Are You a Good Fit?
No two attorneys are alike. When you are looking for an attorney, you should understand that each attorney is different in many ways. There are obviously differences in personality, experience, potential cost, strategy preferences and location, among other things. When you talk to and meet attorneys, you obviously evaluate the prospective attorneys based on your values, needs and expectations.
Likewise, attorneys evaluate prospective clients. We want to know if you are a good fit for us. Are your needs and goals compatible with our practice? Are you a good fit financially for us and for the nature of the case? Do you have realistic expectations? Do we handle the type of case you have and would we be able to do what you want to do?
The initial meeting evaluation is really a two-way street. You evaluate attorneys and they evaluate you. You may have a great case for some attorneys, but for others, it would be completely undesirable.
To make your job a little easier, as you evaluate me, let me tell you about my approach to handling cases.
Some Things I Would Generally Not Want to Do
Fight for the sake of fighting.*
Fight to punish your spouse.*
Fight to control your spouse.*
(*However, I will always defend you and your interests. That's different from the pointless fighting above.)
Drag out the litigation.
Try to deplete the resources of the other side by taking unnecessary actions.
Trying to bring financial harm or legal trouble to your spouse to punish him/her.
Insist on taking unreasonable actions or not following court orders.
These are all improper, expensive, wasteful and destructive. In the end, neither party likes the results and it's not the way our legal system is supposed to work.
On the Other Hand, Here Are Some Positive Approaches I Am Comfortable With:
Helping you plan a better future once the litigation is over.
Seeking an amicable and reasonable settlement.
Minimizing legal costs.
Trying to limit exposure for problems.
Being flexible and open to solutions.
Being able to appreciate others' points of view.
Working to move the case along to a conclusion.
If you are actively shopping for an attorney for yourself or someone else, please consider the points above. If you are not a good fit for us, you can save yourself time and money by not coming in for a paid consultation. Maybe you can find an appropriate attorney by explaining clearly to other attorneys what you are looking for.
If you think you can be a good fit with us, we would be very happy to meet you and help you. Please call us for an appointment.