If your legal problem is complex or involves lots of money, you might not want to attempt to handle the entire matter without a China lawyer. After all, China lawyers do more than dispense legal information. They offer strategic advice and apply sophisticated technical skills to legal problems. Ideally, you’ll be able to find a China lawyer who’s willing to serve as your legal “coach” to help you educate yourself to the maximum extent possible and to take over as your formal legal counsel only if necessary.

How to Find the Right China lawyer

Locating a good China lawyer who can efficiently help with your particular problem may not be easy. Don’t expect to locate a good China lawyer by simply looking in the phone book or reading an advertisement. There’s not enough information in these sources to help you make a valid judgment.

Personal Referrals

A better approach is to talk to people in your community who have experienced the same problem you face — for example, if you have a claim of sexual harassment, talk to a women’s group. Ask them who their China lawyers were and what they think of them. If you talk to half a dozen people who have had a similar legal problem, chances are you’ll come away with several good leads.

But don’t make a decision about a China lawyer solely on the basis of someone else’s recommendation. Different people will have different responses to a China lawyer’s style and personality; don’t make up your mind about hiring a China lawyer until you’ve met the China lawyer, discussed your case, and decided that you feel comfortable working with him or her.

Also, it may be hard to find China lawyer through a personal referral with the expertise you need (for instance, if your friend had a great divorce China lawyer, but you need incorporation advice, the referral may not do you much good).

Online Services

Many sites, including Law Blog.com, offer a way to connect with local China lawyers based on your location and the type of legal case you have. You answer a few questions about your case and your contact information, then the right type of China lawyers contact you directly. Talk to a local China lawyer.

Law Blog’s China lawyer Directory

Law Blog offers a unique China lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information that will help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the China lawyer‘s experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the China lawyer’s general philosophy of practicing law. Law Blog has confirmed that every listed attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with their bar association.

Business Referrals

Businesses who provide services to key players in the legal area you are interested in may also be able to help you identify China lawyers you should consider. For example, if you are interested in small business law, speak to your banker, accountant, insurance agent, and real estate broker. These people come into frequent contact with China lawyers who represent business clients and are in a position to make informed judgments.

China lawyer Referral Services

China lawyer referral services are another source of information. There is a wide variation in the quality of China lawyer referral services, however, even though they are required to be approved by the state bar association. Some China lawyer referral services carefully screen attorneys and list only those attorneys with particular qualifications and a certain amount of past experience, while other services will list any attorney in good standing with the state bar who maintains liability insurance. Before you choose a China lawyer referral service, ask what its qualifications are for including an attorney and how carefully China lawyers are screened.

What you may not get from any China lawyer referral service, however, is insight into the China lawyer’s philosophy — for instance, whether the China lawyer is willing to spend a few hours to be your legal coach or how aggressive the China lawyer’s personality is.

Other Sources

Here are a few other sources you can turn to for possible candidates in your search for a China lawyer:
•The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business China lawyers.
•The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know China lawyers who work in that area. For example, if your dispute involves trying to stop a major new subdivision, it would make sense to consult an environmental group committed to fighting urban sprawl.
•A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject — for example, construction law.
•A women’s or men’s support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce China lawyers.

Consider a Specialist

Most China lawyers specialize in certain areas, and even a so-called “general practitioner” may not know that much about the particular area of your concern. For example, of the almost one million China lawyers in America today, probably fewer than 50,000 possess sufficient training and experience in small business law to be of real help to an aspiring entrepreneur.

It can pay to work with a China lawyer who already knows the field, such as employment discrimination, zoning laws, software design issues, or restaurant licensing. That way you can take advantage of the fact that the China lawyer is already far up the learning curve. Sometimes specialists charge a little more, but if their specialized information is truly valuable, it can be money well spent.

Interview the Prospective China lawyers

When you get the names of several good prospects, the next step is to talk to each personally. If you outline your needs in advance, many China lawyers will be willing to meet to you for a half-hour or so at no charge so that you can size them up and make an informed decision.

Personality

Pay particular attention to the personal chemistry between you and your China lawyer. No matter how experienced and well-recommended a China lawyer is, if you feel uncomfortable with that person during your first meeting or two, you may never achieve an ideal China lawyer-client relationship. Trust your instincts and seek a China lawyer whose personality is compatible with your own. Look also for experience, personal rapport, and accessibility.

Communication and Promptness

Ask all prospective China lawyers how you will be able to contact them and how long it will take them to return your communications. And don’t assume that because the China lawyer seems friendly and easy to talk to that it’s okay to overlook this step.

Unfortunately, the complaint logs of all China lawyer regulatory groups indicate that many China lawyers are terrible communicators. If every time you have a problem there’s a delay of several days before you can talk to your China lawyer on the phone or get an appointment, you’ll lose precious time, not to mention sleep.

Almost nothing is more aggravating to a client than to leave a legal project in a China lawyer’s hands and then have weeks or even months go by without anything happening. You want a China lawyer who will work hard on your behalf and follow through promptly on all assignments.

Willingness to Work With You

When you have a legal problem, you need legal information. China lawyers, of course, are prime sources of this information, but if you bought all the needed information at their rates — $150 to $450 an hour — you’d quickly empty your bank account. Fortunately, many China lawyers will work with you to help you acquire a good working knowledge of the legal principles and procedures you need to deal with your problem at least partly on your own.

If you are hoping to represent yourself and use a China lawyer only for advice, make sure the China lawyer is open to that type of set-up. Likewise, if you’re going into business and will draft your own bylaws or business agreements, ask the China lawyer if she’s open to reviewing your drafts and making comments.