Legal Matchmaking: The Truth About Attorney Finder Websites - Part 3
Referral Firms
There is actually a subcategory of the referral site. I call them “referral firms”. These are sites that appear to promote a lawyer or a law firm. But behind the scenes these sites are just another type of referral site where the attorney has paid a hefty fee to be promoted. You might have seen some television spots for these lawyers or firms. Again, they take your call or your incoming email and then route it to someone or some firm that is next on the list to get leads. Many times the attorney is not even licensed to practice law in your state. In some cases they associate with a local firm---but it still is not the firm that you thought you were contacting or hiring.
Some of the key phrases that indicate that you are looking at a directory or referral site are as follows:
--free lawyer finder services
--helps you easily find a lawyer in your area based on location and specialty
--find a lawyer near you
--law firm directories
--access to information, news, articles and attorney profiles —find, research, screen and contact a lawyer
--review lawyer profiles and information about individual law firms to identify the best lawyer to fit your needs
Some of theses sites include: Lawyers.com, Attorneys.com, FindLaw.com, LawInfo.com, LegalMatch.com, AttorneyLocate.com, WhoCanISue.com, InjuryHelplineLawyer.com, and many, many others.
You are the only person who should be choosing a lawyer to represent you. Legal matters, especially personal injury cases, can sometimes (not always) take years to resolve. When you pick a lawyer you are choosing to build a long-term attorney-client relationship with someone who will speak on your behalf. Do not make a hasty decision while visiting a website late one night.
Do your homework, visit websites, read articles, review resumes, watch videos, talk to friends, talk other family members and, most importantly, meet with several lawyers in their offices. Ask them questions about their experience, track record, etc. Listen to what they have to say and judge for yourself.
