In law, there’s no letdown quite like the breach of contract. The promising creation of expectations at the start, that turns out into disappointment when you’re left to pick up the remaining scraps of emotional pain and financial loss.
You’re not alone if that loss motivates you to look for a lawyer. Breach of contracts are one of the most popular lawsuits worldwide, and plenty of lawyers recognise their money-making potential dealing with contract law.
So the good thing is, you’ve got plenty of options. The hard part is knowing exactly where to start. We’re providing you five key questions you can ask to find the perfect breach of contract lawyer. You can keep these questions in your mind when browsing through LawPath’s lawyer directory for a breach of contract lawyer.
1. What are your experiences with the contract that was breached?
There are an almost indescribable amount of contracts that lawyers can deal with. The first question is also the easiest – narrowing down your selection to lawyers with experience dealing with what your contract deals with. You want someone who knows your area of contract before and has experience with similar cases. These lawyers can offer insight into the likely result of your case and the best course of action, giving you confidence and comfort moving forward.
2. What can I expect as an outcome? Will I need to go to court?
Two questions in one may be cheating, but what’s some arbitrary article rules against getting a good outcome?
You’ll have to think about what’s important for you and why you wanted a lawyer. Some considerations include:
- Wanting full payment, or happy with a settlement;
- Maintaining a relationship with the other party after the case;
- Ending the matter as soon as possible.
Whatever it may be, you want a lawyer who prioritises your needs. The courtroom is the most known way of resolving disputes, but in the 2018 legal landscape, mediation, informal court agreements and negotiated settlements are increasingly popular. You may particularly want to avoid the processes of court, including:
- Lengthy time commitment;
- Providing evidence in public;
- Legal costs; and
- Unguaranteed outcomes.
There’s a lot to think about for the management of your case in the future. Get a lawyer who can look after your best interests.
3. Who else is on your team when dealing with this matter?
In a perfect world, the lawyer you choose will have unwavering dedication towards getting you justice. In practice however, lawyers are extremely busy people who rarely work alone on a case. Law firms in particular have teams of junior and senior staff who handle a case together, and other practitioners tap into their network to efficiently deal with matters.
Regardless, you want to ensure that the person you’re hiring is doing the majority of the work. After all, you aren’t asking these questions to other members on the lawyers team.
4. What are the legal costs?
A breach of contract can lead to a lot of damages that you may be able to recover. On the other hand, legal fees and uncertainty may make legal proceedings against a breach of contract more expensive than its worth.
There are two common methods of payment that allow you to estimate how much legal fees will cost, and whether it is worthy to proceed.
Billable hours
Billable hours are when the lawyer charges for every hour spent on your issue. You should try and get an idea of how many hours the lawyer expects to take. Keep in mind that even a short five minute conversation can add much more than that into your final charge.
Flat fee
A flat fee can provide a better idea of what you’re paying. The flat fee, however, may not cover all legal costs such as filing documents.
You can connect with a breach of contract lawyer using LawPath’s lawyer directory. You can also learn more about how lawyers charge clients by reading our legal guide on how much you should pay a lawyer.
5. Is there a conflict of interest with the other party?
This is a simple question, but one of the most important ones. If your lawyer is working with the party who breached your contract, do you really want that lawyer dealing with your matter as well? It’s against the lawyers duty, and against yours too in achieving a good outcome.
Conclusion
A breach of contract can cost you serious damage that has to be fixed by a lawyer. These questions filter through a wide range breach of contract lawyers so you find one who is experienced, and understands your needs at an affordable cost. You can begin searching for breach of contract lawyers on LawPath’s lawyer directory.
Need legal advice on whether you can take action against a breach of contract? Contact a LawPath consultant on 1800 529 728 to learn more about customising legal documents, obtaining a fixed-fee quote from our lawyer marketplace or any other legal needs.
