The process of finding the right lawyer to represent your interests can be time-consuming and frustrating. Lawyers in Melbourne vary widely in their skills and experience, which means not all lawyers perform to the same standard. Finding a lawyer who can balance professionalism with personability and open communication is an especially difficult task. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can not only streamline the search process, but also make it much more likely that you’ll find a lawyer you can trust. Here are some tips and strategies to find the right lawyer to represent your interests.

Use Your State’s Law Directory or Lawyer Referral Service

Most Australian states have an online directory or law referral website that the public can access and use to find lawyers in Melbourne for free. For instance, the Law Institute of Victoria has a website dedicated to helping people locate lawyers across many law disciplines, and results can be filtered by location.

These directories will usually refer potential clients to firms or lawyers who have agreed to see clients for up to 30 minutes at no charge. Referrals are made according to practice area, location and preferred language. Using a law directory website is a great low-cost way to find the right lawyer for you in an efficient and stress-free manner.

Cross-Reference a Firm or Professional’s Web Presence

Lawyers who look and talk the part might emanate the kind of confidence you would expect from lawyers in Melbourne, but sometimes looks aren’t always what they seem. A much better way to grasp whether or not a law firm is reputable and trustworthy is to dive into their social media and overall web presence.

A law firm that doesn’t have an active and up-to-date online presence could be an indicator of other practices of theirs which may be outdated. Pay special attention to the type of language they use across the web too. A website that’s littered with complex legal and technical jargon will often spill into their offline communication style as well. While you want a lawyer who has grasped the vernacular of their field, you also want a lawyer who can relay this language to you in simple terms that you can easily understand.

Look for a Past History of Success

Finding lawyers in Melbourne who have had past concrete success representing similar interests to yours is perhaps the easiest way to narrow your search down. Any lawyer or firm you’re considering hiring to handle your dispute should have at least some past success in handling similar cases.

Of course, you can’t expect a lawyer or firm to have a 100% success rate. The odd mediocre or negative client review or testimonial shouldn’t come across as a red flag if all other reviews and feedback are relatively positive. However, if the firm or lawyer you’re thinking of contacting has a consistently low rating or shows a downward trend in success rate, you might be better off saving your time and money and looking for lawyers that consistently produce results at a higher level.

Meet With Them

If you’ve found a lawyer or firm that you feel good about, see if they offer free initial consultations. Make sure to take any relevant documents as well as write down any important questions you might want to ask. This is a great way to tell if the prospective lawyer or firm matches your personality and goals. As the legal process can take a long time to resolve, it’s important that you’re in the hands of a lawyer you feel completely comfortable with.