Choose the Right Tax Attorney

What are some of the things you should be looking for when you are selecting a Tax Attorney? We are going to cover that by each very important point that you need to look for in your attorney. 

Experience 

You should find a tax attorney that has experience in your type of case, and who has a strict knowledge of the laws. He or she should be able to provide references and educational documents proving that he or she is actually qualified to handle your case. 

Creative Clean Perspective 

He or she should have certain level of creativity especially when it comes to the tax laws. Tax Laws are generally very vague in their representation. The lawyer should be able to read into the law more deeply and be able to creatively find a way to get a solution for you. He or she should be able to find a way to make the law work in your favor through creatively explaining the law in a different view when applicable. 

Look for Expertise 

Determine what type of tax attorney you will need. He or she should specialize in your area of law. If you need an attorney who knows about International Tax Law, follow up with one. The same with Business Tax Attorneys, Corporate Tax Attorneys, Income Tax Attorneys, and many other types of taxation. You can find people who are qualified in your special area of need. Again, he or she should have references that can help you to make the determination as to whether he or she is the lawyer you want to talk to in your situation. 

Don’t Settle for the First One 

Talk to several lawyers before you decide on one lawyer to talk to about your situation. The lawyers that you talk to will all have some experience with your type of case, but not all of them will have a full and complete case history of successfully winning cases like yours. Don’t be afraid to look around. Don’t be afraid to do a price check either. I would suggest not staying in a budget but trying to find a good lawyer with all the benefits. Then, I would suggest once you have your list of lawyers you are interested in based on the information you have gathered, you look more deeply at the amount they are going to charge you. 

Research Articles/Online: 

When I write an article, I get online with the best search engines and create articles from my own mind based on words and phrases that come to mind in conjunction with a subject. Normally, I pull pretty good result from that. I believe that you can do the same online with the lawyers that you are interested in to use for your case. 

You can “Google” them and get great results. My suggestion is to review the articles and information that the lawyers have written and posted online in their particular subject. A lot of times, they will post them on their main website. Sometimes, they will work to create an “expert” view of themselves about the subject they specialize in to get more work and credibility. If they seem to carry specialized knowledge that is applicable to your situation, you are probably in great hands for that subject. 

Research State Bar Association: 

You should contact the state bar association that the attorney works in to gain access to the credentials of the attorney. This will provide you with essential information about whether the lawyer will meet your needs, too. You can find out if the attorney is in good standing with the state. 

Find out if he or she has any special certifications in your particular need area. Most bar associations will create a specific certification that says he or she is qualified to help you to the greatest extent with the information learned and tested on in that certification. 

Research Newspapers: 

Look at the archives of your local newspaper to find out more information about him or her. It should hold information about all publicly held cases that the tax attorney has completed and whether he or she won the cases or lost. 

Research Extra Educational Certifications: 

Does he or she have multiple certifications? For example, is he or she both an attorney and a CPA? If so, does he or she specialize in accounting or law? Basically, what is his or her day job? Once you have determined if he or she spends more time with the law aspect or the account aspect of his or her certifications, you should be able to determine whether he or she will benefit you in the greatest degree. Now you will also want to consider that if you have a business, the attorney/CPA certification will benefit you in the long run. However, he or she may not benefit you if you need someone who is specialized for just one case issue. 

Research, Do a Background Check: 

Look at the attorney’s background. Many Tax Attorneys may have experience in other areas that can, in the long run, be beneficial to you if you need a lawyer long term. If you need a lawyer who specializes in one particular area, you will find that it is better to see if the lawyer has worked in many different companies or solo. You will want to make sure that he or she has worked on your type of case before and that he or she will provide you with the best services possible. 

Research Special Association Affiliations: 

Look for special associations. Check to see if he or she is part of special organizations that cater to the tax community. Some of the associations may be federal, state or local, so don’t assume that they all have to be federal or national in order to be credible. 

References: Best Information Source 

When you get references from the attorney, also look into contacting other attorneys who know your attorney’s background, history, and personality. Find out what they have to say. 

Ask the references that the attorney gave you for the same information you would be getting from the other attorneys. Check in on the attorney’s skills and trustworthiness. Ask whether you should ask this attorney to represent you. Be very specific and straight forward about your questions. Don’t worry about getting crazy looks from people. You need know the truth and most people won’t hold back just because they had the attorney before and wouldn’t want to “ruin” the attorney’s reputation. 

Get references from a bank that works with your prospective tax attorney. Make sure, without asking how much money he or she has in the bank, that you ask if he or she is living comfortably or if he or she is desperate for money. 

Ask the attorney for references to CPAs that he or she works with on a regular basis or that he or she has worked with in the past. Trust me, they are Tax Attorneys, they know CPAs. Talk to the CPAs and find out how they feel about the lawyer and what his or her personality is like. Ask if he or she has been able to help all of the clients that they referred. 

Competition: Corporate Intelligence 

Make sure that the lawyer you are considering talking to for your tax case, doesn’t actually represent your competition. This could become very sticky. An attorney may not like you, but they will still represent you. There may be issues if he or she is close to the your competition with trade secrets moving beyond that closed door. Don’t tempt fate. 

Documents that are Important: 

Ask for a copy of the attorney’s flier or brochure for the firm that he or she represents. Check into the information on the brochure. Make sure that all the information that the attorney tells you, the information on the brochure and the information that you get from the references actually all are the same and relate to each other. 

Request Retainer Agreement: 

A Retainer Agreement is a document that you will end up signing when you enlist the attorney’s services. Requesting a retainer agreement up front from your attorney is necessary to decide also if the attorney is right for you. The attorney should be able to read the agreement to you and break it down for you into an understandable language. The fee information should be included with the agreement. You should be able to make your final decision of whether or not to hire an attorney based off of the research you did and this final agreement. Remember, if you don’t agree with something, that you can request for that to be removed from the agreement, and also remember to have it crossed out with initials from both you and the attorney to cover you in the event that the clause is used. 

There are many things to consider when you want to get an attorney. This list should be able to get you where you want to go, and to get the best attorney that you can afford.