When seeking to hire an employment lawyer, keep these five important questions in mind.

1. What percentage of your practice is devoted to cases like mine?
If your type of case is not a part of the attorney’s core practice, they may not be able to give you the time and attention you need for a successful outcome. Moreover, they may not have the extensive experience that you should be looking for.

2. How many similar cases have you represented, and how did they turn out?
If the attorney wants to take your case, they should be eager to describe how it is similar to others that resulted in positive outcomes for their clients. A good follow-up question to ask is how your case might differ from those, or to ask what potential weaknesses your case may have.

3. What is my most likely outcome?
The likely outcome of your case depends on its unique strengths and weaknesses as well as the nature of the allegations. Do not be shy about asking for details. Many legal cases settle rather than going to trial, but how quickly and for how much can drastically affect your outcome.

4. What are your fees and costs, and how will I be billed?
You do not want any surprises when the bill comes, so make sure you understand the fees completely. Ask follow-up questions until you are satisfied.

5. How often can I expect to hear from you, and how will we communicate?
Attorneys are busy professionals, and often, clients end up feeling left in the dark about the status of their case. Ask whether you can expect to hear from them regularly, and whether they tend to use the phone, email or something else.