Perhaps you’re looking for some legal advice and have decided you need an attorney. Maybe you want some legal documents drawn up or to be represented in court. No matter your situation, finding an attorney might seem daunting. How do you know the attorney is professional and can help you?
As an ARAG plan member, you’ve got several tools to make selecting a network attorney easier. This starts with our CaseAssist® process, including an email that confirms your plan coverage and provides more details about network attorneys in your area who can help.
Resources to Help You Select an Attorney
To help you learn more about the network attorneys provided in your CaseAssist email and view others who could help with your case:
- Select “Attorneys” from the member homepage or “Find an Attorney” in the ARAG Legal app.
- Select the type of legal matter that matches your situation. This helps focus your search for the network attorneys who handle these types of cases for ARAG members.
- Enter your location and hit “Search.” A list of attorneys will appear. You can refine your search and sort by nearest office, highest rating, network seniority and more.
- Select an attorney from the list to see their profile. Here you can also view the average rating given for the attorney. These ratings are given to ARAG network attorneys by plan members like you.
- Check out the “About” section of the attorney’s profile. Does the attorney seem like a good fit for what you want in terms of a communicator and legal counselor?
- Once you’ve identified a few network attorneys you think may be a good fit contact their office. Have a list of questions handy that will help you better determine their qualifications.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- How many cases like mine have you handled in the past?
- How do you like to communicate with clients? In-person? Virtually? Via email?
- How often can I expect to hear updates about my case?
- What is your average response time to client questions?
- Will I work only with you, or will you delegate my case to others in your office?
- What are the possible outcomes of my situation?
- While I understand things may change along the way, what sort of timeline can I expect when working toward a resolution of my situation?
Reflect on each attorney’s answers and consider which attorney aligns with what’s most important to you. How comfortable did you feel talking with them? How professional were they? Trust your instincts.
Also keep in mind that communication plays a critical role in the attorney-client relationship. Consider choosing someone whose communication preferences complement yours.
Determine What is Most Important to You
If you prefer someone who will patiently talk you through every detail, make sure the attorney you choose seems willing to do that. Or maybe you’re someone who would prefer to empower your attorney to do the work and only wants to be looped in when it’s time for decisions to be made. Then you’ll want a decisive attorney who is on the same page with you regarding what discussions you should be involved in.
Remember if throughout the process you are overwhelmed or have any issues, you can reach out to an ARAG Customer Care specialist Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm Central time, to help you navigate next steps and find a local network attorney.
Remember if throughout the process you are overwhelmed or have any issues, you can reach out to an ARAG customer care specialist at 800-247-4184, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time, to help you identify your needs, figure out next steps and connect you with local network attorneys.
