Personal Injury
How to Find the Right Lawyer?
By Ted Smith, Attorney · Originally published June 24, 2020. Updated July 16, 2026.
Hiring a lawyer is one of the more important decisions you will make during a difficult time, whether you are dealing with an injury claim, a probate matter, an estate plan, or a Social Security Disability case. The right attorney relationship can make a hard process manageable. The wrong one can make it worse. A little research up front goes a long way.
Start with research, not a phone call
Before you contact anyone, look the firm up. A law firm’s website should tell you what practice areas they actually handle, where the office is located, and who the attorneys are. Read it carefully enough to know whether the firm regularly handles cases like yours, not just whether the topic is mentioned somewhere on the page.
Online reviews are worth reading too. State Bar of Texas Ethics Opinion 685 says the rules do not prohibit lawyers from asking for positive reviews, but reviews and related communications must be truthful and not misleading, and lawyers must correct unfounded statements. No firm has a perfect record. What you are looking for is a pattern, not a single review in either direction.
If you want a neutral starting point beyond a firm’s own website, the State Bar of Texas runs a Lawyer Referral and Information Service that can point you toward an attorney in your area and practice type, and Texas Law Help maintains a public directory of legal resources across the state.
Talk to more than one firm if you can
Most firms offer an initial consultation to discuss your case in broad strokes. If your situation allows for it, and it often does, talk to more than one. Ask about how the firm handles cases like yours, who on the team you will actually be working with, and how they communicate with clients along the way.
Pay attention to how the conversation goes. You should be having a conversation about your case, not sitting through a sales pitch. The person across the table should be listening more than talking. If a firm is more focused on getting you to sign than on understanding what happened to you, that tells you something.
Weigh what you learned, not just the price
Once you have gathered information from research and consultations, take a moment before deciding. There can be a pull toward whichever firm quoted the lowest fee, and that can be a mistake. Litigation, disability appeals, and probate matters can run long, and some involve real emotional weight. The attorney-client relationship is a relationship. The person you hire should be someone you trust to guide you through a process that may take months, and someone you would actually want to talk to along the way.
Questions worth asking in that first consultation
A good consultation should feel like a real conversation, not a pitch. A few questions worth bringing with you:
- Has this firm handled cases like mine before, and how often?
- Who will actually be working on my file day to day?
- How will you keep me updated as the case moves?
- What does your fee structure look like, and what happens if the case does not settle or win?
How a firm answers, and how comfortable they seem answering, tells you almost as much as the answers themselves.
Military families have a few extra things to check
If you or a family member is connected to Fort Hood (formerly Fort Cavazos), it is worth asking whether a firm has experience working around deployments, PCS moves, and the scheduling realities that come with military life. A firm that understands how to keep a case moving even when a client is temporarily unavailable, or how a claim intersects with VA benefits or Social Security Disability, can save real frustration later.
Why Ted Smith Law Group
There are a lot of lawyers serving Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, and the rest of Bell and Coryell County. Ted Smith Law Group has been practicing in Central Texas since 1976. Founder Ted Smith served as an active-duty Army JAG officer at Fort Hood (formerly Fort Cavazos) before returning to build a civilian practice here, and the firm still works closely with the military families who make up a large part of this community.Our approach is a low-volume, high-touch practice. That means we have the time to actually work your case, and you are not routed through a phone tree to reach the person handling your matter. We would be glad to talk through your situation in a consultation, no obligation attached.
FAQ
Is there an obligation after a consultation? No. There is no obligation to hire the firm after discussing your case with us.
Can I trust online reviews for a Texas law firm? Reviews can be useful, but read them critically. State Bar of Texas Ethics Opinion 685 does not prohibit lawyers from asking for positive reviews. It requires reviews and related communications to be truthful and not misleading, and requires lawyers to correct unfounded statements.
Should I interview more than one lawyer before hiring one? If your circumstances allow it, yes. Most firms, including ours, offer an initial consultation, and comparing more than one gives you a better sense of fit before you commit.
What if I can’t afford a private attorney? Texas Law Help maintains a statewide directory of legal aid and reduced-fee resources, and the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral and Information Service can help connect you with an attorney appropriate to your situation and budget.
Does Ted Smith Law Group handle cases outside of Killeen? Yes, the firm regularly works with clients throughout Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas counties, including Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, and the surrounding Fort Hood community.
What if my case might involve Social Security Disability or veterans’ benefits alongside another claim? It is worth mentioning that connection during your consultation. A firm familiar with how Social Security Disability claims interact with other benefits and injury matters can help you understand how the pieces fit together instead of treating them as unrelated cases.
Sources
- State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral & Information Service, State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of Texas Ethics Opinion 685, State Bar of Texas
- Texas Law Help legal resource directory, Texas Law Help
Ready to talk through your situation? Call or text (254) 690-5688 for a consultation, or learn more about how we handle personal injury claims in Central Texas.