Notes

Prudent Strategies For Employee Rights - Great Ideas

Tips For Understanding Your Monthly Statement From Your Lawyer


You will probably need a lawyer in your lifetime. What is the best way to find the lawyer you need? What kind of issues should you anticipate from the attorney and client relationship? Read this article to learn more about lawyers and how to find a good one.

Do not hire a lawyer until you know more about their experience and their results. A young lawyer might be more affordable but you will definitely benefit from hiring a more experienced and more successful lawyer. If possible, try finding a lawyer who has positive experience with very similar cases.

Make it clear up front that you would like your legal fee agreement in writing from your lawyer. This will help you avoid the surprise of an unexpectedly high bill. Make sure that all expenses and fees are itemized, so that you'll have a clear understanding of what exactly you are paying for.

When choosing a lawyer, word of mouth is one of the best ways to find one. Ask friends or relatives for recommendations. They can give you honest feedback on their experience. They can tell you how well or poorly they did in their situation. This feedback can help you choose wisely.

Do your homework in trying to find a lawyer. If you need a specialist, do not just rely on the references of your general practitioner. Do background checks, ask around those you know with personal experiences or legal connections. Putting in the time to hire a good lawyer usually means a better outcome they eventually give you in return.

Make sure you understand the costs associated with a particular lawyer ahead of time. Before you even begin the process of seeking someone out, you need to think about what you can afford. As you call different lawyers, discuss fees and the payment schedule. Do not be surprised later on!

Find a referral service to get a top notch lawyer. You may be able to find a wonderful lawyer from this service. Some services screen lawyers very carefully but others only provide clients with a list of every lawyer in the area. Others list any favorable lawyer by the state bar's standards that keeps liability insurance. Look at their qualifications to pick the referral service that works best for you.

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.

Speak with a general lawyer to see if they know of a lawyer that works with your kind of a case. Keep in mind that each lawyer specialized in one type of legal problem and it is best to get a referral from your lawyer for a lawyer who has extensive experience with the kind of issue you are dealing with. If you have a retained lawyer, he is invested in keeping you happy; therefore, he will steer you toward the best lawyer for your case.

Make a note of how long it takes a lawyer to schedule your first meeting. If it takes weeks to even see the lawyer for the first time, the lawyer may be too busy to give you proper service. You want a lawyer who puts you high on his list of priorities.

Always consult an attorney before filing a claim. A lawyer who specializes in the field will give you a better chance at winning your case. Independent research will help you somewhat, but you will never have the same knowledge as an expert in their field. Make sure to chose wisely.

Be sure to research your lawyer thoroughly. You want to carefully check out their education and work experience. Make sure you pay special attention to how they manage your practice. If they struggle managing their practice, then that is a sure sign that they will most likely struggle handling your case.

Everyone wants to find the best legal representation for the best price. However, remember that many times you get what you pay for and you surely want the best outcome of your case. Do Personal Injury about the reputation of several different lawyers as well as asking acquaintances for personal recommendations.

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.

A good tip to keep in mind when thinking about hiring a lawyer is to only hire a lawyer if you're comfortable with the pay structure. Some lawyers might try to get you to pay a hefty retainer fee or write a blank check. Avoid these lawyers at all costs.

Do not automatically rule out a lawyer just because they charge you a fee for their consultation. If the time they offer is pretty extensive, and they are willing to give you a good assessment of your case, that is worth paying them a fee for this service. All lawyers that offer free consultations are not always the best.

If you need a specialized lawyer, ask the lawyers you are considering about their specialized training. There are seminars and additional classes lawyers can take to learn more about a specific issue. For instance, lawyers who are qualified to help you with filing for bankruptcy should be members of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

Never pay any lawyer until you know your rates and all that you will be receiving in return. You might be asked for a retainer fee just to speak with a lawyer. This will not go towards sessions but will only guarantee you that the lawyer will go over your case.

If you have any problems at all with a lawyer, from personality conflict to discomfort with fees, keep looking. Don't agree to anything that makes you uncomfortable or causes you concern. For example, some unscrupulous lawyers want clients to sign a blank check to keep on hand. Naturally, this is not a good idea!

Lots of people dread the idea of seeking and hiring a lawyer, even for the simplest personal or business tasks. However, if you acquire a thorough understanding of what lawyers do and how you can determine which one is right for you, the relationship can actually be extremely beneficial. Hopefully the advice found above has provided a strong foundation for you to use going forward.

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."






Loading…


Homepage: http://www.pearltrees.com/nadiahood