New Hanover County Attorney

New Hanover County is one of the most densely populated counties in North Carolina.  The 2000 census found over 160,000 residents in New Hanover County.  In 2000 that averaged out to be 806 people per square mile.  We are two years away from a new census or nine years into the last one, whichever way you prefer to look at it.  Either way, the population in New Hanover County has grown substantially.  When you are trying to get through College and Oleander it might as well be Mexico City for the amount of times one can sit through that light.  I have personally sat through five light changes during one trek from Monkey Junction to South College. 

Of the +160,000 residents how many of those are New Hanover County Attorneys?  There are probably two attorneys per square mile in New Hanover County.  If you don’t believe me, dust of a hard copy phone book and turn to the Attorney section. 

So… how do you choose your attorney? 

First things first, make sure your attorney is competent to handle the matter you are inquiring about.  Don’t ask a real estate attorney to handle your divorce and expect to get the best representation possible.  Or as a close friend of mine says often, when you need a hand doctor you don’t go to a foot doctor.

Next, you will want an attorney that you can work with on a personal level.  You need to be able to communicate with your attorney and more importantly understand the information they are conveying to you (which is costing you by the hour.)  Even as a lawyer sometimes I have a hard time taking in information from other lawyers because of what I like to call a communication gap.  There are as many different personalities as there are people and you cannot expect for everyone to mesh all the time.  Sometimes your lawyer may assume you have prior knowledge on the subject when in fact you don’t and you will miss the entire point because you are sitting there trying to figure out what they are talking about.  Again a waste of time and money.  There is such a thing as a stupid question.  For example when my daughter asks…”Mom, can I stay home from school today…” versus “…what is a rescission period….”  A genuine question asked because someone thought about it and still did know the answer on their own could never be stupid.  Don’t be afraid to ask your lawyer questions about things that you think you should already know but don’t.  You will miss out, and besides your paying them for that.

Also, you will want to inquire whether or not your attorney will have the time necessary to devote to your case.  The number one complaint about New Hanover County Lawyers is that they do not return phone calls in a timely manner or not at all.  This is probably a symptom of being overloaded more so than being obnoxious…but very irritating when you need information or help.

Missing your court date can have serious consequences!

Finally, when you do hire an attorney remember if you are not happy with your attorney client relationship there are plenty of other New Hanover County Attorneys out there that may be a better fit for you.

For minor traffic violations, your attorney may usually go to court for you and you do not have to appear.   Be certain to understand whether this applies to you.

Otherwise, if you do not go to court on the date that you are supposed to, then an Order for Arrest may be issued on that day.  It is also possible that your driver’s license could be revoked if you fail to appear in court on your scheduled date.

When you fail to appear in court and a warrant is issued for your arrest, you become a fugitive in the eyes of the law.  If you are caught (even in a routine traffic stop), you will be arrested, booked and possibly imprisoned.