As reports show, even brands with bigger names escape consumer protection laws. In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission received approximately 3 million complaints from customers regarding illicit debt collection, professional misconduct, medical malpractice, etc.
If you have suffered consumer-related violations, you might feel helpless if you don’t know the right ways to deal with the organization. Here, in this blog, we will be guiding you to find a reliable and experienced consumer protection lawyer florida, so that you can seek justice and compensation.
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Start Online
When looking for a good consumer protection attorney for your case, the first place to start is online. Begin with a search for attorneys near your location.
If you do not have the upfront cash to pay an attorney to look at your case, you can also try “consumer law attorney free consultation.”
Take a look at the search results and shortlist the professional-looking attorneys.
To try and weed out the best candidates, take into account their online presence. Is their website up-to-date and easy to use? Does it look professional?
What about what’s written on the site? If there are spelling mistakes or an attorney’s site looks like it was developed in the ’90s, you probably want to move on.
Check Reviews and Testimonials
Looking at the reviews provides you with insights into how satisfied previous clients were. You can use platforms like YELP and GOOGLE REVIEWS for this purpose.
Also, remember that even the best lawyers may have negative reviews as you can not please everyone; thus, this should not be minded or considered. However, if you come across a fair credit reporting act lawyer with strings of negative or low-star reviews, steer clear, as this is obviously a trend.
Not only will reviews provide you with keen information, you should also check lawyers’ and consumer rights law firms’ pages. Besides looking at reviews, you should also check attorney and consumer rights law firm pages to get aware of client testimonials (character references). If you see a long list of glowing testimonials from different clients, this is a good sign.
No testimonials could mean that the attorney or the law firm does not have much of a track record or unhappy clients in bulk.
Ask for Recommendations
Besides looking online, another way to scout out a reputable consumer protection attorney is to ask your friends, family, co-workers, or anybody else you know.
After getting their recommendations from any source you must check the following firm or attorney on Google as well. If their site and reviews look promising, then add them to your shortlist.
Favor Attorneys Who Specialize in Consumer Protection
Before you start contacting possible attorneys, there is one last important rule to follow. Consider chartering a specialist in consumer protection cases.
Just like doctors, attorneys, and lawyers choose different paths of specialization.
As you can imagine, an experienced fair credit reporting act lawyers will be more likely to win your case than an attorney who might not even be able to define consumer law properly.
As with everything, experience is key, so stay away from general attorneys.
Ask the Right Questions
After forming a list of prospective attorneys, you might now want to contact them and to have a consultation with them. During these, the attorney will query you about your case.
This is also your opportunity to ask the attorney some important questions. It’s crucial to take advantage of these sessions and find out everything you want to know. Don’t let the attorney ask all the questions!
Here are some of the things you may want to ask a consumer protection attorney:
- How long have you been practicing?
- Do you specialize in consumer protection cases?
- How long have you been doing consumer protection cases?
- How many consumer protection cases have you handled?
- What is your success rate?
Apart from asking these questions, one of the most important things is to get clear about the fee structure of the attorney.
Consumer protection attorneys can levy fees in various ways. Some areas of consumer law allow for what is known as fee-shifting. The result of this is the other party will have to pay your consumer rights law firm fees if you win.
In other cases, some firms may agree to waive your fees if you lose. If so, be aware that they will want to comb your case to make sure it’s viable.
Take note that for some types of consumer protection cases, contingency and fee-shifting arrangements are not possible, such as in debt defense.
The ways attorneys level their fees can also vary. Some attorneys may charge an hourly rate, and others a flat rate.
Ensure your potential attorney explains the fee structure clearly so you don’t have any hidden surprises.
Need An Attorney In Florida?
FindLaw’s Lawyer Directory is the largest online directory of attorneys. Browse more than one million listings, covering everything from criminal defense to car accidents to DUI law.
Detailed law firm profiles have information like the firm’s area of law, office location, office hours, and payment options. Attorney profiles include the biography, education and training, and client recommendations of an attorney to help you decide who to hire.
Use the contact form on the profiles to connect with a Florida attorney for legal advice.
