Sunday, June 12, 2005

Cheap lawyers

A few nights ago I was in Colonie Town Court for a client's speeding ticket. There's a spot where all the defense lawyers wait for their turn to talk to the prosecutors. Three different people came up to us and asked if we had seen a particular lawyer. We hadn't. That lawyer shall remain nameless, but is one of those that might be called cheap lawyers.

As lawyers, we get calls from people with whatever problem. Some people are shopping for lawyers on price. One of their first questions is how much we charge. I don't get that as much because I list my fees on my website. But I still get people asking me to reduce my fee.

Those who are looking for cheap lawyers will usually find someone cheaper than me. But as the example above shows, you get what you pay for. I like to think that the service I provide justifies the extra expense. A person answers my phone. I am often available to answer calls, and when I'm not, I return phone calls promptly. I get things taken care of. And perhaps most important, I show up for Court when I'm supposed to be there. Nobody's perfect, but when you're working for less, you take a higher volume and you'll make more mistakes.

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