It’s sometimes difficult for even a lawyer to tell whether another lawyer is doing a good job.
The first place I look to see whether a lawyer is doing a good job is his communication with his client. I start there because a lawyer is only as good as his relationship with the person he is working for.
• Does he tell you everything he can that you need to know?
• Does he return your phone calls promptly?
• When you talk to him on the phone, does he answer your questions?
• When there is bad news, does he tell you honestly what went wrong, regardless whether it was his fault?
• Does he tell you what the cost will be of doing the things necessary to advance your case? And who will pay for it?
• Are you satisfied he is giving you the best answers he can to your questions?
• Does he know more about your case than you do?
• Does he listen to what you say?
• Does he try to learn as much as he can before the other side has a chance to learn it?
• Did he order your medical records? Did he read them?
• Does he give you timetables? No one knows when a case will settle, but they can tell you when things that lead to settlement – like depositions, mediations, court rulings on motions, demand letters, meetings with insurance adjusters – will happen.
• Has he asked your health insurance company for a printout of your bills and what it paid on them?
• Has he answered your questions about insurance?
There are ways you can “check up” on your lawyer – most courts have online dockets, and once your lawsuit is filed with the court you can look up your case (and what is happening on it) online. But if something is going to go wrong, it usually starts with your lawyer’s failure to take care of the most important relationship in his professional life – the one with you.
Communicating with the people I work for is a point of pride with me. If you want to talk about your lawsuit, speak with an experienced Cincinnati Accident Law Firm – call me, William Strubbe, at 513-621-4775 in Cincinnati.
Because all situations are different, and because there may be other facts pertaining to your case that I don’t know about, you should not rely on this answer for legal advice. I am not your attorney, and no lawyer client relationship has been formed.
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