One of the misconceptions about hiring a lawyer to represent you in your personal injury claim is that they will do 100% of the work to pursue your claim. Of course, your lawyer will lead the effort and do much of the heavy lifting in settlement negotiations and trial. However, you need to work with your lawyer along the way to have the most effective case. If you have never worked with a lawyer before, you are wondering how to effectively help your lawyer who is working to give you legal advice. Here are some tips for working with your lawyer on your case:
TELL YOU LAWYER THE TRUTH. When you have your initial meeting with your lawyer, they are going to ask you many questions about your claim. They need to know about your case before they decide to sign on to represent you. It is crucial to answer your lawyer’s questions truthfully when they ask them. The worst thing that a client can do is to give their lawyer incorrect information, placing their lawyer in a compromised position when they are confronted with the true facts.
Telling the truth not only includes giving correct information, but it also means that you need to give ALL relevant information. Omitting any key facts does not allow your lawyer to work effectively.
The facts don't change whether your lawyer knows them or not. It is better to put everything on the table so the lawyer can decide how to best proceed. Lawyers can (and do) fire clients who do not tell them the truth.
Try to give your lawyer information up front and in a timely manner. This will allow them to provide the most effective legal representation.
KEEP YOUR PAPERWORK ORGANIZED. One of the best ways that you can help your lawyer is by keeping your paperwork organized. This makes their job easier by saving them the time necessary to organize it themselves.
Often, your lawyer will be working on tight deadlines. They may need to give an answer or a counteroffer to the insurance company, or they might need to make a filing with the court. Having the paperwork ready and organized will allow them to focus more on doing their job. Accordingly, you should take some time to ensure that your paperwork is in order and clearly marked so your lawyer can understand and use it efficiently.
GIVE YOUR LAWYER QUICK AND COMPREHENSIVE ANSWERS. Not only may your lawyer ask for documents, but they might also request for you to fill in certain facts as your case progresses. When they are asking you a question, there is a reason why they want to know the information. You should make providing them with a quick answer your top priority. You should always ask them the time when they need the answer.
Clients should also take the time to provide them with detailed answers, so they do not have to come back with more questions. This will help make the lawyer more effective and better able to formulate the way to respond to the court or the insurance company. If you need extra time to give a detailed answer, ask your lawyer if they can give you additional room to answer. Your lawyer needs to do their best work. They may need to take the time to do legal research depending on what you provide them.
BE REASONABLE IN YOUR EXPECTATIONS. Your lawyer will work as hard as they can for you. Not only is this in their interest in many ways, but they are obligated to do so by their ethics rules. However, this does not mean that your lawyer can guarantee success. At the end of the day, the strength of your case is based on the evidence and the law.
Not only should you be reasonable in your expectations of the result of your case, but you should also be reasonable in your expectation of your lawyer. They are also working with other clients and have deadlines in other cases. In other words, you should not expect to hear from them every day with an update, especially if nothing has happened in your case.
Your lawyer is obligated to inform you of major developments in your case and to work diligently on your claim. However, you should have reasonable expectations of them.
UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR LAWYER DOES NOT CONTROL EVERYTHING. Many clients end up getting frustrated with their lawyer when they do not get the results that they want both in terms of timing or compensation. While your lawyer will work as hard as they can to negotiate the best offer and keep things moving, there are many things that are outside their control. Some details of your case are dictated by the insurance company or the defendant. They may not be interested in a quick resolution of your case, or they might try to low-ball you with their settlement offer. While your lawyer can do the best they can to work with the situation, they cannot force the insurance company to move your case along.
ASK WHEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. Your lawyer will do their best to explain your case and legal matters to you in layperson’s terms. They understand that their clients are not experts in the law. They do not expect you to understand the law like someone with a law degree. But even though they will try their best to explain things to you and give you legal advice in terms that you can understand, there will be some concepts that laypeople may struggle to understand. As such, make sure to stop your lawyer when you do not understand something and ask further questions. They might assume that you understood their explanation unless you ask them when you are unsure.
If you or a friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker has been injured and needs legal advice, give us a call at 253.858.5434 to set up a free initial consultation today.