I think I sm going to need a tenant lawyer for my current housing situation. I know there are some lawyers who advertise on this site however just trying to make initial contact with them has been a headache. How do I find a good tenant lawyer? What are some red flag signs I should be aware of? What are some questions I should ask them before contracting them?
Look here first :http://tenant.net/Court/nolo/index.html The articles are a bit old, and not specific to NYC, but might have some valuable information.
Ask about the retainer, how much is it. Ask to see the document itself.
Google the attorney and firm. Check yelp.com.
But also realize that attorneys often juggle up to 50 cases, so they are not able to respond to every question immediately. You should expect a response in a day or two (or before), and not weeks, but understand they might be in trial with other tenants cases.
Also understand every minute you spend on the phone with them will be charged against the retainer. They work by the hour. So keep contact with them short and business-like.
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