The red flags, in rough order of severity
- Guaranteed outcomes. Alabama's ethics rules prohibit promising results. "I win these every time" is a sales tactic, not a credential.
- No written fee agreement. You should have the fee structure in writing before work begins. Vague answers about cost now become surprise bills later.
- You can't reach them. Unreturned calls during the courtship phase only get worse after you've paid. Ask directly: who will I talk to, and how fast do you return calls?
- They found you, not the other way around. A stranger who shows up at the hospital, the tow yard, or your door after a wreck to sign you up is describing a practice built on solicitation, which Alabama prohibits. Walk away.
- Pressure to sign today. Legitimate lawyers can explain why timing matters without refusing to let you sleep on a contract.
- Vagueness about who does the work. At some volume firms the lawyer on the billboard will never touch your file. That's worth knowing before you hire the billboard.
- Money handling that feels off. Requests for cash with no receipt, or any suggestion of sharing your recovery outside the written fee agreement, are serious problems.
The two-minute background check
Every Alabama lawyer's license status is public. The Alabama State Bar's member directory shows whether a lawyer is in good standing, and disciplinary history is publicly available. It takes two minutes and filters out the worst problems before the first phone call. Reviews help too, read in bulk rather than one at a time, with attention to what clients say about communication.
Questions that separate good from slick
Ask what's weak about your case, and watch whether you get a real answer. Ask what the fee covers and what it doesn't. Ask what happens if the case goes longer than expected. Ask how often you'll get updates. A good lawyer answers all four comfortably, because good practices are built on exactly those answers.
Hold this firm to the same test
Fees in writing before work begins, direct access to the attorney rather than a case manager, and a first conversation that includes the weaknesses of your case, not just the strengths. If any lawyer you talk to, including this one, won't operate that way, keep looking.