How to Find a Good Lawyer
Hiring a good lawyer can make the difference between a favorable resolution and a costly mistake. Whether you’re dealing with a criminal charge, a business dispute, or a family law issue, choosing the right law firm requires more than scanning websites and comparing prices. It calls for careful research, skepticism about bargains, and a strong understanding of reputation indicators.
How to find a good lawyer or law firm can be a challenging task. This article provides insight, tips, and ideas for finding a good law firm and avoiding low-performing law firms. Firstly, you must know that the quality among all law firms is not the same. There are plenty of people who pass the bar exam, but lack critical attributes that make for a competent, client-friendly lawyer. Read this article to explore how to find a good lawyer.
This article was not written by lawyers or a member of a law firm. This article was written by a marketing and advertising consultant with decades of experience working with law firms.
Apply Discernment and Common Sense
Most people who are interested in hiring a lawyer rely on the advice of a friend or what they find online. The first thing to consider is that the facts of each case are never identical. The types of cases they manage are not the same.
Identify a lawyer with substantial experience in exactly what you need. For example, a DUI lawyer is a defense lawyer, but that doesn’t mean that lawyer is good at felony trial representation. The more complex the need, the more you need proper discernment to find the best lawyer for your case.
Online Reviews
Hiring a reputable law firm in 2026 demands thorough research and attention to real client feedback, with online reviews—especially Google reviews—playing a crucial role in the evaluation process. The prominence of Google reviews means they are often the first impressions potential clients see, shaping decisions about which firm to contact. High ratings and detailed comments provide social proof and build a sense of trust, but it’s essential not to focus solely on the number of stars.
Look for consistency among the most recent reviews. That will tell you a lot about the law firm’s present performance. Bad reviews? Some clients dismiss the importance of case facts and post bad reviews because they did not like the outcome. A lot of bad reviews? You should pay attention.
A real-world example of an undeserved negative review: A law firm client was found guilty of a criminal act. She exploded on her lawyer. Her lawyer reminded her that the prosecution had more than ample proof, including video of her committing the crime. Her response, "SO?!!!". She went on to post a bad review. (The lawyer wasn’t the problem).
Read and consider the details of bad reviews to get a feel for how much of a bad outcome was lawyer-based. If there is a lot of detail describing a series of problematic issues, it’s worth noting.
A good baseline is to choose only a law firm with a 4.8 or higher rating.
Reviews on Their Website
Yes, it should be obvious, but no law firm is going to post bad reviews on their website. Any reviews they show are probably legit, but find reviews on other platforms.
Reviews on Google, Bing, etc.
RELEVANCE. A law firm with multiple specialties (i.e., defense, personal injury, probate) may do great at one area and not so good at another. The overall rating number may not reflect their quality relative to the service you need.
RECENCY. The most recent reviews offer the best picture of a firm’s current service quality, since firms can change over time. Seeing a high average rating (4.9+) is a near certainty that a law firm does good work. However, if they have not received any reviews in the past 6 months or so, you have to wonder why. Maybe their most recent clients don’t feel they earned a review.
Also, if it’s a relatively new firm with numerous 5-star reviews, you have to question whether or not they are legitimate. This is especially true if they’re all posted in a very short time frame. A recent trend of poor reviews, particularly if complaints are consistent, may reveal patterns in billing transparency or case handling that can signal red flags.
Review Aggregator Sites
There are several websites that aggregate reviews (find and combine from multiple websites) for businesses. Some of these sites, for paid service subscribers, will purge the negative reviews and post only the positive reviews. While the reviews may be legitimate, without including the bad with the good, any rating shown is deceptive. Be wary of ratings on review aggregator websites.
Don’t Overlook Ethics Reputation
As with any type of business, there are ethical law firms and unethical law firms. For a law firm client, the pains from a lack of ethics are excessive costs and poor outcomes.
A major concern for legal clients has always been billing transparency. Unethical billing practices may not always be apparent in firm marketing but often show up in client complaints, especially in 1- or 2-star reviews. Examples of such practices include:
- Vague or inflated hourly billing with ambiguous descriptions.
- Unexpected administrative fees or surcharges added to invoices.
- Excessive billable hours or overstaffing minor tasks.
- Padding legal research or document review time.
- Incremental charges for every minor action, such as brief emails or phone check-ins.
Hiring the "I’ll fight for you" law firm may prove to be more than you bargained for. A good lawyer knows what to fight for and what to let go or use for bargaining. For example, at $450 an hour, would you want your lawyer to spend hours fighting for a set of dishes or holiday decorations? Don’t let a lawyer get you emotionally invested, and leverage it into outrageous billing. Law is a business (read that again).
When reading reviews, pay close attention to any mention of "hidden costs," "unexpected charges," or "felt overbilled"—these phrases suggest prior clients encountered these issues. Beware, too, of generic, templated firm responses to such reviews, as avoiding a direct response to billing complaints and poor communication can be concerning.
5 Things to Ask Before You Hire a Lawyer
- Tell me about your approach to handling a case like mine.
- Who will do most of the legwork on my case?
- Name three attributes people would use to describe your law firm.
- Tell me about your relationship with local courts and judges.
- Tell me about a case where you turned a probable loss into a win.
A quality lawyer will not feel threatened or become defensive. In fact, they should welcome the opportunity to get you acquainted with their law firm.
Go with your instinct. Hire a good lawyer. Be ready for ups and downs. Things will be okay.
Summary & Key Takeaways
For consumers, leveraging recent Google reviews is one of the most effective ways to spot a reputable law firm in 2026. Scrutinize the most recent, lowest-rated comments for consistently present issues. This is especially true regarding billing practices and client care. Engaging with a law firm that responds openly and constructively to online feedback is another sign you’re dealing with a trustworthy professional practice.
