How to Select an Attorney

So you need an attorney for your personal injury or medical malpractice case but with all

the ads and claims, how do you figure out who the best lawyer is for your situation?

 

The answer is to ask questions. Its really pretty easy to get through all the ads and claims

and ensure your needs are best served. Any lawyer can buy advertising and portray they are

“experienced”, “aggressive” or will, “fight for you”…but lets face it, those are just ads, you want

the truth. Right?

 

Okay. So ask these questions of any lawyer you are thinking about hiring.

 

Question No.1. How many motor vehicle accident or medical malpractice cases have

you actually tired, to a verdict, in front of a jury? And, when was the last time you had a jury

trial in one of these cases?

 

Why ask that? Because a lot of lawyers who say they are “experienced” have little if any

civil jury trial experience and this “experience” or “fighting for you” in reality is just settling

cases and hardly if ever trying them. No one knows that record better than the insurance

companies they deal with. If the insurance company knows they do not try cases, the settlement

offers will reflect that reality. Moreover, many lawyers claim a lot of “jury trial experience”

when in truth, they are referring to their past work in criminal law – not motor vehicle or medical

malpractice jury trials and these are very difference issues of “experience”. You need an

experienced civil jury trial lawyer to handle your civil personal injury claim.

 

Question No.2. How do 1 know I am getting an experienced civil jury trial lawyer to

handle my claim?

 

The truth is, the best way to find out is to ask the attorney whether he or she is a Florida

Board Certified attorney, certified in Civil Trial law. To become Board Certified you must have

vast and qualifying experience in civil jury trials, the recommendations of fellow attorneys and

trial judges (concerning experience and professionalism), and pass a rigorous examination that

only about sixty percent of qualified lawyers pass. If the lawyer is Board Certified, you will see

the initials “B.C.S.” (Board Certified Specialist) by their name and this symbol:

 

 

 

Being Board Certified is the only way the Florida Bar will allow you to claim you are an

expert or specialist in Personal Injury or Medical Malpractice law.

 

Question No.: 3. I see a lawyer who claims he or she is “the best”…, what does that

mean?

 

First, it means the ethical rules of professional responsibility required by The Florida Bar

and Florida Supreme Court are being violated. The Florida Bar does not allow an attorney to

make such a claim and doing so means they are violating rules required by the Florid Supreme

Court. In addition, it probably means they have engaged in some sort of advertising that awards

them by advertising this claim because of receiving the most internet or online “clicks” in the

advertising campaign. What they are “the best” at is getting people to go online and click on a

button at an advertising site and then pay the newspaper, periodical or website a fee for the ad.

It’s a gimmick and it violates rules of professional responsibility so be very careful. Those

claims are usually found next to things like, “Best BBQ”, “Best Pizza” “Best Car Dealership”,

etc. and, they are about as accurate.

 

Question No.: 4. Okay, so I get all that, but how do I make the selection that is best for

me and my case?

 

Knowing the right lawyer for you is only accomplished in one way; making sure of the

experience, (real civil trial experience), qualifications (Board Certification), and personal

connection i.e., you must sit down and talk to the lawyers who are actually going to represent

you – not the ads, not a paralegal – the lawyers. Just like you get a “feel” for a friend, a

preacher or even a teacher, you must get a “feel” for the lawyer. The attorney client relationship

is one based on trust and professionalism. Without trust and without professionalism the

relationship will not be successful.