Need a contract reviewed by a legal professional? Worried about trademark issues? If you haven't needed legal help for your business yet, you probably will soon.

But how to find a good one? Although there are enough lawyer jokes to make that seem like an impossible task, finding quality legal representation for your business is certainly possible if you take the right approach.

Where to find a lawyer

Beginning your search may seem a bit daunting, considering the number of practicing lawyers out there. But it's not so bad if you know where to start.

References
When hiring any contracted professional, consulting those you trust is always the best place to start. Ask colleagues, other business owners, and friends if they could refer you to a lawyer they were happy with.

If you count lawyers among your friends - even if they aren't necessarily corporate lawyers - all the better. Ask them who they'd recommend.

Bar Associations
Most bar associations, most of which are accessible online, offer referral services. If you can't locate your local bar associations on the Internet, they should be listed in the phone book.

Directories
You can find attorney directories both online and in your local library. Directories allow you to conduct searches based on location and specialties. This searching method, however, is basic and not as reliable as going by recommendations.

Want to look up a particular lawyer's credentials? The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, available in most libraries, contains an extensive record of lawyers' educational backgrounds, how long they have practiced and their areas of specialization.

Screening Questions

You want to spend some time talking with the lawyers you are considering hiring to get a feel for how it will be to work with them. It's extremely important to find a lawyer you're comfortable working with.

To further narrow your choices, it also helps to prepare a list of specific questions:

• Free consultation. Do they provide one, and if so is there a time limit?
• Background. Does the firm do the type of work you want them to do? If not, be sure to ask for a referral to another firm that is familiar with cases such as yours.
• Experience. Are their clients similar to yours in size or legal needs? How often do they work with them? Do they have experience with businesses in your industry?
• Billing rate and fees. How much will their legal services generally cost? This is typically measured by "billable hours," so ask what their billing rate is.
• Estimate. For relatively standard services, such as reviewing contracts, ask for some kind of cost estimate.
• Timeline. Get them to approximate deadlines for specific jobs if at all possible. When will the work be completed? How will billing work if the deadline is missed?

Legal Costs

Most lawyers charge according to the number of hours worked on your case. Hourly rates can vary tremendously, as low as $75/ hour to as high as $250/ hour, depending on the geography, sophistication of the project, and the amount of expertise needed.

If costs are your primary concern, make it clear to the attorney from the getgo so it can be addressed appropriately.

Ask any lawyer you're considering whether they round off the time worked, which could have a big impact over time.

Note that hiring a specialized lawyer does not necessarily mean an automatic increase in costs, since it may take a more experienced attorney less time to reach the same result.

For standard needs, such as drafting a simple contract, specialization isn't necessary, and any lawyer with general corporate experience should be up to the task.

For this and other standard needs, ask for a cost estimate. If you are a small but growing company, you may be able to negotiate a reduced fee, with an understanding that once you reach a certain size, you will pay a full rate.

Regardless, ask for an up-front budget and a contractual agreement regarding costs and payment.

While rates can vary depending on the geographic market, price will more often be contingent upon the quality and/or size of the law firm and the seniority of the attorney handling your case.

Ways to cut costs

Ask your potential lawyer for his or her best suggestions on ways to cut costs.

In addition, consider suggesting additional cost-cutting methods, such as:

• Paying flat fees for routine matters such as drafting contracts
• Having a paralegal or junior associate handle the clerical work
• Negotiating volume discounts for ongoing needs for service
• Reducing the hourly rate, and tying it to a bonus for producing financially beneficial results
• Negotiating a contingency fee, which is a fee paid upon successful completion of the services. This is usually as a percentage of the gain obtained for the client
• Revising documents initiated by your lawyer yourself

References

Checking references will be your best source for gauging the areas that will make or break your project -- quality of work and ease of communication.

Don't skip these calls. Although you may be tempted to skip this part since you would expect only fountains of praise, don't.
Surprisingly, references are not always as glowing as they should be, particularly when you ask pointed questions.

Some questions to try to include:

· What was the most difficult part about working with the consultant?
· How much time did it take to manage the relationship?
· Whom did you enjoy working with in particular?
· What advice would you give on how to work effectively with them?
· Would you use them again?

Hot Tips from the Experts

Define, define, define. Invest whatever time is necessary to define exactly the expected outcome of a project. Many a promising working relationship has foundered because of miscommunication around expectations.

Look to the long-term. Expect to establish a long-term relationship with the consultant. Getting a consultant up to speed on your business and its requirements can take an extraordinary amount of time.

No magic bullet. Outsourcing is not a magic bullet that relieves you of all associated work. To ensure a successful project, communicating early -- and often -- is critical.