Lawyer Checklist

Finding the right attorney is key to navigating the myriad legal, financial, and educational questions that go hand-in-hand with special needs children.  Finding a lawyer who has experience advocating for children with cerebral palsy and brain injury in your state can be broken down into two primary steps:

1.      Initial evaluation process
2.      Interviews

Initial Evaluation Process

To begin with, you’ll have to cast a fairly wide net to find a lawyer that suits your needs. Begin by getting recommendations from your State Bar Association, as well as from other parents of kids with special needs. Regional and national organizations devoted to CP and TBI, as well as your child’s medical team, may also have recommendations.

Interviewing Potential Attorneys

Once you have recommendations, set up appointments with each attorney so you can further evaluate them. These in-person interviews will help you determine which attorney has the most experience and suits your particular needs the best.

You should attend meetings equipped with a list of questions you plan to ask. While questions will vary according to your particular situation and those below do not represent all potential questions, they do represent the basic questions that every family should ask:

- Have you had experience dealing with children with special needs before?
- How many special needs children do you currently represent? What percentage of your business is devoted to special needs children?
- Have you represented families in situations that are similar to ours?
- Are you involved with CP and/or TBI associations?
- Are you involved in advocacy work?
- What kinds of outcomes have you had? Please tell me some of your success stories.
- Are you interested in my family’s case?
- Do you have the time and resources to fully commit to our case?

Be sure to consider only those attorneys who answer “yes’ to the above questions, as well as to any other important questions you may have. Choosing an attorney with the right experience will up the odds of your child getting the benefits and therapies that she needs.