How to Choose the Right Lawyer: A Framework for Making the Right Decision Under Pressure

Over the past decade, I have been asked countless legal questions by family, friends, and people reaching out to my firm. Many fall outside my practice areas or jurisdiction, and the answer is rarely welcome: you need to hire a lawyer who practices in that area.

The typical response is hesitation, usually about cost. My answer is always the same. My father has practiced law for more than forty years, and over the years I watched people come to him after trying to handle matters themselves or after hiring the wrong lawyer. He used to say, plainly and often, “It is better to spend 10k now than 100k later.”

After a decade in practice, I have learned that he was right. It is almost always better to get out in front of a problem with the right lawyer than to try to clean up a mess after the fact.

Almost without fail, once that sinks in, the next question follows: How do I find the right one?

I encountered this scenario constantly in the JAG Corps, where servicemembers needed help finding the right lawyer for a wide range of legal problems. That experience led me to develop a general framework for evaluating lawyers, which I have continued refining since.

What follows is the general guidance I typically give when someone is trying to find a lawyer at a moment when pressure and uncertainty allow for poor decisions.

Why You Should Slow Down Before You Decide

When people search for a lawyer, they are usually under pressure. Something serious has happened. Their freedom, business, health, or financial future may be at stake. In that moment, it’s natural to want quick answers and fast reassurance.

That urgency is exactly why many people make the wrong choice.

In the Marines, we were trained to make decisions under stress, but we were also taught that when time allows, proper deliberation matters. Acting quickly is not the same as acting wisely.

Before you hire anyone, it’s worth slowing down, separating out the noise, and focusing on what matters. You often have some time and should speak with a few lawyers. At that point, your mission becomes clear: choosing the right lawyer to solve the problem in front of you.

Looking Beyond Advertising and Reviews

Advertising tells you only one thing with certainty: the firm has invested in marketing. It does not tell you who will handle your case, how much attention it will receive, or whether the lawyer has the judgment or ability to guide you through your issue.

Online reviews can be just as misleading. Some are manufactured. Others are written in moments of frustration or emotion. Negative reviews often reflect unrealistic expectations or outcomes that were never fully within anyone’s control, rather than the quality of the legal representation itself.

None of this means advertising or reviews are meaningless. They can be useful later, once you have narrowed your options and understand what you are actually looking for. They should not be the starting point.

A better place to begin is with people you know and trust. A referral from a friend, family member, or professional you respect carries weight because that person is vouching not just for results, but for character, judgment, and reliability. They have seen how the lawyer operates when the stakes are real.

I am often asked whether I have referrals. When I do, I share them and explain why I am recommending those lawyers. But a referral is a starting point, not a final answer. Even strong recommendations do not eliminate the need to think carefully about fit, communication, and trust.

If you do not know a lawyer personally, you still need to do your own evaluation. That does not mean consuming more marketing. It means speaking directly with lawyers, asking substantive questions, and listening carefully to how they explain their approach.

The next considerations are intended to help with that evaluation.

The Lawyer–Client Relationship Is a Team Relationship

Hiring a lawyer — particularly in criminal defense or personal injury — is not like hiring a contractor. You are not simply handing something off and waiting for it to be finished.

You and your lawyer are a team.

The lawyer leads and guides the strategy, but your cooperation, honesty, and trust are essential. You need to be able to communicate openly, provide information and evidence, ask hard questions, and hear difficult answers. If you don’t trust the person advising you, the relationship will break down, often at the worst possible moment.

When your liberty, property, or future is on the line, fit matters.

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The Three Things That I Believe Matter Most

1. Wisdom

This is rarely discussed, and it may be the most important quality of all.

Wisdom reflects a lawyer’s ability to identify what truly matters in a case and to exercise sound judgment under pressure.

A lawyer with wisdom can:

• identify the real issues beneath the surface

• know when to fight and when restraint better serves the client; and

• understand timing, leverage, risk, and consequence.

Experience helps, but experience alone does not guarantee wisdom. There are many seasoned lawyers who lack the judgment needed to achieve the best outcome for a client. Worse, some allow ego to guide their decisions, turning the focus inward and making the case more about what serves them than what serves you.

A wise lawyer does not fight every battle. They fight the right ones.

I often think back to the leadership principles the Marines instilled in us as young officers. Anyone in a position of authority must be capable of making the right decision at the right time — and, when a mistake is made, adapting and overcoming quickly. The focus was always on accomplishing the commander’s intent. Sometimes that meant changing course, reassessing assumptions, or giving up a perceived advantage to achieve the right outcome.

2. Integrity and Fortitude

There has to be trust.

Integrity is about honesty and principle. Your lawyer must tell you the truth — even when it’s uncomfortable or not what you want to hear. They must act in your best interests, not simply do what is easiest, most convenient, or most profitable for them.

But integrity alone is not enough.

Fortitude is what allows a lawyer to stand by those principles when pressure mounts. When the stakes rise, when opposing counsel is aggressive, when the court pushes back, or when a case becomes unpopular, fortitude is what keeps a lawyer steady.

This is not about bravado or theatrics. A lawyer with fortitude isn’t looking for conflict, but they will not retreat when it comes time to fight.

Wisdom determines the right course.

Integrity ensures the advice is honest.

Fortitude ensures it is carried through when it matters most.

3. Intelligence and Problem-Solving Ability

Legal problems are rarely simple. The harder the case, the more important it is to have a lawyer who can think clearly, analyze complex facts, and adapt when circumstances change.

Intelligence, in this context, is not all about credentials or clever arguments. It’s about understanding how the law, the facts, and human behavior intersect — and using that understanding to solve problems.

A lawyer with strong problem-solving ability can:

• anticipate issues before they become obstacles

• identify leverage others miss; and

• adjust strategy when new facts emerge or assumptions prove wrong.

  
  

This is where preparation, training, and experience matter. The ability to think strategically rather than mechanically often determines whether a case moves toward resolution or spirals unnecessarily.

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How the Right Lawyer Leads a Case

Lawyers, like anyone else, are not perfect. But if you frame your search around the three qualities above, then you are far more likely to find someone who can guide and protect you through the process. In other words, someone who can lead.

A good lawyer takes responsibility. They do not hide behind assistants, junior attorneys, or vague promises. They do not disappear once the paperwork is signed. They lead the case and remain accountable for the strategy from start to finish.

In many high-volume or heavily advertised firms, the lawyer you initially speak with is not the lawyer handling your matter. The case may be passed down the line, managed by people you have never met. You should know who is actually representing you, how involved they will be, and who is ultimately responsible for the outcome.

Slow Down. Ask Better Questions. Choose Carefully.

Choosing a lawyer is an important decision, often made under stress. That’s exactly why it deserves time and careful thought.

Slow down. Ask questions that go beyond marketing or promises. Pay attention to judgment, character, and who will actually be responsible for your case.

The right lawyer won’t rush you or hide behind reassurances. They’ll help you think clearly and take responsibility for guiding you through the process.

— Colin S. Duffy

Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Attorney based in Tarrant County, Texas, representing clients throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex, including Fort Worth, Colleyville, Southlake, Bedford, Hurst, Euless, North Richland Hills, and nearby areas.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney client relationship.