specific circumstances.

It may take a little time and effort on your part, but deciding who to hire to represent you may be the most important decision you ever make. So you want to make sure you have made the right choice for you.

Respect

Has the lawyer been appointed Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.)?

The title of Queen’s Counsel is an honour given to a select few lawyer who have earned the respect of their colleagues for their contributions to the community and the legal profession. To earn the title Q.C. lawyer’s must demonstrate professional integrity, good character and outstanding contributions to the practice of law.

Do They Teach Other Lawyer?

Has the lawyer been asked to teach other lawyer in Continuing Legal Education courses? This is a great example of the value of a lawyer’s knowledge and experience. Because other lawyer want to learn from them!

Are They Included in “Best Lawyer” or “Legal Lexpert” Directories?

Has the lawyer been selected by his or her colleagues for inclusion in The Best Lawyer in Canada?  The Best Lawyer directory has been called “the most respected referral list of attorney in practice.”

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory is published every year in Canada. All the nominees are voted on by the lawyer own peers and colleagues.

Being included in Best Lawyer in Canada or The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory is an honour because, unlike some other directories, a lawyer can’t nominate themselves or pay to be included.

Referral

Ask a lawyer you trust who he or she would hire if they had the same type of problem you have. Most lawyer know the experienced lawyer who practice in other areas of law in their province.

Most of the cases we take on are referred to us by other lawyer that trust and respect our abilities.

Google

If you don’t know a lawyer, you can use the internet to research the type of problem that you have.

Experienced trial lawyer usually have lots of articles or news stories written by or about them online.

Yellow Pages

The Yellow Pages can be a good place to start your search. But remember; anyone can buy an ad in the yellow page directory. Placing an ad in the Yellow pages does not necessarily mean the lawyer has the type of experience you need for your case.

You want to make sure the lawyer you hire doesn’t agree to represent every client that walks in the door. You don’t want your important case to become just one more file in a big pile on the lawyer’s desk.

Books or Articles

One of the best ways to find an experienced trial lawyer is to read some of the books or articles they have published in their field of practice. Arguably there is no better evidence of a lawyer’s authority and expertise in a given subject.

Has the lawyer written anything that has been published for legal conferences or journals? If the lawyer has been asked to present at conferences to teach other lawyer, this is a sign of respect that the legal community has for his or her skills and experience.

Ask every lawyer you talk to if they can provide a copy of the books or articles they have published or presented before you meet with them so you can find out more about their qualifications and experience.

News Media

Reporters and members of the media are always searching for authorities who can help educate the public. Ask the lawyer if they have been interviewed or featured in newspapers, magazines or legal journals or interviewed on television or radio.

Experience

Usually the longer you have been practicing in a particular area of the law, the more you will know. We believe that experience is an important factor in selecting a lawyer.

But experience alone isn’t enough. Ask the lawyer if he or she has achieved any important trial decisions or settlements. The more significant the case, the more likely it is that the lawyer has the kind of experience you are looking for.

Trial Lawyer Associations

Has the lawyer been elected to office in associations like the Atlantic Province’s Trial Lawyer Association or the Nova Scotia Criminal Defence Lawyer Association?

Being a member of these associations is an indication the lawyer supports access to justice and legal education. If the lawyer has been elected to office in these organizations it is another sign of the trust and respect they have from other members of the legal community.