How to Check a Miami Lawyer Before You Hire Them

To check a Miami lawyer, look them up in The Florida Bar's free "Find a Lawyer" directory, confirm they are eligible to practice, look for public discipline, and read the fee agreement against Florida's contingency fee caps before you sign. It takes about ten minutes and uses only official sources. This guide walks through each step and lists the questions worth asking at the first meeting.

This guide is general information, not legal advice or a recommendation of any lawyer.

The short version

Search the lawyer in The Florida Bar's free Find a Lawyer directory by name or bar number.
Only "eligible to practice" means the lawyer can represent you; inactive, delinquent, retired, suspended, revoked and disbarred lawyers cannot.
If the name does not appear at all, the person is not eligible to practice law in Florida.
Public discipline such as suspensions and reprimands is shown on the profile.
"Board certified" must match the profile; only certified lawyers may use the term.
If a lawyer steals client money, The Florida Bar's Clients' Security Fund can reimburse up to $250,000.

The four checks at a glance

Each check answers one question, and each has an official place to find the answer.

Check	Question it answers	Where to look
1. License	Can this person practice law in Florida?	The Florida Bar member directory
2. Discipline	Has the lawyer been publicly disciplined?	The member profile and The Florida Bar's discipline records
3. Certification	Is the lawyer board certified in the relevant field?	Florida Bar Board Certification, shown on the profile
4. Fees	Is the fee within Florida's limits, and can I cancel?	Rule 4-1.5 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar

Step 1: how do you confirm a Florida lawyer's license?

Search the lawyer's name or bar number in The Florida Bar's Find a Lawyer directory and check that the status says they are eligible to practice in Florida. Every lawyer who practices Florida law must be a member of The Florida Bar. You can search by name, bar number, city or county, and filter by certification, practice area and language. A member profile shows:

the bar number, which identifies the lawyer even when two share a name;
the eligibility status: only a member shown as eligible can represent you in Florida;
the admission date, a reliable starting point for years of experience;
the firm, address and contact details on record;
any board certification.

Make sure the name, city and firm match the person who will actually handle your case. Large advertising firms sometimes pass cases to other lawyers.

What do the statuses on a Florida Bar profile mean?

A lawyer can practice Florida law only while in good standing: current on annual fees and continuing education, and not inactive, delinquent, retired, suspended, revoked or disbarred.

Status	Can the lawyer represent you?	What it usually means
Eligible to practice (good standing)	Yes	Fees paid and education requirements met
Inactive	No	The lawyer chose to stop practicing but remains a member and can apply to return
Delinquent	No	Usually unpaid annual fees or missed continuing education
Retired	No	The lawyer formally left the Bar
Suspended	No	Discipline: still a member, but without the right to practice for the suspension period
Revoked or disbarred	No	The license was taken away

If a name does not appear in the directory at all, that person is not eligible to practice law in Florida, either because they were never a Florida lawyer or because they can no longer practice. If a profile is unclear, contact The Florida Bar's membership records department before you sign anything.

Step 2: how do you check a lawyer's discipline history?

Look at the lawyer's Florida Bar profile, which shows public discipline such as suspensions, public reprimands and disbarments. Information about public discipline older than 10 years can be requested from The Florida Bar. A record does not tell the whole story, but you should know about it before hiring. If you have a concern about a lawyer's conduct, The Florida Bar's Attorney Consumer Assistance Program (ACAP) takes calls at 866-352-0707.

Step 3: what does "board certified" mean?

It means The Florida Bar has certified the lawyer's experience and knowledge in a specific area of law after peer review and an exam; only lawyers who hold it may advertise themselves as "board certified". The program is run by The Florida Bar under Chapter 6 of its rules, which the Supreme Court of Florida approves. For civil trial law, the certification most relevant to injury cases, the minimum requirements are:

Requirement	Minimum
Years in practice	At least 5
Focus on civil trial law	50% or more of practice in the 3 years before applying
Trial experience	At least 15 contested civil cases, including 5 jury trials and 5 trials as lead counsel
Continuing education	50 hours of approved civil trial CLE in the 3 years before applying
Peer review and exam	Favorable peer review and a written examination

Certification is a strong signal of trial experience. Many capable lawyers are not certified, so treat it as one factor among several.

Step 4: what should a Florida contingency fee agreement say?

It must be in writing, stay within the percentage caps in Rule 4-1.5(f), come with a Statement of Client's Rights, and let you cancel within 3 business days. Most Miami injury lawyers are paid a percentage of the recovery and nothing if there is none. Unless a court approves a higher fee, the maximum percentages are:

Stage of the case	Up to $1 million	$1-2 million	Over $2 million
Recovery before the defendant files an answer or a demand for arbitration	33⅓%	30%	20%
Recovery after an answer is filed, through judgment	40%	30%	20%
All defendants admit liability when they answer (trial on damages only)	33⅓%	20%	15%
Appeal or post-judgment relief	An additional 5% of any recovery

The rule also requires that:

the agreement is signed by both the client and the lawyer;
before signing, the client receives and reads the Statement of Client's Rights for Contingency Fees;
the client may cancel in writing within 3 business days of signing without owing a fee.

Ask how case costs (filing fees, experts, records) are handled: whether they come out before or after the percentage is calculated, and whether you owe them if the case is lost.

What should you ask at the first meeting?

Ask who will handle your case, what experience they have with cases like yours, how costs work and how you will be kept informed.

Who will handle my case day to day, and what is their bar number?
How many cases like mine have you handled, and how many went to trial?
How are costs calculated, and who pays them if we lose?
How will you keep me informed, and how quickly do you return calls?
What deadline applies to my claim? (For most Florida injury claims it is two years.)

What if a lawyer takes my money?

The Florida Bar's Clients' Security Fund can reimburse clients when a Florida lawyer misappropriates their money: up to $250,000 of the amount actually taken, or up to $5,000 of fees paid for no useful work.

A grievance must usually be filed with The Florida Bar first (call ACAP at 866-352-0707), unless the lawyer has been disbarred, had their license revoked or died.
The claim must be filed within 3 years of the final disciplinary action or the lawyer's death.
The fund does not cover negligence, malpractice, fee disputes or dissatisfaction with the work, and payments for misappropriation are made once a year, sometimes only in part.

The fund is a last resort. The best protection is the checks in this guide and a written fee agreement.

What if I do not know which lawyer to call?

The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30-minute consultation for no more than $25 (800-342-8011, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), and local bar associations run referral services in Florida's major cities. You can also compare board-certified lawyers in our Miami personal injury ranking.

Warning signs

Be cautious if someone contacts you uninvited soon after an accident, pressures you to sign at once or guarantees a result.

A status other than "eligible to practice" on The Florida Bar profile.
A "board certified" claim that does not appear on the lawyer's Florida Bar profile.
A fee above the Rule 4-1.5 caps, or no written agreement.
No Statement of Client's Rights, or being told you cannot cancel.

Frequently asked questions

Is The Florida Bar directory free?

Yes. Anyone can search it online without an account.

Can a lawyer licensed in another state handle my Florida case?

Generally they must be a member of The Florida Bar or be specially admitted by a Florida court for that case.

Can I change lawyers after signing?

Yes. Within 3 business days you can cancel without a fee. After that you can still change lawyers, but the first lawyer may be entitled to be paid for work done, usually out of the final recovery.

How does LexRanked use Florida Bar records?

License and bar status on LexRanked profiles can be marked verified only from an official source such as The Florida Bar, and every fact shows its source and the date it was checked. See the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Miami, Florida or the methodology.

What does "not eligible to practice" mean?

The lawyer cannot represent anyone in Florida right now, for example because they are inactive, delinquent in fees or education, retired, suspended or disbarred. Ask for the reason and do not hire them until the profile says eligible.

What if the lawyer is not in the directory?

Then the person is not eligible to practice law in Florida. Check the spelling and bar number, and if they are still missing, do not hire them.

Can I get my money back if a lawyer stole it?

Possibly, from The Florida Bar's Clients' Security Fund: up to $250,000 of misappropriated money, after a grievance and within 3 years of the final disciplinary action.

How do I report a lawyer?

Call The Florida Bar's Attorney Consumer Assistance Program at 866-352-0707. It can discuss your concern and explain how to file a grievance.