Reviews can be very helpful when choosing a law firm or any business, but you must read the reviews carefully. Try to read between the lines as you read the reviews and ask yourself a few questions. Does it look authentic? Does it look similar in structure to some other reviews listed? How many reviews are there? Too few and you might wonder why. Too many and you might start to have a few questions! Did real clients write them or did they buy them. That’s right, some businesses especially in the law category will buy reviews. Its hard to know what is real and what isn’t but you can start to see a certain pattern in the writing as if it’s a sales pitch. “You can’t go wrong with …., …. & …., I highly recommend, they will get you great results”, “They are best team in town, and I got a great recovery”.
Wow, I’m sold!
Look for heartfelt statements, words that describe an emotional experience with a specific lawyer or team. Expressions of thankfulness and gratitude that are conveyed are always a good sign. Clients don’t naturally write out the entire name of the firm but more often an abbreviated form or the name of the lawyer or paralegal they worked with. Use good judgement and if you decide to meet with them, remember you are interviewing them, they are not interviewing you. If it doesn’t feel right, there is no harm in calling another firm.
Here are a few good tips. How long have they been in business in your area? When you call do they answer with the name of the firm or just “law office”? If you to meet them, will you be meeting at the main office or meeting at a satellite office? Are they Board Certified? That is a big deal and you should consider it a baseline from where to start. That is not to say that there aren’t some very good lawyers who are not Board Certified but in the State of Florida, only 1% of all registered Florida Bar attorneys are Board Certified. Ask about some of their past case results and experiences with major corporate opponents. Find out how many trials they have been involved in…that is key! You want to know that if they take your case, they will be ready to go to trial if it comes to that.
All in all, use good judgement and trust your gut. A good law firm or lawyer will have your best interest in mind and fight for your rights no matter how long it takes them to get you the recovery you deserve. If you have any questions about what to do before you call a law firm or what questions to ask, call Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath at 561-655-1990. There is no obligation and the call is free. They will be happy to help!
