General practice lawyers handle a wide variety of legal problems. When problems are beyond their competence, they will refer you to a specialist who has concentrated his or her practice in such areas as litigation; criminal law; taxation; workmen's compensation; labor relations; real property, probate and trust law; patents; and so forth.

Obviously, the nature of your legal problem will help to define the type of lawyer you will want to retain.

In choosing a lawyer, keep in mind competence as well as accessibility and price. One way to judge competence is by the amount of time the lawyer has devoted to keeping up with changes in the law through continuing legal education. Since you are hiring a lawyer to perform services for you, don't be embarrassed or reluctant to ask the attorney about his or her qualifications, experience and continuing education.