Inquire whether the candidate has published or spoken at legal continuing education forums. Look for awards and honors, as well as continuing education and community involvement. You will work with other staff members in addition to your primary attorney. While the attorney is the expert on legal strategy, learn what the other team members will bring to the case and how they will specifically help you. This is a tough, but necessary question to ask, and will immediately alert you to red flags.
Some attorneys charge fees up front.
Others work on contingency, meaning they collect their fees from the final settlement of the case. Ask the attorney to justify why they use their particular format. The attorney should be able to predict a sequence of events, including thorough investigation and research, developing a detailed settlement demand, negotiating with the insurance company, and possibly, to taking the claim to trial. There may be several reasons an attorney will decide to not accept your case. You must verify there are no pending statutes of limitation on your particular case and act accordingly.