I received a call at 7 AM this morning asking whether I was Walmart. I politely told the caller, after rubbing the sleep out of my eyes that she was calling an attorney's office and not Walmart. When I finally awoke, I questioned why this woman would think that I was Walmart.
I don't have a big-box store-front office. I don't discount my fees. I don't offer sales on goods and services. I don't advertise on TV, and I don't have thousands of customers pouring in and out of my parking lot on a daily basis.
There are many large law firms in New York that are set up differently. The attorney you first meet with may not be the attorney who handles your deposition. The attorney you call to get an update may not be the same lawyer that you met on your first visit. The attorney who handles your deposition may not be the trial attorney who tries your case. There are some law firms that have attorneys dedicated to the pretrial phase of your case, and those lawyers do not try cases. Likewise, those law firms may have teams of dedicated trial lawyers, where all they do is try cases.
I personally found, in almost 21 years in practice, that clients love continuity.
Clients like to know that if they have a question, they can go directly to their point person at the lawyer's office to ask them a question or address any concerns they have. No one likes to be shuffled around from one person to the next. However, the question I always ask is "Do you want to deal with the senior trial attorney from day one?" or "Do you want to go to a large firm with many attorneys to handle your case where you may not speak to the actual trial lawyer until shortly before trial?" The choice, as always is yours to make. Choose wisely.
Conclusion:
Am I Walmart? Clearly not. Obviously, she got the wrong number.
I don't have a big-box store-front office. I don't discount my fees. I don't offer sales on goods and services. I don't advertise on TV, and I don't have thousands of customers pouring in and out of my parking lot on a daily basis.
- As a solo practitioner, I have the benefit of knowing every detail of every case but I handle.
- As a solo practitioner, I don't have to ask three associates what was the last thing that happened on your case, when you call asking for information.
- As a solo practitioner, I have the privilege of meeting you at your very first office visit.
- I have the privilege of being with you when you are questioned at your question and answer session, known as a deposition. I also have the privilege of representing you at trial.
There are many large law firms in New York that are set up differently. The attorney you first meet with may not be the attorney who handles your deposition. The attorney you call to get an update may not be the same lawyer that you met on your first visit. The attorney who handles your deposition may not be the trial attorney who tries your case. There are some law firms that have attorneys dedicated to the pretrial phase of your case, and those lawyers do not try cases. Likewise, those law firms may have teams of dedicated trial lawyers, where all they do is try cases.
I personally found, in almost 21 years in practice, that clients love continuity.
Clients like to know that if they have a question, they can go directly to their point person at the lawyer's office to ask them a question or address any concerns they have. No one likes to be shuffled around from one person to the next. However, the question I always ask is "Do you want to deal with the senior trial attorney from day one?" or "Do you want to go to a large firm with many attorneys to handle your case where you may not speak to the actual trial lawyer until shortly before trial?" The choice, as always is yours to make. Choose wisely.
Conclusion:
Am I Walmart? Clearly not. Obviously, she got the wrong number.
