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A law firm telling you how to choose a law firm is an obvious conflict, so this checklist is built from things you can verify yourself rather than qualities anyone can claim. Every item below is either a public record, a document you can ask to see, or a question with a specific answer. Apply it to every firm you talk to, including this one.
1. Verify the License and Discipline History
Start here, before any consultation. The State Bar of Arizona maintains a public record of every licensed attorney, including admission date, current status, and any public discipline. It takes two minutes and it is the only item on this list with a definitive answer.
Confirm you are checking the individual attorney who will handle your case, not the firm name in the advertisement.
2. Ask Whether Anyone at the Firm Is a Board-Certified Specialist
Arizona has a formal certification, and most attorneys do not hold it. The State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization, authorized under Rule 44 of the Arizona Rules of the Supreme Court, certifies specialists in ten practice areas one of which is Personal Injury and Wrongful Death.
Certification is not a marketing badge. It requires at least five years in practice, substantial involvement in Arizona personal injury and wrongful death matters across four of the preceding six years, peer review, specialized education, and a written examination. Only a small fraction of Arizona’s practicing attorneys hold it.
This also explains something you will notice while comparing firms. Under ER 7.4, an Arizona lawyer may not state or imply that they are a specialist unless certified by the Board or an approved national equivalent. So if a website calls its attorneys “specialists” without that certification, you have learned something about how carefully the firm reads its own obligations.
3. Get the Fee Percentage and Ask About the Step-Up
Nearly every injury firm works on contingency, so “no fee unless we win” tells you nothing. The questions that distinguish firms are narrower:
- What is the percentage?
- Does it increase if a lawsuit is filed, and at what point exactly?
- Is the fee calculated before or after case costs are deducted? This ordering changes your net materially, and it is rarely volunteered.
Ask for the fee agreement to read before you sign, not at signing. A firm that will not send it in advance has answered a different question. Our own breakdown of what a personal injury lawyer costs in Arizona explains the structure in full.
4. Ask What Happens to Case Costs If You Lose
This is the question almost nobody asks, and the answers genuinely differ. Case costs are separate from the fee: medical records, filing fees, deposition transcripts, accident reconstruction, expert reports. In a litigated case they can run into thousands.
Some agreements advance those costs and absorb them if there is no recovery. Others make the client personally liable for costs regardless of outcome. Both are lawful. They are very different deals, and the difference only becomes visible when a case does not go well.
Ask directly: if we recover nothing, do I owe anything at all? Then find that answer in the written agreement rather than taking it verbally.
5. Find Out Who Actually Handles the File
Ask who you will speak to when you call in month four, who takes your deposition preparation, and whether the attorney you are meeting will still be on the file if it is litigated.
High-volume advertising firms often run cases through case managers with attorney involvement at defined points. That model is not inherently worse, but you should know which one you are buying. It is a large part of why some clients choose a smaller firm.
6. Ask Whether the Firm Actually Files Suit
Insurers track this. Carriers know which firms litigate and which settle everything pre-suit, and they price offers accordingly. A firm that never files has limited leverage no matter how strong the file.
Ask how often the firm files in Maricopa County Superior Court, and what happens if the insurer’s best offer is inadequate. The answer should be specific. Most cases still resolve without trial, as our overview of whether car accident cases go to court explains but the credible ability to file is what makes the pre-suit number move.
7. Ask How They Handle Liens and Reimbursement
The settlement figure and the amount you keep are different numbers. Provider liens recorded under A.R.S. § 33-931 and health plan reimbursement rights come out of your recovery.
Ask whether the firm negotiates those claims down as part of the representation, or simply pays them at face value from the settlement. That work can change your net recovery substantially, and it is not automatic.
8. Test Whether They Screened Your Deadlines in the First Meeting
This is the fastest way to gauge whether a firm is paying attention to your case specifically. Two Arizona deadlines run far shorter than the general two-year rule, and a competent intake should surface both without prompting:
- A public entity claim. If a city vehicle, a transit bus, a signal failure, or a roadway defect may be involved, A.R.S. § 12-821.01 generally requires a notice of claim within 180 days, followed by one year to file suit.
- A crash on the clock. If you are working and are receiving workers’ compensation, A.R.S. § 23-1023 generally gives you one year to bring the third-party claim before it is deemed assigned to the compensation carrier. Firms that do not handle both sides of that overlap sometimes miss it; the two claims run on separate tracks.
If neither question comes up in your consultation, that tells you how closely anyone looked at your facts, and the deadlines that apply to your claim are worth confirming yourself.
Red Flags Worth Taking Seriously
- Someone contacted you first, at the hospital or by phone, offering representation. Arizona restricts live solicitation of prospective clients.
- A specific dollar figure promised early. No one can responsibly value a claim before treatment concludes.
- Awards cited without a source. A credible recognition names the organization conferring it and the year.
- Pressure to sign at the first meeting. A fee agreement is a contract; there is no legitimate reason you cannot read it overnight.
- Vagueness about costs. If nobody will put the cost terms in writing before signing, that is the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a Phoenix attorney is licensed and in good standing? The State Bar of Arizona maintains a public record of licensed attorneys showing admission date, current status, and any public discipline. Check the individual attorney who will handle your case rather than the firm name in the advertisement.
What does board certified mean for an Arizona injury lawyer? The State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization, authorized under Rule 44 of the Arizona Rules of the Supreme Court, certifies specialists in ten areas including Personal Injury and Wrongful Death. It requires at least five years in practice, substantial involvement over four of the preceding six years, peer review, and an examination. Under ER 7.4 an Arizona lawyer may not claim to be a specialist without it.
Do all car accident lawyers charge the same percentage? No, and the percentage is only part of it. Ask whether the fee increases once a lawsuit is filed, and whether it is calculated before or after case costs are deducted that ordering changes what you actually keep. Get the fee agreement in writing before you sign.
What happens to case costs if I lose my case? It depends entirely on the agreement. Some firms advance costs and absorb them when there is no recovery; others hold the client liable for costs regardless of outcome. Both are lawful and very different. Ask the question directly and confirm the answer appears in the written agreement.
Should I hire the firm with the biggest advertising presence? Advertising spend measures marketing budget, not case handling. What matters more is who will actually work your file, whether the firm files suit when offers are inadequate, and how it handles liens. Those are answerable questions; billboard volume is not.
When should I hire a lawyer after a Phoenix crash? Earlier than most people do, because evidence expires on its own schedule, camera footage often within days, and vehicle event data when a car goes to salvage. If a public entity may be involved, the notice deadline can be as short as 180 days.
Use the Checklist Before You Sign
Take the list above into every consultation. Ask for the fee agreement in advance, ask what happens to costs if the case fails, ask who handles the file, and see whether anyone raises the short deadlines without being prompted. The answers will differ more than the advertising does.
Use this checklist when comparing car accident lawyers in Phoenix AZ to make sure you’re hiring a firm that fits your specific case.
For what it is worth against our own list: Jason A. Harris has practiced personal injury and workers’ compensation law in Arizona since 2006, clients speak with him directly rather than a case manager, cases run on a contingency fee with no attorney fee unless compensation is recovered, and the fee agreement setting out cost terms is provided in writing before signing.
Harris Injury Law, PLLC 1136 E Campbell Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (480) 800-4878
Consultations are free and carry no obligation. Request a consultation or meet our attorneys. Every case depends on its own facts; no outcome can be promised or predicted.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Reading it creates no attorney-client relationship. Arizona rules and Bar programs change; verify current requirements with the State Bar of Arizona. Consult a licensed Arizona attorney about your situation.
Reviewed by Jason A. Harris, Harris Injury Law, PLLC.
