Legal Matchmaking: The Truth About Attorney Finder Websites - Part One

Using the internet to find a lawyer? Beware of websites that say they will help you locate, evaluate, and choose a lawyer. These sites are not always what they appear to be. They are not a public service. More often than not these sites are simply paid advertising spots.

There are two basic categories of lawyer finder websites. They are “directory sites” and “referral sites”.

Directory Sites
Directory sites are basically an online version of the yellow pages for attorneys who have paid for a listing in the directory. Typically, the more money that is paid by the attorney the bigger the ad. More money also means a higher rank in the directory, the more times the ad will be presented, etc. The directory offers listings and search criteria and you pick the lawyer to contact.