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It’s insane to me how law firms do little to help clients make an informed decision on who is best to represent them.
Let’s start with law firm websites. For one, they all look the same. There’s a summary of the areas they practice, people on the team, and a highlight reel of their successes. But there’s not all that much about the firm’s ethos or the personalities of the legal team. Clients can’t tell if the lawyer they will retain will be responsive, approachable, and talk to them rather than at them.
Law firms are also bad at presenting costs. Granted, not all law firms use the same fee model but those who operate on the billable hour don’t really explain the reasoning behind their “price.” All clients assume is that senior lawyers are more expensive than junior lawyers.
If I was looking to hire a lawyer, I’d ask a few things:
- How many trials and/or hearings have you done?
- How many have you won?
- How did you come up with your fee structure?
- What is your average caseload/how many files are you currently managing?
- What do you do to run a resourceful practice?
These questions might sound a bit snarky but if I’m going to spend thousands of dollars, it’s important. If I’m comparing a lawyer who has done 20 trials…
