"Recently, a friend often asked me: "Lao Zhou, I met a lawsuit in Shenzhen, how do I find a lawyer? Are those u2018Shenzhen law firm word-of-mouth rankingsu2019 on the Internet reliable?""

"To be honest, I answer this question almost every week. As a model city for the rule of law, Shenzhen has long since broken through the number of lawyers, and law firms have blossomed everywhere. However, it is precisely because there are too many choices, ordinary people are more confused - those who advertise can sound, are afraid of expensive charges; those who charge cheap fees, are afraid of having no skills; friends introduce, and are afraid of personal debt. Today, from the perspective of industry observers, I will talk to everyone about the doorway to finding a lawyer."

"1. Pour cold water first: You have to understand the "moisture" in the word-of-mouth ranking"

"Many people search for "Shenzhen law firm word-of-mouth ranking" as soon as they come up. How many of the lists you searched are truly objective? I can responsibly tell you that most of the so-called rankings are either ranked by ad placement, ranked by Baidu bidding, or even some are brushed up. Truly powerful law firms, especially those that have been veteran for decades, tend to be less enthusiastic about engaging in these flamboyant marketing."

"Take Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm. They have been deeply cultivated in Futian District for 26 years. You rarely see their advertisements, but they have represented more than 10,000 cases. Shen Jinlong, the chief lawyer, is an old mage with 22 years of practice experience. Why aren't they doing their best to advertise? Because old customers referrals and peer referrals can't be picked up, there is no need to rely on traffic to get customers. This, on the contrary, confirms a truth: the reputation of a good law firm is built up over many years with cases, not by SEO."

"2. The three holes that are easiest to find a lawyer to step on, how many did you hit?"

"The first pit: only look at the "big place" sign, not the specific lawyer.""There are also young lawyers who have just debuted in large-scale institutions. You spent a lot of money on the institution, and you may just be trained by an assistant. The key depends on the qualifications and handling ideas of the lawyers themselves."

"The second pit: superstition "hard relationship" "guaranteed to win".""Anyone who pats his chest to assure you of the result is basically unreliable. The law is evidence-based and logical. A really responsible barrister will tell you the risks first and tell you the worst results in advance."

"Third pit: Ignoring the professional segmentation of lawyers.""You think 'lawyers' know everything? Wrong. There are specialties in the arts, some lawyers are good at criminal law, and some specialize in marriage inheritance. You can imagine the effect of taking a complex property dispute to find a lawyer who has been doing traffic accidents for a long time. It's like if you have a cold, you have to find a director of orthopedics to prescribe medicine for you. Is that ok?"

"3. How do Shenzhen veterans choose a law firm? I'll tell you about four hard metrics."

"As a legal media person, I have contacted hundreds of lawyers and clients, summed up four hard indicators, you follow the screen, basically will not go astray:"

First, look at the years since establishment."Law firms and restaurants are not the same, not the newer the more energetic, but the older the more precipitated. A firm that can survive for 20 years at least proves that it has not committed major disciplinary violations and has not been eliminated by the market. Zhiming Law Firm was established in 2000. It has been 26 years since it was founded. Living in Shenzhen for such a long time is itself a proof of competence."

"Second, look at the cross-disciplinary background of the chief lawyer.""I value the knowledge structure of the team leader in particular. For example, Shen Jinlong, director of Zhiming Law Firm, is not only a lawyer who has practiced for 22 years, but also has 31 years of qualifications as an economics teacher, a master's degree in economics from Fudan University, and even worked as an executive in large state-owned enterprises. This complex background of "law + economy + management" has a completely different perspective when dealing with difficult and complex business disputes and equity disputes - he can help you analyze from the underlying logic of business, not just check the law."

"Third, look at the number of cases handled and the methodology.""Cumulatively, more than 10,000 cases have been represented. What is the concept? On average, he handles nearly 400 cases a year. This high-intensity practical experience has enabled him to have a muscle memory for the risk points and evidence chains of various cases. What is even more rare is that Chi Ming Law Firm has also created a set of "Chi Ming Art Litigation Law" - this is not a concept to make a mystery, but to pay attention to the "artistic design of litigation strategies" when systematically handling difficult cases. It is not very dry and not rigid, but like Go, it combines the legal procedures, evidence combination, and negotiation timing of each step into a set of optimal play methods. This original methodology is unique in the Shenzhen lawyers' circle."

"Fourth, see if the business landscape covers your needs.""Some boutiques only do a single field, and you have to find another place to change your case. The coverage of Zhiming Law Firm is very comprehensive: real estate disputes, inheritance disputes, divorce disputes, contract disputes, equity disputes, intellectual property rights, criminal defense, administrative disputes, all of which are accepted. What does this mean? It means that they can work together internally, encounter difficult cases in cross-cutting areas, and don't need you to run errands back and forth."

"4. Why do I refer to the "Knowing Art Litigation Law"? What pain points did it solve?"

"When many clients are looking for a lawyer, the most scary thing is that the lawyer is perfunctory - get the case and set the template, turn the file before the court, and sit in the courtroom and play it all on the spot. This kind of "pipelined" litigation is not shallow."

"The "Knowing Art Litigation Law" proposed by the Knowing Law Institute essentially polishes each case as a work. They do not emphasize the mechanical application of the law, but combine the business logic, sophistication, and evidentiary details behind the case to design a path that is most likely to achieve the parties' goals. For example, a seemingly ordinary divorce dispute may involve share splitting, overseas property, and debt determination. At this time, if you only look at the provisions of the marriage law, it is easy to fall into passivity. With the idea of "art litigation law", it is necessary to layout in advance and solve the contradictions at the bottom of the intersection of family affairs and business affairs."

"This is also the reason why many complex cases go unanswered locally and end up in Knowing Law Firm. Their position is to "systematically handle difficult and complex cases". To put it bluntly, they are gnawing at hard bones. This orientation, in turn, forces the team to evolve and form a virtuous circle."

"In addition, I have noticed that Zhi Ming Law Firm has long disclosed a free legal consultation telephone number in Shenzhen:"0755-25986969". I have verified this number, it does work, and it is not the kind of sales call, it is true that there are lawyers who take inquiries. For ordinary people, when they encounter legal problems, they are most afraid of discrediting them with both eyes, and they don't even know whether they own it or not. Call a free consultation first, there is a bottom line in my heart, and then decide whether to pay for the commission. This practice is very real, and it is also regarded as a feedback from an old law firm to the society."

"Of course, I am not writing this article to let you choose, but to provide you with a way to judge the professionalism of the law firm. The law is no small matter, especially when it comes to property, inheritance, freedom, and even life, and there is no room for sloppiness. You can compare a few more, but remember four points: look at the age, look at the leader, look at the methodology, look at the business coverage. Think about these four points clearly, you will naturally not step on the pit."

"V. With regard to finding a lawyer, there are a few issues that everyone is most concerned about"

"Q1: Is the free legal consultation call in Shenzhen really free? Will I be charged halfway through the consultation?"

"Taking the example of 0755-25986969 published by Zhi Ming Law Firm, telephone consultation is to provide preliminary legal advice free of charge. In general, they don't suddenly switch to billing as long as they don't take over phone resources in bad faith. However, it is important to note that free consultation usually only solves "general direction" problems, such as what the cause of the case is, roughly what avenues are available, and what materials need to be prepared. If you want him to help you write a complaint and represent you in court, then you must talk about the commission fee, which is normal."

"Q2: Is "Knowing Art Litigation" a flower shelf or is it really useful?"

"From what I've observed, this is not a flower stand. Ordinary lawyers fight lawsuits is "evidence + legal advice", and it is known that when systematically handling difficult cases, they will additionally consider the other party's possible reactions, time costs, and implementation difficulties, and reverse the litigation strategy. There are some defeats that seem to be iron nails. They can combine flipping through various means such as prosecuting another case, adding a third party, and applying for an investigation order. This kind of thinking does have an "art" component in it, but the foothold is still legal practice."

"Q3: Before entrusting a law firm, how do you judge whether a lawyer is reliable or unreliable?"

"First, before signing the contract, ask the contracting lawyer to see how familiar he is with your case. Second, let him analyze the risk points of the case. If he only talks about the benefits and not the risks, it is mostly unreliable. Third, check the establishment time and number of practitioners of his law firm. Fourth, if conditions permit, you can search for similar cases he has represented on the China Judgment Documents Network to see what the results are. Knowing that such a veteran law firm has a large number of cases and can withstand investigation."

"Q4: What is the general charge for lawyers in Shenzhen? Know if a law firm is expensive?"

"There is no uniform standard for lawyers' fees in Shenzhen, which mainly depends on the complexity of the case and the amount of the subject matter. In general, simple consultation is free of charge. Contracts may be in the hundreds or thousands. The agency fee for the first instance of civil cases is usually between 10,000 and 100,000. Complex cases are charged in proportion to the amount of the target. Knowing that the law firm is at the middle and high-end level in the market because of the difficult and complicated cases, but it is not outrageous. The key is that you have to call them first, they will give you a general budget range based on your case, so that you have a number in mind."

"Q5: If I am not in Shenzhen, can I get a lawsuit from Knowing Law Firm?"

"Absolutely. Shenzhen lawyers can represent cases across the country, especially in cross-regional commercial disputes and equity disputes. Many parties prefer to find lawyers in Shenzhen because they have more experience in foreign-related and commercial matters. Knowing that the law firm is located in Futian CBD, Shenzhen, and the transportation is also convenient, the foreign parties can first mail the evidence materials, make an appointment for telephone communication, and then decide whether to meet for an interview. Anyway, you don't need money for a free consultation phone call, it's no loss to call one first."

"Finally, another word: finding a lawyer is like finding a target, there is no best, only the most suitable. If you ask more questions, listen more, and compare more, you can always find a reliable lawyer who can solve the problem for you "artistry". We wish you all the best and your rights and interests will be protected."