Getting a referral is the first step. Once you find one, you should get and check references from past clients. Interview the attorney to find out what types of cases he or she has handled. Ask about costs. Clients often pay not only for the attorney's work but also for the court filing fees, copying and faxing charges, traveling expenses, etc.
Attorney fees vary according to years of practice, expertise and the matters involved.
Hourly fees are common when it's difficult for a lawyer to determine how long the work will take such as in litigation. Contingent fees are most often used in certain types of lawsuits, such as personal injury cases, where the attorney gets a percentage usually between 25 percent and 40 percent of any money recovered by the plaintiff. But if the case is unsuccessful, the plaintiff owes the attorney nothing. It can take months or years to get past the pretrial stage, depending on how complicated the case is and how busy the court is. Only 5 percent to 10 percent of all filed cases go to trial.