General Lawyers
4,727 verified general attorneys across the United States. Find experienced General counsel to evaluate your case, explain your options, and represent you through every stage of the legal process. Compare verified general attorneys nationwide by experience, peer ratings, and client reviews — get matched with counsel in any state, free for clients.
Mr. Henry Clay Keene is a lawyer practicing business law, corporate counsel, real estate law and 7 other areas of law.
Brent Aldrich Hart is a lawyer practicing civil litigation, civil rights, criminal and 2 other areas of law. Brent received a B.A. degree from Washing...
Brett Jonathan Danoff is a lawyer practicing appeals, civil defense, commercial real estate litigation and 20 other areas of law. Brett received a B.S...
Jeffrey brings his clients a wealth of professional experience and expertise in business, law, government, and political matters. He has advised clien...
Charles Learned Ala Medina is a lawyer practicing immigration, bankruptcy, business/commercial and 5 other areas of law. Charles has been licensed for...
Ken Tsiprin is a lawyer practicing criminal law, dui/dwi, traffic violations and 17 other areas of law. Ken has been licensed for 19 years.
Gary Lee Raaen is a lawyer practicing civil litigation, land use, personal injury and 4 other areas of law. Gary received a B.A. degree from Pacific L...
Nathan Matthew Manni is a lawyer practicing commercial, land use, probate and 42 other areas of law. Nathan received a B.A. degree from Whitman Colleg...
Claudia J. Joseph is a lawyer practicing arbitration transactions, civil litigation, contracts and 23 other areas of law.
James H. Gidley is a lawyer practicing general, product liability, litigation and 1 other area of law.
Mrs. Melissa J.
Mr. Andrew Corlett Schuh is a lawyer practicing medical malpractice, administrative, regulatory and 38 other areas of law.
Karim Hamir is a lawyer practicing estate planning, child support, civil litigation and 4 other areas of law. Karim has been licensed for 23 years.
Mr. James Austin Davis is a lawyer practicing criminal defense, family, divorce & separation and 6 other areas of law.
Setareh Mahmoodi is a lawyer practicing alternative dispute resolution, bankruptcy, business/ commercial and 29 other areas of law. Setareh received a...
Salim A. Khayoumi is a lawyer practicing dui, dwi, car accidents and 25 other areas of law.
Mr. Christopher C.
I grew up in Puyallup, Washington, and attended Western Washington University from 1986 to 1990. After graduating with Honors from Western Washington ...
Ms. Sue Stepp Tamblyn is a lawyer practicing domestic relations, family, general.
Andrew Kelvin Miller is a lawyer practicing criminal, general, criminal defense and 1 other area of law. Andrew received a B.A. degree from University...
Mr. Bryon J Benevento is a lawyer practicing general, bioscience and health care, commercial litigation and 5 other areas of law.
Mary Louise Johnson is a lawyer practicing bankruptcy arbitration, bankruptcy collections, bankruptcy fraud and 26 other areas of law. Mary received a...
Anne Louise Spangler is a lawyer practicing administrative/ regulatory, contracts, environmental and 6 other areas of law. Anne received a B.A. degree...
We believe in bringing the whole story together. We all know the whole story when we hear it, but we don't always know how to tell it.
Dean G. Constantine is a lawyer practicing bankruptcy/debtor/creditor/consumer, business/corporations, commercial law and 12 other areas of law.
Peter Anthony Spadoni is a lawyer practicing tax and transactions, agricultural law, banking and 9 other areas of law. Peter received a B.A. degree fr...
David James Sprinkle is a lawyer practicing commercial, land use, business and 6 other areas of law. David received a B.A. degree from University of N...
Tsai Law Company, PLLC is a boutique family law firm located in downtown Seattle. Our Seattle Divorce Lawyers have over 45 years of combined experienc...
Mr. Ernie Leger is a lawyer practicing personal injury law, criminal law, probate law and 16 other areas of law.
Mr. Curtis G.
Christine L. Garner is a lawyer practicing general, wills & living wills, real estate and 2 other areas of law.
T. Michael Thomas is a lawyer practicing family law, criminal law, general and 3 other areas of law.
Stephanie C Robinson is a lawyer practicing civil and criminal litigation, general, labor and employment law and 1 other area of law. Stephanie receiv...
Patrick Alan Monasmith is a lawyer practicing estate planning/ probate/ wills, general, judicial officer and 2 other areas of law. Patrick received a ...
Mr. Richard Baskin Word is a lawyer practicing administrative law, bankruptcy, civil litigation and 15 other areas of law.
Courtney McGowan is a skilled and reputable criminal defense attorney practicing in Westchester County and throughout the Hudson Valley. She began her...
Patrice Michelle Kreider-Hughes is a lawyer practicing business/ commercial, contracts, employment and 2 other areas of law. Patrice has been licensed...
P Jayson Thibodaux is a lawyer practicing administrative and civil law, criminal and traffic, family law and planning and 4 other areas of law. P has ...
Mr. Jerome A.
Philip Bradley Wade is a lawyer practicing tenant, business-civil litigation, civil rights and 16 other areas of law. Philip has been licensed for 20 ...
Mr. Jesse Clark Hatch is a lawyer practicing appeals, commercial litigation, general and 8 other areas of law.
Amavalise F Jaramillo is a lawyer practicing business, corporations, criminal and 9 other areas of law. Amavalise has been licensed for 23 years.
Shari Thieman Greene is a lawyer practicing business litigation, business/corporations, civil practice and 24 other areas of law. Shari received a B.S...
Ms. Denise Archuleta-Snyder is a lawyer practicing foreclosures, collections, mediations and 8 other areas of law.
Mr. Wesley Hall is a lawyer practicing general, real estate, landlord & tenant and 4 other areas of law.
Anne Marie Konsmo is a lawyer practicing general, government, litigation and 4 other areas of law. Anne received a B.A. degree from Concordia College ...
Mr. Richmond L.
Mr. Mark W.
Barry Michael Woodard is a lawyer practicing civil litigation, criminal, general and 2 other areas of law. Barry received a B.A. degree from Central W...
Bradley Alan Mellotte is a lawyer practicing elder, estate planning/ probate/ wills, landlord/ tenant and 4 other areas of law. Bradley received a B.A...
Mr. Larry Lloyd Mundahl is a lawyer practicing commercial litigation, creditor debtor relations, real estate and 9 other areas of law.
Diane Frances Russell is a lawyer practicing civil litigation, contracts, employment and 2 other areas of law. Diane received a B.A. degree from Unive...
Anne-Marie E Sargent is a lawyer practicing employment law, drafting employment agreements, severance negotiation and 12 other areas of law. Anne-Mari...
Judy Irene Massong is a lawyer practicing auto accidents, civil litigation, construction and 9 other areas of law. Judy received a M.S. degree from Un...
Mr. Howard Mark Goodfriend is a lawyer practicing appellate, general, trial court litigation.
Mark Parker Kuffel is a lawyer practicing general, arbitration, dispute resolution. Mark received a B.A. degree from Washington State University in 19...
Martin David Meyer is a lawyer practicing general, general practice. Martin received a B.A. degree from Seattle University in 1981, and has been licen...
David Alexander Alskog is a lawyer practicing real estate, construction & design, school and 17 other areas of law. David received a B.A. degree from ...
Steven Grant McNeill is a lawyer practicing criminal, family, general and 9 other areas of law. Steven received a B.S. degree from Ball State Universi...
Jessica McKeegan Jensen is a lawyer practicing administrative-regulator, consumer, contracts and 15 other areas of law. Jessica received a B.A. degree...
What is General?
General is the branch of law that governs the rights, obligations, and disputes that arise within its subject matter. In the United States, general sits at the intersection of statutes enacted by Congress, the regulations issued by federal agencies, the laws passed by all fifty state legislatures, and the body of judge-made decisions known as the common law. Because every state writes its own version of the rules, the way general works in one jurisdiction can look noticeably different from how it works in another, and that is one of the main reasons attorneys in this area focus their practice geographically — to stay fluent in the local statutes, court rules, and judicial preferences that shape outcomes.
At a practical level, General attorneys spend their time on three categories of work. The first is advice and prevention: counselling clients on how to structure transactions, draft documents, and conduct business so that legal risk is minimised before a dispute ever begins. The second is transactional execution: producing the contracts, filings, notices, and registrations that the law actually requires to make a decision legally binding. The third is contested representation: defending or pursuing a client's interests when a dispute escalates to negotiation, regulatory enforcement, arbitration, or litigation in court.
The clients who hire General lawyers range from individuals navigating a single life event to multinational corporations with complex regulatory exposure. What unifies them is the need for an experienced lawyer who knows the relevant code sections, has appeared in the relevant courts, and can translate the strategic options into language a client can act on. AttorneyQnA currently lists 4,727 verified general attorneys across the United States, each with a public profile showing their bar admissions, years in practice, and the kinds of matters they have handled — with the deepest concentration of practitioners in Alabama.
When do you need a General attorney?
Most people contact a general lawyer for one of two reasons: something is about to happen that they want done correctly the first time, or something has gone wrong and they need it fixed before it gets worse. The earlier you involve counsel, the more options you usually have, and the lower the cost of getting to a resolution tends to be. The scenarios below are the ones we see most often on AttorneyQnA from prospective clients searching for general representation.
Once your signature is on a contract, settlement, lease, or release, your bargaining leverage drops sharply. A short pre-signature review by a general lawyer is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Cease-and-desist letters, regulatory notices, and demand letters all start clocks. Missing the response window can convert a manageable problem into a default judgment or formal enforcement action.
Statutes of limitations, filing windows, and appeal periods are jurisdictional — courts cannot extend them as a favour. If you can identify a date that matters, you need a lawyer before that date arrives.
The moment opposing counsel appears, the conversation moves out of normal English and into procedural language. Continuing unrepresented usually means losing ground you cannot recover later.
Forming an entity, choosing a venue, structuring a deal, or selecting a remedy each has long-term consequences. A consultation at the planning stage is far cheaper than redoing it after the fact.
Multi-state matters bring conflict-of-laws questions that change which statutes apply and which court has authority. An attorney licensed in the right jurisdiction is not optional.
If any of the situations above describes where you are right now, the next step is a focused consultation. Use the Ask a Lawyer tool for short written questions, or browse the 4,727 general attorneys listed above to book a paid consultation directly.
How to choose a General attorney
The single biggest factor in choosing a general lawyer is fit with your specific matter. A lawyer with twenty years of general experience but no exposure to your particular sub-issue can easily be a worse choice than a five-year associate who has handled the same problem repeatedly. We recommend running every prospective lawyer through the same five-step checklist before signing an engagement letter.
- Bar admission in the correct jurisdiction. Confirm the lawyer is admitted in the state — and where relevant, the federal district — where your matter sits. The lawyer's profile on AttorneyQnA shows every bar admission on file, and the underlying state bar's "lawyer lookup" tool will confirm active standing in under a minute.
- Direct experience with your fact pattern. Ask plainly: "How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and how did they resolve?" An honest answer reveals more than years-in-practice alone.
- A written fee agreement. Whether hourly, flat fee, contingent, or hybrid, the engagement letter should specify what is included, what triggers additional charges, and how disputes are handled. Avoid lawyers who resist writing the terms down.
- Communication cadence. Decide upfront how often you expect updates, who your day-to-day contact will be, and what response time is reasonable. The number-one complaint filed with state bar grievance committees is not malpractice — it is non-communication.
- Conflict check + reputation pulse. Make sure the lawyer has run a formal conflict check, then spend ten minutes reading independent reviews and any public disciplinary history. The state bar's website is authoritative for the second; the lawyer's AttorneyQnA profile collects the first.
Once you have a shortlist, schedule consultations with two or three. Lawyers vary widely in temperament, and the right strategic match for your case is sometimes the second or third lawyer you meet — not the first.
How much does a General lawyer cost?
Legal fees in the United States are not regulated by a uniform schedule, so what you pay a general lawyer depends on the billing model the lawyer offers, the complexity of your matter, and the local market. There are four billing structures used in this practice area; most engagements use one, but hybrid arrangements are increasingly common.
1. Hourly billing
The default model for most non-contingent matters. Rates for general attorneys in the U.S. typically range from $150–$250/hour in smaller markets to $400–$700/hour in major metropolitan areas, with senior partners at large firms commanding $900/hour and above. Hourly billing is fairest when the scope of work is genuinely unpredictable, but it creates an incentive structure that the client has to monitor.
2. Flat fee
Increasingly used for well-defined transactions — incorporations, will drafting, single-issue filings, uncontested matters. A flat fee tells you exactly what the deliverable will cost, and the lawyer absorbs the risk of unexpected complexity. Ask whether the flat fee includes filing fees, third-party costs, and any post-filing follow-up.
3. Contingency
Where it is permitted by the rules of professional conduct — most often in plaintiff-side general work involving monetary recovery — the lawyer is paid a percentage of the proceeds, typically 33% before suit is filed and 40% after. The client pays nothing if there is no recovery. Contingency fees align the lawyer's economics with yours, but the percentage compounds across time, so very strong cases sometimes do better on hourly billing.
4. Retainer / subscription
A monthly fee that buys a defined block of access or hours. This is common for businesses with ongoing general needs — contract review, employee questions, regulatory check-ins. A subscription smooths out spending and gives the lawyer a reason to know your operation in depth.
Whichever model you choose, ask for an itemised written estimate before the engagement begins, and ask explicitly what is not covered. Surprise expenses are the most common source of attorney-client friction.
Frequently asked questions about general
How quickly can a general lawyer review my matter?
Most lawyers can schedule an initial consultation within 1–3 business days. Urgent matters — pending deadlines, time-sensitive notices, court-ordered hearings — should be flagged in your first message; many lawyers reserve emergency consultation slots for that reason. If you need a written answer faster, the Ask a Lawyer tool typically returns answers in under 24 hours.
Do I need a general lawyer in my exact city, or anywhere in my state?
Bar admission is the controlling rule: any attorney licensed in your state can represent you in that state's courts and agencies, regardless of which city they're based in. Practical proximity still matters for in-person meetings, local court familiarity, and access to the local bench and bar. For state-level filings and remote-friendly matters, an attorney elsewhere in the same state often works fine.
Will an initial consultation cost me anything?
Many general attorneys offer a free 15- to 30-minute initial consultation; others charge a flat consultation fee that may be credited against the engagement if you hire them. The lawyer's profile lists the consultation policy. Free does not always mean better — a fee-based consultation is sometimes the sign of a lawyer who treats their time, and yours, seriously.
What documents should I bring to the first meeting?
Bring every contract, notice, letter, filing, or written communication connected to the matter; a written timeline of events with dates; the names and contact details of every other party involved; and any deadlines or hearing dates you are already aware of. Even an incomplete file is more useful than a verbal summary alone.
Can I change lawyers if I am not happy with mine?
Yes. Clients can discharge their lawyer at any time, for any reason, by written notice. Your case file belongs to you and must be transferred to your new counsel. Any unpaid fees through the date of discharge remain owed; any unearned advance must be refunded. If you are mid-litigation, the court typically must approve the substitution, but approval is routine.
How long does a typical general matter take?
It depends almost entirely on whether the matter is transactional or contested. A transactional matter — a contract, a filing, a single-step transaction — can resolve in days to weeks. A contested matter — anything involving disputed facts, court intervention, or regulatory action — typically takes months at minimum, and complex cases can run multiple years. Your lawyer should give you a realistic outside estimate at intake.
Are general lawyer fees tax-deductible?
It depends on the nature of the matter and current tax law. Fees connected to producing or collecting taxable income, managing investment property, or operating a business are often deductible; fees for personal matters generally are not. Because rules change, confirm deductibility with a tax professional for the year in which the fees are paid.
What is the difference between general and the related practice areas?
General overlaps with several adjacent areas — see the related-practice-area grid below for direct links. Choosing the right lawyer often means picking the one whose primary focus matches the heart of your problem, even if multiple labels could technically apply. When you are unsure, list your situation in your own words to two lawyers from neighbouring areas and ask which one of them is the better fit; honest lawyers will tell you.
Find general attorneys by state
Each state link below opens the general roster for that jurisdiction, with the local statute of limitations, court-system overview, and verified attorneys.
General Law Firms
Main Law Firm
Winter Park
Walton Law Firm
San Marcos
Bruner Law Firm
Fort Walton Beach
J&Y Law Firm
Los Angeles
West Law Firm
Charleston
John T. Floyd Law Firm
Houston
General by State
All states →Find general attorneys in every US state. Each state link opens a hub with verified attorneys, the state filing deadline, and a free attorney match.