Understanding Lawyers With These Easy To Follow Tips
Some matters and situations in life just dictate that you have to use a lawyer. It can be as simple as a single legal document you need advice on, or full blown representation in court. Whatever the case may be, no pun intended, you may not be familiar with dealing with lawyers. Read on to learn a few things.
A good tip if you're looking to hire a lawyer is to make sure you pick the right one. Location can be a big factor when looking to hire a lawyer. If you're going to being to court soon, it's absolutely crucial that the lawyer you pick is in the area.
You might think about paying a lawyer a retainer just in case something catastrophic happens. You will be able to find the perfect lawyer on your time. Having a trusted lawyer on retainer will also give you an expert on hand, should you ever have any legal advice.
Use Google to your advantage when it comes to hiring a lawyer. Look for reviews about any attorney you are considering. If the general consensus is that the attorney you are interested in is lazy and incompetent, you should do your best to look for another attorney to handle your case.
A good tip if you're looking to hire a lawyer is to try to find the right lawyer for the task you need. If you're simply wanting to draw up a contract, hiring a big shot, corporate lawyer is probably overkill and is just going to cost you a lot more.
Ask everyone you know if they've used a lawyer for a legal situation such as yours, and who they might recommend. Don't forget to collect references for the lawyers on your short list and check them out. Also conduct a background check and Google them to see what others say about their services.
Find out up front how frequently you should be in tough with your lawyer. If you need them to get in touch with you quickly after you contact them, communicate that to them up front. If you face this problem with your current lawyer, find a new lawyer at your earliest convenience.
If a lawyer is nothing but confident that he or she will win the case, find a new lawyer. Even the best lawyers will tell you that no case is guaranteed. Look at this behavior as a red flag, warning you to continue your search for a better attorney.
On the first meeting that you have with your lawyer, tell him that you want to have constant communication through phone calls, emails and face to face contact. This will show that you not only mean business but want to be informed constantly on what is going on with your case.
Keep in mind that lawyers can't work miracles. If someone tells you that your case is a slam dunk, that should raise red flags. As far as the law goes, nothing can be promised, so never believe a lawyer who says he is always successful.
When looking for a lawyer, time is significant. However, it is not so important that you hire the first lawyer you meet. Always consider more than one lawyer. You need to make sure they have the skills you need, that you can afford them, and they will fight for your best interests.
I want a big name lawyer! I want them to scare the judge! Just like in everyday life, wants are great, but needs are more important. You have to make a list of your needs and choose a lawyer based on that list, not all the wants you have in your heart.
Trust your first impressions of your lawyer. If a lawyer does not seem trustworthy or works too hard to convince you to file a lawsuit, you should not hire them. You should find a lawyer who makes you feel comfortable, takes the time to explain things and clearly has your best interest in mind.
Never hire a lawyer who contacts you after you have been in an accident. Respectable and trustworthy lawyers wait for clients to contact them once they device they want to file a lawsuit or find themselves in legal trouble. A check here lawyer who contacts you first obviously cannot rely on their good practices to find clients.
If you don't feel comfortable with a potential lawyer, don't select him or her. Even if this person has seemingly the best qualifications, if your personalities aren't jiving it could lead to some tough times ahead. Find a lawyer that works for you. He or she is out there.
Look for someone with a proven track record when hiring a qualified lawyer. Although someone fresh out of law school may be highly skilled and motivated, experience is vital to winning your case. Search public records and ask people you know for a lawyer that is well established in successfully maneuvering within the legal system.
If you cannot afford a lawyer, consider representing yourself. Find a lawyer who is willing to help you prepare a good defense and give use some useful advice. Some lawyers will help you build a solid defense and bill you for a the few hours they spent working with you.
When it comes to comparing big firms and little firms, you cannot find any guarantees as the larger, more expensive groups. They're not necessarily better at their job, more experienced, or even more likely to get you a win. Consider the best lawyer, not just the most famous one available.
Make sure your lawyer is licensed by the state that you're living in. State licenses are not valid across all states. The advice an attorney shares with you will not be relevant in another state. Always inquire at the state licensing board in order to make sure things are on the up and up.
You will feel so confident if you face your legal issues with a lawyer you trust. Use the advice you have just read to help you make the best selection. Apply what you've learned here, and go out and find the best one.
Auto insurers play hardball in minor-crash claims
Profitable strategy
The cases, CNN found, illustrate a carefully developed strategy to make the victims look like they are trying to defraud the insurers.
But documents CNN obtained indicate profit, not fraud, is the reason companies decided to play hardball in small accidents.
For Allstate and State Farm, according to documents obtained by CNN, the strategy was developed in the mid-1990s with the assistance of consulting giant McKinsey & Co.
Looking for a way to boost profits, McKinsey focused on soft-tissue injuries incurred in minor crashes.
While the McKinsey documents -- numbered in the thousands -- are under seal in courts around the country, CNN saw several of them during a court hearing in Lexington, Kentucky.
Playing off Allstate's signature slogan, one document recommends the insurer put boxing gloves on its "good hands" for those who insist on going to court.
The strategy, according to former Allstate and State Farm employee Jim Mathis, relies on the three D's -- denying a claim, delaying settlement of the claim and defending against the claim in court.
"The profits are good, and as long as the community, the public allows this to occur, the insurance companies will get richer and people ... will not get a fair and reasonable settlement," Mathis said.
Both Allstate and State Farm declined requests for interviews.
In an e-mail, Allstate wrote it did not believe it would "have any real opportunity of being successful in getting you (CNN) to do a balanced report."
State Farm wrote: "We take customer service seriously and seek to pay what we owe, promptly, courteously and efficiently, and we handle each claim on its own merits."
The company also said, "Any attempt to generalize that State Farm adopted consultant recommendations as other insurers is just plain wrong."
A company spokesman sent an additional e-mail, saying that the company did work with McKinsey to improve claims handling but State Farm stopped using the McKinsey program in 1999.
Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, told CNN insurers do not have a strategy of blanket denial of claims. He also said strategies to limit expenditures on minor-impact crashes are needed to fight fraud.
Hartwig specifically singled out lawyers who he claims make a living on car accident victims, saying those lawyers are upset because "the gravy train is over."