The purpose of an attorney is to give their clients legal advice and assistance while also being their representative for all legal matters. It is important for both musicians and artists to consider having an attorney due to the variety of contracts that they sign and performances and showings that they participate in involving expensive supplies and equipment. When looking for an attorney it is important to take the following list into consideration.
Experience
Attempt to find someone who knows and understands your business. If you are an artist and they have only worked with athletes, or handled real estate or criminal matters, then they are probably not the best fit for you.
Chemistry
An open, friendly, and comfortable relationship with your attorney is extremely important because they are not able to assist you unless they know and understand all pertinent information to your situation. Whether you need them for a simple signed contract or a sale, the more they know the better.
Willing to Learn
It is important to have an attorney that is interested in your well being and willing to learn more about what you do. They should want you to achieve your goals. If they seem to not care about what you do then they probably don’t, which isn’t a good thing when they will be the one looking out for you in regards to anything legal.
Communication
You want to make sure that you find an attorney that you can count on to respond to your emails and calls within a reasonable time frame. It is often said that attorneys are bad at getting back to their clients, so talk to previous clients of theirs to see how they have worked and communicated in the past. It is also important to make sure they clearly communicate how much their services cost. You don’t want to end up with an outrageous bill due to hidden fees that were never discussed or a misunderstanding between hourly and flat rates.
Success and Reputation
See if other artists in your region sought out attorney and if they were pleased with the outcome of their case or business while be represented by that attorney. It is important to retain an attorney with a good reputation because this attribute will make them more respected and influential in negotiation cases and processes.
Conclusion
Your gut feeling can always help when trying to find the right fit for you. It all comes down to how you feel and if you think a specific individual will work well with you and for you.
Sources:
http://hirealawyer.findlaw.com/choosing-the-right-lawyer/what-should-i-look-for-when-trying-to-choose-a-lawyer.html
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225906
http://www.chicagonow.com/chicagos-real-law-blog/2010/12/top-10-qualities-to-look-for-in-an-attorney/