Today's post is geared towards people who aren't sure what they really should be looking for in a lawyer.
Sadly, the first thing clients want to know about when they are picking an attorney to represent them is "HOW MUCH"? Although this is a valid question, it one that often isn't looked at from a multifaceted perspective.
People will shell out thousands of dollars to hire big name attorneys, with 20 years of experience, or just a firm that has good reviews. Although i believe reviews are important (I am an avid yelp checker myself, I believe its important to point out that there are attorney's out there that are not only excellent, but could help you for a cheaper price than the big names, and who could also probably help you sort out your legal issues in a clear and concise manner. More importantly, there are lawyers out there who can relate to you,and your issues, and can empathize and find the passion to fight on your behalf better than anyone high priced, or easy to find/well known.
There are a lot of attorneys, solo's, partnerships ect that will sometimes provide you with limited scope (cheap options) at important points in your case. There are also attorneys who offer legal assistance with forms (wink wink), and provide other legal services that allow for clients to reap the rewards of an attorney's legal knowledge without the high cost fees.
However, a lot of the attorneys that have overhead low enough to offer these services can be harder to find. For instance, you will likely to need to visit a bar association site and ask for a lawyer referral, or do a little more digging and look through your friend list on facebook and ask someone if they know an attorney that can help with X,Y,Z issue. You may also want to scout craigslist, the blackpages, or shoppeblack ect. I would even suggest groupon (YES GROUPON), in some circumstances.
Ok, now that we have established how you can find the golden nugget attorneys of the law, its time to revisit why having an attorney that can relate to your situation is important.
Having an attorney who can relate to you is important for one reason! They know how important your case is, they understand your worry, your mindset and your goals and struggles. Having an attorney who will understand is crucial to you winning your case! Its crucial for one simple reason....An attorney who doesn't know, care or understand your concerns deeply just won't fight as hard.
Imagine having a ivy league attorney, fresh from Harvard, carrying the name of his reputable and rich father on his back. His legacy is established before he even came out of the womb. Now imagine that attorney, who had to sacrifice, get student loans, ration food, go through the stress every semester, never having a single easy day of school (of of life) handed to them on a silver platter. Lets say they were the product of divorced, and financially struggling parent(s), and now after that is the person brought before you to help you work through a bankruptcy, divorce or even an estate plan. I think/hope you know where i'm headed.
Why would attorney 1 care about you more than attorney 2? Think critically, what incentive or organic reason does attorney 1 really need to dig deep to care about why you are crying yourself to sleep every night with worry. There is no emotional investment in attorney 1 caring about you. However, with attorney 2, not only do they probably understand your worries at night, you are also more likely to have better communication with them. You are more likely to understand your attorney, and more importantly, your attorney is more likely to understand you and your goals....and will fight harder for them, providing you an outcome of less stress, and better results.
I hope this article has helped you, and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out! I am always available to help, and sometimes even provide free advice for those in need!
Stay safe out there!