A former client of mine and told me the other day. Only after I had settled her she has to tell me what her friends said, shortly after she told them, they rented a solo practitioner for her injury case.
"How you can rent a one-man law firm?" one of her friends asked.
"What happens if he gets sick?" asked another.
"As he has the resources, which has a large company?" said another good friend.
"What he is, you have opted for it over the other lawShe saw in companies? "
The answers were revealing.
She said her well-meaning friends, I was the only lawyer, the information from her before they even come into my office. None of the other firms, they said it would be no information on cases such as hers to give. In fact, the five New York law firms she contacted, I was the only lawyer who has actually talking on the phone with her. All other talks were confronted by reception staff, intercepted when they wanted a meeting place for them.
She explained to her friends that I have on my site for free like reports of medical malpractice cases. This was new for them and the information was very helpful as a case work. She was also grateful to learn how a lawyer actually evaluates a potential medical malpractice case in New York. Before we go to my website, she had preconceived ideas about what types of cases accepted by injuries and> Accident lawyers in New York. My reports helped her understand the proceedings, a lawyer must determine by to see if somebody went a valid case.
This woman says to her friends that she is a paralegal at a major law firms in New York City, how they communicate with their customers speak. This is what she was told: "You will meet an associate when you come to us for the first time. They will all be gathering information about your case. As soon as weYour records and see that you have a valid case, your case will be composed of a team of lawyers assigned to be from a senior trial lawyer, an associate and a paralegal. "When she asked when she had received to meet with the senior trial attorney, she was told that only if her case went to court, they should take with him. Otherwise, they will do it with the associate had on the day bring for a day. The paralegal was very flip about how easy it was to get the information from her and from the associate. "Do notWorry, we know exactly what's going on with the case every day, "was her comment.
Be called when my soon-to-client to put this firm on the same day to the paralegal more questions, which started off her speech as follows: "Thank you for calling _____ firm. How can I direct your call?"
"I want to with the paralegal I spoke to earlier about a possible case to speak."
"Do you know her name?" "No!"
"Well, we have over 20 paralegals. How do you spell the lastName? "
"Never mind," she replied, frustrated with the person who spoke to them earlier.
Another firm said they refused to tell her everything about the phone. This is understandable, because there are many legal risks when a lawyer for legal advice over the phone are incurred. First, there is no attorney-client relationship when someone calls with a question on the phone. Theoretically, everything discussed is what might be found to beat a later date. Secondly, there are so many facts that are missing that it would be unreasonable for an attorney can give legal advice should be based on incomplete information. Ideally, the lawyer wants the person who come to explain the problem, and then the rest potential customers informed and educated decision about the concrete facts.
Refusing to discuss many lawyers do with a potential customer until they in the door of their office on foot.
What this young womanas particularly helpful were the video tips on my video blog and my website, the various areas of medical malpractice, wrongful death and personal injury law to discuss. In my training videos I provide information of general interest to a website visitor to understand how the legal process works to help. In a video I explain in detail how a medical malpractice process from start functioning until the end. In another video, I explain some of the interesting cases I have where I have received compensation, treatedfor my customers who have been injured.
This woman also told her friends that she asked each law firm she cried, how often the lawyer communicates with her about updates to their case. These were the answers they received:
"We will send you a quarterly letter to advise you what happens with your case."
"Oh, we will send written updates. If you need to know what happens, you want to call ourselves. If we update regularly to all our clients, we spend most of our time To write letters. "
When she came into my office, she was pleased that I once sent a written update of the month. They also learned that I often call my clients and e-mail with them. She was even more surprised that I answer my own phone calls too often and always promptly return my customer. There are no paralegal in my office that asks "How do you spell your last name?" My paralegal knows who are my clients, and it is well known. There is no partner, calling to another, > Lawyer: "What happened on this case, the last time was at a conference in court?" There is no running to the file or the control of the computer to find out what recently happened on your case, because in my office, I'm the only one who dealt with your case, start to finish. I know exactly what's going on with the case at any time, because I the only one to have it serviced. Not a paralegal. Not an associate. Not a junior partner. Just me, a solo practitioner who has been in practice in> New York for twenty years.
This woman asked me at our first meeting "How can you compete with the big law firms in terms of legal research?" My answer shocked her. I told her I did not need a big law library with musty old law pounds. Everything I need is on my computer. Legal research is now computerized. The solo practitioner has the same legal research capacity than the largest law firm. I told her that if a case out of my reach and the resources that Inot easy, I would never accept and would increase the potential customer to another firm that the ability to have to deal with it relate.
Importantly, I mentioned that to help if they need to go to a big law firm in New York City and the cost of their fancy offices and beautiful mahogany furniture and beautiful felt the ground-to-ceiling windows with offices with view of the city, then by all means they should go there. But I also told her that these beautifulOffices not win lawsuits. It is the lawyer who takes a particular office that wins cases. Regardless of whether that office in Manhattan or Long Iceland is. "If you have another fish in the sea, I'm sure you'll be very happy with this law firm. However, if you have a personal approach to each step of the way to stop, then a small law firm is right for you."
I am pleased to say that this woman was extremely satisfied with their choice of lawyers. After they finishedexplain their observations to their friends, you have to laugh to hear any more about their choice of attorney for their case. The only comments were, she heard "You know, you're right." "I'm sorry I doubted your choice of lawyers." "I did not know there was such a difference between law firms."
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