Merry Legal Holiday

Returning to the theme of lawyer for the foodie, when shopping for your holiday meal ingredients, the stress and speed needed to buy food to prepare for the home party.    This is much like hiring an attorney when you in a bind, or crisis with little time but need to make an excellent choice.  You really need to make a list before jumping into the purchase, and remember you can return it.

Lets face it, most client's searching for legal counsel do so only when in a crisis.    This makes the decision rushed, and not always the best one.    While there is not a rating on attorneys showing you the ingredients or calories, there is a way to find out background information critical to getting the best representation.   Your list should include the following, or the attorney"label"; their education, experience, recommendation by your family attorney, publications, and above professional development such as work with their bar association.   This last part is critical to the rating because it most determines that the professional is concerned with more than just charging the client for a service, but considers the profession a calling.  In other words, they place the values and ethics of being a professional above it being a commodity.

How can you find this out?   Ask, is the easiest, when visiting with the attorney, ask their background, recommendations and involvement in professional development.   Also, check out these items via the internet by searching the attorney and checking with the bar association web pages, and/or their web page.   Another advantage of the bar association search, it is a way to know that the peers of the attorney have acknowledged the attorney's knowledge and professionalism and you have, in a sense, a recommendation of them by the profession.

This is much like when you shop for holiday food.  You check out the price, you look at the ingredients, but remember, you know that after you have purchased and taste test the product, you might want to return it.   And, like the food, you can cease representation by the attorney, by simply asking for your file back and to hire new counsel.   While it is better to have chosen well at first. some times you are discussing the case with counsel, and you realize, they are not what you thought.   First, before changing attempt to contact and discuss your concern with your counsel.  If this does not work, then consider the change.   You should not make this decision until you are really sure of the change  It is better to stay with your current counsel and discuss the desired changes you wish to have in representation.  Changing counsel, is usually very costly, and in most cases does not provide you a better result.   But, it may be necessary.

Remember, you first need to make the list of qualities you want in your counsel, then check the background including association memberships, and then meet with the attorney in person.   If you follow this recipe, you will be sure that crisis you face will be resolved quickly and in your favor.

Happy Holidays,

Christopher A. Zampogna