So what do I ask my attorney?

So I'm sitting in an attorney's office with a load on my mind. I've got a problem or I wouldn't be here. Where do I start? What should I ask? There are lots of things to consider when considering hiring a lawyer and we'll tackle just a few questions today and a few more in subsequent posts. 

Expertise & Experience 
First off, consider expertise and experience and by that, I mean skills to manage the case successfully and actual experience handling your type of legal problem. Ideally, you need both from a lawyer who is to represent you. While lawyers can never guarantee a successful outcome (and beware of those who do make such promises), don't be afraid to ask questions

about your potential attorney's skills in the area of law: how many years in practice, any specialized training or courses in this area of practice? How much of the practice is devoted to these kinds of legal problems? What kind of results has the attorney achieved?

Options for the Case
Be sure to ask about possible case resolution options. Is there only one way to solve, fix, end this? What are my legal options? Must we go to court and litigate? Can we resolve this issue any other way? Can we mediate? Can we arbitrate? What's the difference?  How much time does the attorney spend on non-court resolution methods? What's the attorney's preferred strategy? Hard ball or negotiation?  It's also very important to ask yourself what style you're comfortable with and how you want to approach your legal issue.

Food for thought. More to follow. Stay tuned.