It will not cost you more if you fire your lawyer and hire another one. You will only pay one attorney fee. When your personal injury case resolves, the one attorney fee is then divided between the law firms that represented you, based on «quantum meruit,» i.e., the reasonable value of their services, or in other words, how much work each firm did. If the second attorney did the most work, he’ll get the biggest chunk of the attorney’s fees. If the two firms did about the same amount of work, they will divide the fee equally. How the fee is divided up need not be your concern. The law firms work that out after your case is resolved.
Your bankruptcy attorney will explain there are two types of common bankruptcies. One is the Chapter 7, the other is Chapter 13. An attorney will offer you the legal advice as to which is the chapter you will file. The next goal is for your bankruptcy attorney to protect your rights. If you are not aware of your rights, and you do not have a representative, you have a lot to lose. The attorney will stop all of the annoying phone calls that creditors make to your home. You will also learn that you will most likely be able to keep your home, your vehicles, and other property.
abogado QUESTION 1. Many of the lawyer filing bankruptcies aren’t qualified enough to lead your bankruptcy case. Verify that your lawyer is qualified. Ask for references, research their history online, contact your state bar. Specific certifications are important indicators to judge whether the lawyer is qualified enough to handle your case.
Ask the attorney how she will develop your case. You want to know that your lawyer will gather your pertinent medical records throughout the process, not just before your hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. In addition, your lawyer should collect specific information from your treating doctors about the limitations that prevent you from working. Your lawyer will do this through the use of special disability reports and disease questionnaires. These reports will help to strengthen your case. If the lawyer you interview is not going to take these additional steps to gather evidence, you should keep looking.
Don’t focus only on the billable hour rate. If you’re hesitating between someone who costs you $250 per hour and someone else at $350 per hour, don’t make your decision strictly on cost. What matters are two things: first what the final bill will be and, second, what value who will have received. The hourly rate is a red herring. What is the point of asking someone to do a job for you at $250 per hour if the person needs 40 hours for the job where the other lawyer at $350 per hour only needs 20 hours? Particularly if the other lawyer can do a better job for you. Billing policy is too much of a thorny and elaborate issue to address in a few lines. My point is simply that the hourly rate is not the be all and the end all.
The past matters. No, you don’t have to run a background search or hire a private investigator, but it’s a good idea to know about your potential lawyer’s background. Find out where he or she went to school, and if they graduated high in their class. Ask to hear about success stories or testimonies from previous clients. Check to see if they have any awards. While a new attorney can still be a good representative, a do money down bankruptcy attorney near me who’s been in practice for fifty years with nothing to show for it should be avoided.
Cost: Generally lawyers are expensive, but don’t just pick a lawyer because he’s expensive or because you think he’s reasonable. The most expensive lawyers are not always the best and those who don’t charge an arm and a leg may be fantastic. As such don’t make price your primary deciding factor when selecting the right lawyer for your needs.
