By having an idea of a lawyer’s fees upfront, you may be in a better position to budget for their services as your case progresses.
With hundreds of law firms across the United States, choosing one during your time of need is not always an easy task. You may even be further challenged by an injury or illness that slows you down or impairs your ability to make wise decisions.
While there is no shortage of well-regarded lawyers, that doesn’t mean that all lawyers come highly recommended in their communities. If you’re unsure whether you made the right decision, these warning signs may indicate that you haven’t.
They Promise a Win
Even the best personal injury lawyer with a high success rate and a clear-cut case in front of them will generally not promise their client a win. Anything can happen during a personal injury case, and most legal professionals would say that there is no such thing as a sure win.
A lawyer that promises success and a hefty settlement figure may just be confident in their abilities, but they may also be over-confident, leading to disappointment and possibly even an undesirable lawsuit outcome.
Poor Reviews
While you can never regard all online reviews as the truth about law firms, they can sometimes paint a telling picture of the level of service you can expect. If you research a law firm or lawyer’s name and notice that they have a series of poor reviews, consider why this might be.
See if you can learn consistent information from each review, such as a lack of contact, poor organization, or overconfidence in their abilities. If you’re unsure which lawyer to choose after reading reviews, consider asking friends and family for recommendations based on their own experiences.
They Take On All Cases
A general lawyer usually is quite a skilled professional with an excellent understanding of many different facets of the law. However, if they don’t work with personal injury cases every day, they might not be as skilled as a lawyer who does.
Dedicated personal injury lawyers generally have many years of experience to fall back on, dozens of cases like yours to refer to, and insight into the intricacies of personal injury law. They might even have contacts to utilize, such as expert witnesses to strengthen your case. If your general lawyer doesn’t have the same experience level, you may not receive the outcome you were expecting.
You Struggle to Contact Them
Lawyers are busy people who spend countless hours meeting with clients and negotiating with parties on their behalf. However, it can be challenging to know how your case is progressing if your lawyer fails to contact you.
Communication is an essential skill for lawyers, and you may not be convinced that you chose the right lawyer if it’s a skill they don’t appear to have. At a minimum, you should have at least one contact avenue, such as phone, email, or live chat. Sometimes, busy lawyers will hire competent legal assistants to manage basic communication on their behalf. When you need a question answered or a progress update, you should expect to receive an answer in a timely fashion.
They Encourage You to Settle Early
The majority of personal injury lawsuits settle out of court, with lawyers on both sides negotiating to reach a fair outcome for all. However, not all attorneys will put in the effort to help you get the compensation you deserve. Instead, their goal is to secure a win and a fast case conclusion. If your lawyer urges you to settle before any counter-demands are made, question their motives.
There are many possible innocent explanations as to why counter-demands may not be necessary in your case, but it’s essential to make sure the settlement you receive can cover your accident-related costs.
They’re Not Upfront Regarding Costs
Hourly rates for lawyers differ from one lawyer, law firm, and state to the next. As a result, when you meet your lawyer for the first time, you may need to ask what their services cost.
If your lawyer is vague about this information or doesn’t provide it, keep pushing until you get the details you need. Some personal injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, charging you a percentage of your settlement figure if you win, while others work with standard hourly rates.
By having an idea of a lawyer’s fees upfront, you may be in a better position to budget for their services as your case progresses.
Most personal injury lawyers are highly regarded and fight for your rights to adequate compensation, but not all of them are. Take note of these tips above to make sure you hire a lawyer or legal team you can trust.
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