So you want to bring a case to court, and you’re looking for a Colorado Springs attorney. Maybe you’ve never brought a suit or been part of a court case before.
But what qualities should you look for in a lawyer? What is going to help you find success in your court case, and what might doom it to failure? Read on to find out more about looking for a Colorado Springs attorney.
Experience
The first thing you should search for is experience. There’s no end to the whip smart junior lawyers out there. But there’s a big difference between knowing about the law, and spending a career practicing it. Having been around the block a few times gives an attorney an advantage: knowing how to put a case forward, not just in terms of filing and knowledge of court procedures, but how to frame your case in the best possible way to make it more likely than not to succeed.
I’ve been helping clients win their cases for over twenty years. Over the course of my career, I’ve settled hundreds of cases. That experience helps me at every stage of working with a client: first, during the initial consultation. I can tell you whether or not I believe your case can be successful, based on past cases. And going forward, I can bring everything I’ve learned to the table during your case, to give you the best chance of winning.
A clear fee structure
Some, let’s say, more unscrupulous attorneys don’t set out their fees very clearly before they start working for you. Ultimately, there are a lot of people in this world- not just attorneys, but in every walk of life- who are more than happy to take you for a ride. So before you move a case forward, how can you tell that you aren’t going to fall victim to that?
The most common way of misleading a client is by promising the whole Earth for a simple, flat fee. But what the client might not know, or not understand, is that there are always, always going to be other fees too. Fees like court filing fees and even document printing can be added on, and all make that initial flat fee misleading. They might also not make it clear to you that a case might last a long time. So a flat fee or a cheap hourly rate is one thing. But the case might drag on for days, or even weeks longer than expected.
Contingency fee lawyers, on the other hand, work on a percentage fee basis. That is, we only take a percentage of your damages once the case is over. This percentage is something that a client and their attorney will agree before a case begins. So if we win you nothing in damages, you pay us nothing in fees. What could be clearer than that?
Colorado Springs attorney provides legal advice. A Storyblocks image.
Quick and clear communication
Communication is the cornerstone of any successful case. If the channel of communication between a client and an attorney isn’t open, honest and responsive, you’ll be going nowhere fast.
If you reach out to speak with an attorney, how quickly do they respond? And who responds? Is it the head of the firm, a partner or a junior lawyer or a secretary?Even if it isn’t one of the high-ups, the question of how they respond is important too. Do you get a vague email back, that could have been sent to anyone? Or is does it address the questions you asked?
You should always move forward with an attorney who gives your case the attention it deserves. And as your case goes forward, if your attorney can’t be bothered responding as promptly as possible to your questions, it’s a really bad sign. Of course, being a lawyer is a busy job; but some make the time, and some don’t.
Reputation and reviews
Reputations and reviews, especially word of mouth recommendations, are hugely important. If a family member or friend had a good experience with an attorney, that’s a good first choice. Reviews are very easy to find on sites like Yelp and Google. And for smaller firms, they can be well known locally, and word can travel quickly if they aren’t up to standard.
The reviews for any company are normally fairly mixed. And there are guaranteed to be some which are unfairly harsh. On top of that, some five star reviews may not have necessarily been deserved.
But no business can hide from their own reputation. If they treat their clients with disrespect, and if a law firm hardly ever win a case, then that will show through in their reviews. At the same time, if a firm has been in operation for decades with a stellar reputation, they’ll be right at the top of your list when you search. As a Colorado Springs attorney who’s been around for ten years, I’ve had my fair share of testimonials from happy clients!
Genuine compassion
Last but not least, genuine compassion is what sets a good attorney apart from a great one. Ultimately, taking a court case forward is (or at least should always be) about finding justice. This applies equally to punishing criminals through the court system, defending an innocent person’s rights, and personal injury cases. The processes of civil and criminal law are different, but the underlying cause- finding justice and bringing the truth to light- are the same.
When you’re looking for a Colorado Springs attorney, you should bear that in mind. Narrowing down your list, you should trust your gut: do I think that this firm, or this attorney, would really care about my case? Would they do everything they can to find justice for me after my accident?
As a personal injury lawyer, the success of my business relies on me doing my all for you. I started out in this business because I believe in helping everybody, no matter what their background or the amount they can afford up front, to find justice. And that’s the way it should be.
