You Can Get Good Advice And Tips About Lawyers Below
People need lawyers for many reasons. If you've never had a lawyer before, it can seem overwhelming. Legal terminology, how to explain your case to a lawyer, the rates for different services are all among the various factors that need to be taken into consideration. The following advice will help you deal with a lawyer more successfully.
Do not go with the first lawyer you happen to find in the phone book or on the web. Do thorough research for the best results. Ask around, and find out everything you can about lawyers that you're interested in.
A great tip if you're thinking about hiring a lawyer is to make sure the lawyer you select answers all of the questions that you have. You don't want to pick a lawyer who can't give you a straight answer because you'll be left in the dark and won't know what's going on.
If you notice that the lawyer you chose is not doing the job that you were expecting, do not be afraid to fire them. This is the person that you are paying your money for, so at any point you can cut ties. If you are facing a legal matter, you only want the best on your side.
Try to match the firm that you choose with the seriousness of the situation that you are in. If you are in a serious bind, you will want to have a big firm by your side. If you are trying to beat a moving violation, you can get a lawyer that belongs to a smaller firm.
Bring paperwork and other documentation to your initial meeting with potential lawyers. Your lawyer will be able to calculate a quote and give some helpful advice adapted to your situation. Being thorough can cut the costs.
When you hire a lawyer for a lawsuit case, hire one that will take your case on a contingency fee. If a lawyer is not willing to take your case on contingency, consider looking for a different one. If a lawyer wants to charge your hourly for this type of case, then he thinks he cannot win.
You should know what you can spend. Although you may be extremely confident you will win, you can't know for certain whether you will or not. Also, even if you did win, how much will it cost you? Check out the fee structure being offered by each lawyer. Discuss your budget and your expectations before signing an agreement. A clear understanding of the financial aspects of choosing a lawyer is important to your case.
You should make sure you have a solid case before attacking someone in court. Keep in mind that some lawyers only have their own interest in mind and will advise you to go to court regardless of how solid your case is. Present your case to different professionals and do some research on your own before you go to court.
Before you hire your lawyer, check their record for complaints. If there are just a few, you should not be too concerned, but if there are many, you should worry.
Check the desk of the lawyer if you are going in for a consultation. Make sure that he is neat, well-organized and clean. Also, notice his speech when you have a conversation with him. These are very good indicators of how professional he is, and how well he will present your case in court.
Figure out everything you can on the legal issue you're having prior to looking for a lawyer. If you don't know the specifics of your case, how can you find a lawyer that specializes in what you need? Make certain you truly understand your situation. Then you'll be better equipped to make wise decisions.
Even if you think you know the legal issues of check here your case well, go over the issues again with you lawyer. Have questions prepared beforehand and ask anything that comes to mind. You want to be well informed and know that he understands your case well. Being informed will ease your mind.
Before you meet with any attorney you are interested in, clarify as to whether or not he offers a free consultation. Particularly if you want to check out several different lawyers, you probably don't have the funds to pay a steep consultation fee. Simply avoid these people or try to do a lot of your research in other ways before setting up a face to face.
Make sure that you know how you can fire your lawyer in the beginning, not when it may be necessary. If you have to fire your lawyer, make sure you understand if they will still have to be paid out of any settlement you may receive. You do not want to pay someone after the fact for not doing any work for you.
Do you want to be able to email your lawyer? Then you must choose someone who knows what email is! Many lawyers are still in the Dark Ages when it comes to technology, so it is important to contact them through the method you'll use once they're hired to ensure it will work.
Don't be afraid to let go of an attorney that you are dissatisfied with. If they aren't doing the work that they promised, or you expected, it is absolutely okay to move on. You may even know more about what you need the second time around, so hiring another lawyer shouldn't be as difficult as it was initially.
Ask your lawyer if you can tour their entire office. Pay attention to details and look for clues that will give you an idea of how successful your lawyer is. Keep in mind that some lawyers might use displays of wealth to appear as more successful than they really are.
When buying or selling a house or car, it is important to have a real estate agent look over the contract to be sure you're not getting into something which could be legally regrettable. You won't understand all the legal mumbo jumbo, but they will, saving you trouble down the road.
A lawyer can be a great ally. You must feel that you have engaged a lawyer who is up to the challenge and will represent you well. Use what you read here and use it to find a great lawyer.
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."