Finding a lawyer when faced with a dispute – the RIGHT lawyer, is in itself an arduous task. It is not as simple as running your fingers through the yellow pages, or conduct a google search for the lawyer you need. You will get flooded by tons of listings from law firms, all of whom you have a vague sense of ability and a foreboding sense of cost.

Let’s take investment disputes in the property sector as an example.

Example: Property Investments

Many savvy investors are known for their keen interest in property investments, not only in their home country but also overseas. Australia, UK and US have been familiar and popular markets, but in recent years, regional and developing markets such as Vietnam, Cambodia and New Zealand are also attracting a flood of retail investors in both commercial and residential sectors.

Folks with overseas property investments rue the day we find ourselves in a situation where we have to resolve disputes from afar. These can range from property agent misrepresentations to development delays and defects and even landlord-tenant disputes.

Face to face negotiations are limited and time zone differences make for clumsy dispute management. More often than not, negotiating can only be done via email and other electronic means. The time lag in communications can be frustrating and incur further monetary loss.

Overseas investors often rely heavily on local agents to view or conduct investigations on-site, but individual retail investors may be at a disadvantage with little or no negotiating power. These result in precious time wasted attempting to navigate unfamiliar legal processes and cultural norms of resolving disputes.

Furthermore, finding a lawyer is not as simple as asking for assistance from the initial purchase and conveyancing legal team. This really presents yet another challenge. How do we find a lawyer in a foreign market? One whom we can trust to resolve the dispute cost-effectively?

Our advice when facing a dispute and looking for a lawyer, particularly in a foreign and unfamiliar market, is to first ask yourself the right questions and secondly, prioritize your wants.

Ask Yourself The RIGHT Questions

The most OFTEN asked question “What are my legal rights?” is unfortunately not quite the RIGHT question when facing a dispute.

At ResoX, in helping you reach the most cost-effective resolution, we believe our Dispute Advisor Quiz  is the best guide to do so.

You want to ask yourself the following questions:
• What do you define as a “win”?
• How far are you willing to go to achieve that “win”?
• In that particular jurisdiction, how reliable is the legal system in upholding a legal judgement?
• How much time and money can you afford to spend?
• Do you wish to preserve an on-going relationship with the other party?
• Do you require confidentiality?

These are questions that may seem extraneous, but are critical questions that you will be asked by any thoughtful lawyer throughout the entire dispute resolution process. More importantly, a helpful lawyer advocating for your interests should be using these questions to guide the choice of dispute resolution process – to negotiate, mediate, arbitrate or litigate.

Prioritize Your Wants

Oftentimes, disputants look out for many qualities in a dispute resolution provider. We WANT that professional to be competent, have a sense of urgency and most of all, affordable – in other words, cheap, fast and good.

But as the saying goes, you can’t have all 3 qualities and you’ll be fortunate if you even get two of the three.

Cheap + Fast = low quality
Good + Cheap = too slow
Fast + Good = expensive

Hence, prioritizing these qualities and finding a professional who shares the same priorities, is critical to contracting any service.

There is no one size fits all solution. Asking yourself the right questions is a useful exercise in self-awareness throughout the dispute resolution process. Prioritizing your needs is a reality check that will save you much time and money throughout.

Trust and Rapport

After you ask yourself these questions, then it really comes down to finding those compatible with your needs, particularly those whom you can build trust and rapport with. The ResoX directory of dispute resolution professionals (DRP) is built with your comfort in mind.

In a stressful time, you want a comforting presence that you can have confidence in. ResoX’s profiles of lawyers, mediators, arbitrators and conflict coaches provide you with the REAL person you will encounter as if at the first consultation. With video introductions and real write-ups, you will not be confronted with the veritable fact sheet of accomplishments you see on most other websites.

Checklist when Finding a Lawyer

If you are looking for a lawyer, or any dispute resolution professional to help you with your dispute anywhere in the world, do yourself a favor by using ResoX Search Questionnaire.

The questionnaire is designed to guide you gently along and you will find yourself following this checklist:

1. Ask yourself the right questions
2. Prioritize your needs
3. Who can you trust and build rapport with?

Through the questionnaire, ResoX aims to start you off on the right foot in your dispute resolution journey.