Why Should I Use Your Service?
Because you’re about to spend a significant amount of money for a lawyer’s services, which will likely have a significant impact on your life from this point forward. People look for lawyers when they have serious issues to resolve. But most people aren’t lawyers, haven’t been to law school, and don’t understand the vocabulary of the legal profession. How, then, do you decide which lawyer to hire? The sad truth is most people do so based on a feeling, and while there’s nothing wrong with feelings, they don’t tell you anything about whether or not this lawyer really has the expertise you need for the legal issues you’re dealing with.
I Need A Lawyer Right Away.
Most people who start looking for lawyers do so because an urgent legal situation has been thrust upon them and they have to act quickly. But the downside of that is most people end up hiring the first lawyer they talk to. Lawyers know this. That’s why so many of them are accused, and sometimes guilty, of ambulance chasing. Just because Joe returned your call before Sam did, doesn’t make Joe a better lawyer, or the best lawyer for you. It might have been because Sam was in court winning a case exactly like yours! I know your need is urgent. That’s why I move quickly to find and recommend qualified lawyers in your area.
What About All The Free Websites That Do This?
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Why are those sites free to you? Because the lawyers are paying the websites to be on there. So you are NOT getting an unbiased evaluation of available, qualified lawyers with actual experience in your area. You are getting the lawyers that paid the website to be found by you when you search. What if the best lawyer for you advertised on a competing website instead of the one you used? Or doesn’t use those sites at all? Another way of looking at it is, the lunch is free but the menu is pretty limited. You certainly can’t get any special orders. When I do the search, I only cook up what you asked for.
I Can Just Get A Referral For Free.
There are lots of people who are only too happy to recommend a lawyer to you for no charge. But, to use another saying, you get what you pay for. What expertise do these people have to evaluate and recommend the lawyer they are referring you to? Are they getting a kickback from the lawyer for sending them business? It is illegal for a lawyer to share his or her fee with a nonlawyer, (it’s called fee splitting) but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. The people that do this sort of thing go by many names: runner, capper, etc. Since everyone knows ambulance chasing is illegal, lawyers don’t usually engage in it directly themselves, but use other people, sometimes nurses, policeman, yes even the EMTs to steer you in their direction. And you don’t have to be in an ambulance to run across an ambulance chaser. This practice goes on in lots of areas, not just personal injury.
What If My Lawyer Refers Me?
Let’s say you’ve been cheated out of your benefits and need an employment lawyer, but the only lawyer you know is the guy that probated your father’s estate. You can certainly ask but you need to be aware that many lawyers have arrangements to send clients to other lawyers when there is a need or an issue that is outside their expertise in exchange for a fee, that is to say, a referral fee. This is not considered unethical fee splitting, because the person being paid is another lawyer. But it also means that the motivation for the referral is not what’s in your best interest, but which lawyer’s gonna pay them.
I’m A Lawyer And My Client Needs Someone With A Specialty I Don’t Handle. Can You Help Me/Him/Us?
Yes indeed, and I’d be happy to.
So, You Only Suggest Lawyers That Have Actual Experience In Cases Similar To Mine?
That’s right. I don’t take any money from any attorneys, lawyers, or law firms, period. I only work for you.
Are You Expensive?
I’m certainly cheaper than the lawyer you end up hiring. Cost is relative. It depends on what’s at stake for you in your legal matter, and how much you’re likely to end up spending in attorney’s fees. What’s the peace of mind worth, knowing you found a lawyer who’s worked on cases just like yours before, knows the people who work at the commerce department or social services, and their administrative law judges? What’s it worth to save the time and the hassle of tracking down and interviewing lots of lawyers yourself? And perhaps I can help you negotiate an attorney’s fee that saves more than you spent on my services. I have some flat rate plans that should help most people.
Do People Really Do This Kind Of Lawyer Vetting?
Absolutely. Insurance companies have been doing this for decades for the lawyers they hire to defend and protect the people that bought their insurance policies. Major corporations have their own lawyers on staff, but they can’t do it all themselves, and so they also routinely look for private attorneys (called outside counsel) to help them with a wide variety of specialized matters. There are even specialized consulting services charging big bucks to help major corporations find outside counsel. I just thought it was time people who aren’t major corporations got a chance to benefit from the same service.
This Lawyer’s Ad / Website / Directory Listing Says He Has The Expertise I Need.
The only restriction on how a lawyer classifies himself in an advertisement, or in the phonebook, or on a lawyer matching website, is that he can’t say that he’s a certified specialist unless the state where he practices has actually certified him. Let’s take as an example 3 lawyers: Jane, Sally, and Alice. All three list themselves as practicing family law, divorce, child custody, support, and so on. Jane has been practicing family law exclusively for 10 years, and has been certified as a specialist by her state. Sally has been practicing family law for five years, but also does wills, probate, personal injury, and criminal defense, and is not a certified specialist in any of those areas. Alice had been working for a business lawyer, but has decided to go out on her own and one of the things she’s going to try her hand at is family law. There is nothing unethical about Alice advertising herself as a family lawyer, provided that she makes a good faith effort to learn about family law. But do you really want to pay for Alice’s learning curve? You might, if you were confident that she was a smart, quick learner you got along with and wasn’t charging as much as the other two. But that’s exactly my point: how would you know any of that objectively without relying on each lawyers’ own marketing spin?
How Does This Work / What Do You Do Exactly?
First and foremost, I listen to you. You tell me what’s going on, and why you need a lawyer, and then I take that information to find someone who has actual experience in that area.
How Do You Do That?
By checking court and regulatory agency records for cases and legal matters that are factually similar to yours. From there I take the names of the lawyers involved and take a look at what results were achieved and what else they’ve done. I report back to you with a short list to call.
Will You Call / Talk To / Interview The Lawyers For Me?
Sure, but that’s extra.
I Can Just Ask A Lot Of Questions Myself.
That’s what people should do, but they don’t, and there are many reasons for that. I go back to the fact that most people hire the first lawyer they talk to. They probably have to file something by a rapidly approaching deadline. They are under a lot of stress. They need someone to help them, to take their side in an emotional and expensive fight. If the first lawyer they talk to seems anywhere near reasonable, they relax and sign up right then and there to relieve the anxiety. But there is a better way.
Will You Pick My Lawyer For Me?
Absolutely not. I give you a short (no more than 3) list of lawyers that fit the criteria you told me you needed when we first talked. You’re the one that has to work with this person for however long your legal matter drags out, so you’re the only one who can make the final decision. And that’s still true even if I could only find one lawyer that met your criteria.
Will You Be My Lawyer?
Absolutely not. I am not a part of any law firm.
Are You Located In My State?
Doesn’t matter. I have access to court and agency records all across the United States.
A Lawyer Said I Don’t Have To Pay Him Anything.
Unless you are talking about the public defender, legal aid or explicitly free (“pro bono” – lawyers love their own special language) work, that’s not true. No such thing as a free lunch, remember? What the lawyer probably means is that he or she will take the case ‘on contingency’. That means when and if you get money out of the deal, you pay the lawyer a percentage of whatever you get. In these cases the lawyer also usually pays all the costs out of his or her pocket. This is a great deal if you don’t have money to pay and you’re entitled to a large sum of money on the other end. But wait – what’s the percentage he’s charging you? Is there another lawyer down the street who’ll do just as good a job for a smaller cut? Is he spending a lot of money on costs – experts, travel, exhibits, whatever – that might be impressive but aren’t essential to winning your case? Because you still have to pay for that. It will come right out of your settlement.
Do You Distrust Lawyers?
Not at all. Lawyers are human, so there’s good and bad and lots of in between just like everybody else. Mistakes in the past can be as irrelevant to the present as huge success in the past. That’s why I emphasize performance over reputation. I see myself as rewarding conscientious attorneys who get good results for their clients, rather than lawyers with outdated reputations and big marketing budgets. And that is a service to you, the lawyer, and the justice system.
I Have Some Complex Business Issues I Need Help With.
Business or Personal, it doesn’t matter. Call me and let’s get started.
I Need A Lawyer But Not For Court / What If You Can’t Find What I Need?
Sometimes an attorney can do really good work but we can’t find a paper trail to show it. There could be lots of reasons for this: The court or regulatory agency they work with does not make their records easily available; they do a lot of ADR – alternate dispute resolution or mediation – so there aren’t as many records available. Or they may do private agreements (transactions) like business deals that aren’t regulated by the SEC or trusts which, unlike wills, don’t have to be filed or probated unless there’s litigation. That makes it a little harder but it can still be done. Let’s talk about it.
What Are Your Business Hours?
I am not always here but I am always open, so just call, don’t worry about the day or the time. If I’m here I’ll pick up, if not leave your name and phone number and I’ll call back asap. Simple as that.
Do You Have A Guarantee?
Yes. Your satisfaction with my work is guaranteed. I cannot, for a whole host of reasons, guarantee the work of the lawyers you find with my assistance. Even the best can have a bad day, and it isn’t possible for me to look over anyone’s shoulder minute by minute. My work substantially reduces risk, but nothing can eliminate it entirely.
What About Privacy?
I don’t sell or give away your information, nor reveal anything about it without your express consent.
My Question Isn’t Here
So call me. 877-546-8281. Or IM me on Skype at natcolley, or on Yahoo Messenger at nat.colley. We can even set up a video conference if you have a webcam.