Google a Lawyer Google the Law

Updated: Feb 12, 2023

You may be asking "Why is he talking about Google a Lawyer or Google the Law?" so I want to explain what I mean. Google is probably the most wonderful tool on the Internet. It account for 90% of the searches and has lots of partner sites. Google is probably the single most powerful source on the planet for finding information. However, there are pros and cons.

When using Google to find a lawyer, find a family law attorney, find a personal injury lawyer or find a criminal defense attorney, I recommend that you use it for one and only one purpose. That purpose is to get information on finding a lawyer. You can use it to find a lawyer near you, one that practices what you need, experience, accomplishments and even reviews (but be skeptical since you do not know who wrote them or if they are paid for). This can narrow your focus to an attorney that practices family law, personal injury, criminal defense, traffic, DUI, etc. It also gives you options so you do not just pick some random person that may or may not know what to do with your particular case. It allows you to find multiple potential attorneys so that you can interview that attorney to see if that person can meet your needs. That is the primary reason that I recommend that you use Google to help with a lawyer or a legal issue.

DO NOT use Google as a resource to find out what the law is! This is a big no no. For the same reason that you would not use Dr. Google to diagnose medical issues you should not use Google as a definitive source for the law. Is it a great tool to get some basic information to be prepared and ask questions? Absolutely. Is it something that you should take as gospel and absolutely accurate for your situation? Absolutely not. For one, you do not know who wrote the article. There are no licensing or monitoring sources for legal advice on the Internet. There are no mandatory education courses that need to be taken. Any one with access and a computer can post. Second, every situation is unique. As I said in my post about being a family lawyer - no two cases are ever the same. Just because X worked in this situation does not mean it applies to you.

Please use Google as a tool and not as a replacement for a lawyer. Use it to find someone that can help you; not something that tells you what to do as a DIY. Find a lawyer who is competent, reputable and that you trust with Google.

If you have any questions, please let us know. As always - call us if you need us!

/s/ Brian

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