No one plans on needing a lawyer, but sometimes it's unavoidable.

So, how do you know when you need to hire one? More importantly, how do you go about finding the right lawyer for your situation?

Check out our tips below to help make the process as smooth as possible.

Determine What Legal Advice You Need

Understanding the area of law your situation applies to, will help determine the type of legal services you need. For example, for divorce cases, you will need a lawyer who specialises in family law. For business legal issues, you are most likely going to need a commercial law lawyer.

Understanding your circumstances will help you determine the type of legal services you may need. This will help manage expectations and make the process of finding a lawyer more efficient. Additionally, by understanding your circumstances and needs, you can ensure your lawyer has all the necessary skills and experience to address your situation.

Search on Online Directories

Finding a lawyer can be difficult, especially because there are various ways you go about finding one. One option is to use an online law directory.

Online directories present you with the top lawyers in your area based on their credentials and experience.

It's important to use the right keywords and be specific about your location, legal issue and budget. For example, if you're looking for a family law firm in Adelaide, a wills lawyers in Adelaide or a commercial lawyer Adelaide, you may find the law firm Randle and Taylor Barristers and Solicitors.

Ask Friends or Family for Recommendations

Seeking advice from your friends or family may be useful to you and your situation. This is especially the case if someone you know had a positive outcome or experience with a lawyer.

Once you've compiled a list of potential candidates, make sure to call them and get more information on how they handle cases like yours. This may help you feel confident in potential lawyers or lawyers and their ability to guide you through your legal issues.

Read Reviews

When searching for a lawyer, it's important to do your research and look at reviews. Reviews and ratings can provide valuable insight about your potential lawyer, the firm and the services it provides to clients.

You can find these online from other clients or experts in the field who have prior experience dealing with the lawyer you are considering hiring. This may help you gauge their general work ethic, availability and quality of services.

In addition to reading reviews, you may benefit from researching industry standards, reading legal blogs and understanding more about the legal profession. All of this information can be found on Law Council Australia.

Arrange A Consultation

Once you've found a potential lawyer the next step is to arrange a meeting. It can be hard trusting someone online or over the phone without having met them first-hand. Being able to speak face-to-face may help alleviate any doubts or hesitation and allow for both parties to have more clarity on how best to move forward.

If you have more than one potential lawyer on your list, take time to meet personally with each one.

When it comes to finding the right lawyer, there's more than just looking at the credentials. You need an attorney who will work with your needs and preferences, as well as be available.