Caveat Emptor .... BEWARE .....
The title is written in Latin because I believe that it is fitting for an attorney. I also feel that most people understand the meaning or have at least saw the episode of The Brady Bunch that shows where Greg purchased a used car and learned the meaning real quick. Caveat Emptor; "Let the Buyer Bewa...re".
The biggest mistake made with this attorney is to call on her to meet with her. After that it is all downhill from there. It doesn't start bad, in fact, on the contrary. She sells herself very well and is very knowledgeable. She starts by telling you why she is worth a higher percentage than the normal. She believes that she is worth more than the normal 33% Contingency Fee that is an industry standard. In reality, she is not worth the standard. She tries to increase the possibility of a higher settlement through the utilization of extra spending. She does not mind spending on experts and reports and the like. Of course the client pays for all of her overspending which is just a way to make up for her lack of abilities. This is something that even someone representing theirself can do. Spend money on every opportunity to make your case look good and then sell the appearance than the actual facts and you win on that basis.My situation with this attorney did not start till a year or two after initially hiring her. In fact it was even longer because she did not even prepare the filing till the last week of the deadline. Did you know a case can be filed right after the incident? Part of the reason for cases taking so long is the attorney waiting two years before even filing. Sure they do a little of this and a little of that, but the case doesn't get started until the actual filing.
So here is one important piece of information when speaking to this attorney and in fact probably all. NEVER, NEVER, speak on the phone or in person without the conversation being recorded. Something that took me a couple calls to realize was that when the attorney, this one, was calling me to speak to me it was because she did not want the conversation on record. She emailed all the time to keep records of everything but she called when she wanted to manipulate the situation. Fortunately for me I picked up on this early and recorded all of our conversations and kept a journal of each call. Each and every email was put in to a file and a journal of them was organized as well.
Being disabled I depended on this attorney. I entrusted her and I left myself vulnerable to a degree. Sure I kept track of everything but my disability had gotten so severe that I was not able to seek a malpractice suit or remedy against her.
Keep close track of expenses and do not allow for overspending. If things are getting out of hand take it to your Judge that is handling your case. What I mean by getting out of hand is let's say you provide approval for an expense at say $500 for something the case could use and then the cost comes back after the purchase at say $750. That is unacceptable as it is an increase of 50%. A ten percent difference could be considered okay but anything higher, your attorney is either ripping you off or taking advantage. Both of which are unacceptable morally and otherwise. While I have worked with many attorneys in my life, I have found that they are of a different breed. It takes a special person to be an attorney. That is needed in order to litigate effectively but you don't want what some would believe to be unscrupulous values to be against you, yourself, the client. Always check for reviews for any attorney. Check the Better Business Bureau. Be sure the attorney is in good standing with the Bar Association. If the interview or the contract signing has anything to do with a raise before even starting, bail out and move on to the next. Industry norms are there for all. All attorneys have a great track record and if the state felt that their percentage should be higher than they wouldn't be where they are set at now.
