Attorney interview scorecard
The short answer
Fill in one of these for each firm you speak to. It shows what a strong answer sounds like, records what you were actually told, and lets you compare on paper rather than by feel.
It scores the answers. It does not score, rank or recommend any firm, and this site never will. 1
The numbers, up front
- Speak to at least three
- Consultations in this field are almost always free, and the comparison is the point 2
- Where to find them
- Your state bar association can confirm who is licensed and in good standing, and many run a referral service 1
- The fee agreement must be written
- Professional conduct rules require a contingency fee agreement to be in writing and signed, stating how the fee is calculated and how expenses are handled 2
- The question that changes the money
- Whether case costs come out before or after the fee is calculated. It changes what you receive more than a few percentage points do 2
- What to score
- Specificity, not confidence. A lawyer who tells you something you did not want to hear is showing you how they will communicate for years 2
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere, stored on any server, or seen by anyone including us. There is no analytics on this page. Nothing is saved when you close the page. You can check this yourself: turn off your internet connection and the tool still works.
Nothing you type here leaves your device or is saved. Print it before you close the page.
Print one blank copy per firm and fill it in during the meeting.
How to use this well
One sheet per firm. The comparison is the point, and you will not recognize a strong answer until you have heard a weak one.
Score specificity, not confidence. A confident answer with no detail scores lower than an uncertain answer with detail.
Note the answer to the question they could not answer. How a lawyer handles not knowing is more informative than how they handle knowing.
A number at the first meeting is a warning sign. Nobody can value a case before the records are reviewed and a life care plan is written.
Being turned down is information, not a verdict. Ask why. If two or three firms decline for the same reason, that reason is real.
Read how to find and evaluate a birth injury attorney for the full guide, and what a case looks like so the process holds no surprises.
Questions parents ask
Does this recommend a firm?
No. It scores the answers you were given, so you can compare them yourself. This site does not name, rank, list or refer to any attorney or law firm, and it has no directory and no referral arrangement. Start with your state bar association. 1
What is the single most important question?
Whether case costs are deducted before or after the fee is calculated. It changes what you actually receive more than a few percentage points of fee do, and a firm should be able to show you a worked example on paper. 2
A firm gave a very confident answer. Is that good?
Not on its own. Score specificity rather than confidence. "We have handled hundreds of these" is confident and tells you nothing. "About fifteen HIE cases in the last decade, two of which went to trial" tells you something.
Where these facts come from
- American Bar Association. State Bar Association Directory. 2025. www.americanbar.org/groups/bar_services/resources/state-loca. Link checked September 3, 2026.
- American Bar Association. Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5 Fees. 2025. www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publi. Link checked September 3, 2026.