May
31
How can one do a character check of lawyers in the US?
Filed Under Law & Ethics | Comments Off
___________________________________________________________________
Down Under Guy asked:
Is there is a way, please suggest specific websites and or names of organizations that I can call. Links will also be greatly appreciated.
Is there is a way, please suggest specific websites and or names of organizations that I can call. Links will also be greatly appreciated.
Really, how else do people decide regarding the trustworthy of lawyers?
DENIS
May
30
Why Mesothelioma Lawyers Should be Credible and Trustworthy
Filed Under Poor People | Comments Off
Muna wa Wanjiru asked:
Mesothelioma lawyers are everywhere and they produce some of the most entertaining and creative advertisements to market themselves. You can therefore be easily fooled by taking their word for it. You need to take time and choose a lawyer who will work for you in a dedicated way so that you may secure the win. Firstly, mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that is caused by a certain carcinogen called asbestos. It causes the lining of the heart, lungs and abdomen to be disabled by the production of abnormal or cancerous cells. People who work in the industry of mining asbestos are usually at a risk as well as those who work in other industries that use this substance to produce products. It can produce over 3,000 products and it is therefore very useful but, deadly.
Companies which have full knowledge that the substance is harmful and go ahead not to warn workers, usually pay millions of dollars to settle the claims from patients or plaintiffs. Mesothelioma lawyers facilitate this process and this is the reason why you need a good layer. You may be faced with a lot when you receive the diagnosis and some of the issues are financial. The fact that you need treatment and at the same time you need a lawyer, will definitely be a source of stress for you. Depending on the laws of your state, you need to know that the more time you take, the more you might miss out on a chance to sue. Let mesothelioma lawyers explain this to you.
The mesothelioma lawyers should be credible and trustworthy. They should be qualified with enough proof of previous successes. This will help your case so much. The lawyers must be willing to guide you carefully through the process to show you what is expected and the chances you have of winning. It is therefore necessary to have a lawyer who will not be from another state or who lives too far away from your location. You must never assume on the terms of payment. Many cases, in fact in majority of cases there is a contingency agreement and the mesothelioma lawyers will only be paid once the process is completed. This is a very convenient way for the clients and they are able to go through the process with minimal expenses.
Do a thorough research on cases that have been passed before and see what exactly you need to prepare yourself for. If possible, talk to people who have won the lawsuits and their experiences will be invaluable to your case. With the proper guidance from your lawyer, you will be able to go through the process with ease. Some cases take months and others years and you need to engage in patience. If everything goes as planned, you will win the lawsuit and receive a compensation. Your lawyer will have to be paid on the agreed terms and you will be satisfied you got your justice. Nothing can really compensate for a deadly disease but, you will be able to pay for your treatment and recover well.
WAYNE
___________________________________________________________________
Mesothelioma lawyers are everywhere and they produce some of the most entertaining and creative advertisements to market themselves. You can therefore be easily fooled by taking their word for it. You need to take time and choose a lawyer who will work for you in a dedicated way so that you may secure the win. Firstly, mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that is caused by a certain carcinogen called asbestos. It causes the lining of the heart, lungs and abdomen to be disabled by the production of abnormal or cancerous cells. People who work in the industry of mining asbestos are usually at a risk as well as those who work in other industries that use this substance to produce products. It can produce over 3,000 products and it is therefore very useful but, deadly.
Companies which have full knowledge that the substance is harmful and go ahead not to warn workers, usually pay millions of dollars to settle the claims from patients or plaintiffs. Mesothelioma lawyers facilitate this process and this is the reason why you need a good layer. You may be faced with a lot when you receive the diagnosis and some of the issues are financial. The fact that you need treatment and at the same time you need a lawyer, will definitely be a source of stress for you. Depending on the laws of your state, you need to know that the more time you take, the more you might miss out on a chance to sue. Let mesothelioma lawyers explain this to you.
The mesothelioma lawyers should be credible and trustworthy. They should be qualified with enough proof of previous successes. This will help your case so much. The lawyers must be willing to guide you carefully through the process to show you what is expected and the chances you have of winning. It is therefore necessary to have a lawyer who will not be from another state or who lives too far away from your location. You must never assume on the terms of payment. Many cases, in fact in majority of cases there is a contingency agreement and the mesothelioma lawyers will only be paid once the process is completed. This is a very convenient way for the clients and they are able to go through the process with minimal expenses.
Do a thorough research on cases that have been passed before and see what exactly you need to prepare yourself for. If possible, talk to people who have won the lawsuits and their experiences will be invaluable to your case. With the proper guidance from your lawyer, you will be able to go through the process with ease. Some cases take months and others years and you need to engage in patience. If everything goes as planned, you will win the lawsuit and receive a compensation. Your lawyer will have to be paid on the agreed terms and you will be satisfied you got your justice. Nothing can really compensate for a deadly disease but, you will be able to pay for your treatment and recover well.
WAYNE
May
29
What type of lawyers help people get out of AA to protect their consitutional rights?
Filed Under Law & Ethics | Comments Off
Tina asked:
I want to go to law school and be a lawyer that works with people that are court mandated to Alcoholics Anonymous and believe it is religious. Are civil rights lawyers the ones that primarily do this?
YES AA is religious….the highest court of appeals in New York found it to be religious and unconstitutional. I want to do criminal defense as well but also protect peoples constitutional rights. AA forces people to turn their lives over to a Christian God and prayer is required at the beginning and end of meetings.
PETE
___________________________________________________________________
I want to go to law school and be a lawyer that works with people that are court mandated to Alcoholics Anonymous and believe it is religious. Are civil rights lawyers the ones that primarily do this?
YES AA is religious….the highest court of appeals in New York found it to be religious and unconstitutional. I want to do criminal defense as well but also protect peoples constitutional rights. AA forces people to turn their lives over to a Christian God and prayer is required at the beginning and end of meetings.
PETE
May
28
Selecting the Right Tax Lawyer
Filed Under Taxes | Comments Off
Ron Finkelstein asked:
Tax law is a highly specialized area of expertise and there are many different types of taxes. Thus, not all lawyers have expertise in all types of tax issues or problems. As a result, it would be a good idea on your part to prepare a bit more in looking for a good tax lawyer than might be the case with other areas of legal expertise.
The biggest fear of most Americans is a tax audit. If the IRS audits you, it is time to retain an experienced tax lawyer. Audits are undeniably scary things. That being said, not all audits are equal. The IRS, in fact, uses three different types of tax audits. The tax attorney is the person who can help you now.
Correspondence tax audits are the tool used most by them. In these audits, if it lets you know there is a problem and asks for more money or information. If they are asking for information that makes you nervous, go see a tax lawyer. If they are asking for money, determine whether you are comfortable paying it or want to fight it.
Office audits are a step up from correspondence audits. You are asked to come to an office with documents and/or information. It is highly recommended that you do not go without an experienced tax audit lawyer. If you do, the agent may try to get you to say incriminating statements or provide information for which they have no right to get. A good tax audit lawyer will put a stop to such tactics.
Field audits are the stuff of legend. In a field audit, they come to you. An agent will appear at your office or home and start rifling documents. This should scare the “you know what” out of you. In such a situation, you must get a tax audit lawyer. They will often sit down with the agent as the audit occurs. This is particularly effective since the lawyer can effectively push the agent in directions that are helpful to you while avoiding less comfortable areas.
When the IRS comes calling, it is extremely important to take the situation seriously. They aren’t auditing you unless the agency believes you are playing games with your taxes. The agent’s mindset will not be whether you have done something wrong. Instead, it will be how to find proof you’ve done it. This mindset often leads to further tax assessments and even jail time for tax evasion.
If they contact you regarding an audit, you could be looking at years of stress. Once you make the smart choice of retaining a tax audit lawyer, you need to pick the right one.
You want to select a tax audit lawyer who does nothing but fight for you. He or she should have at least seven years of experience doing this and probably more. Again, you don’t want an inexperienced lawyer to be learning while defending you. The definition of wisdom is learning from your mistakes. You want a lawyer who already has wisdom, not one who will gain it on your case.
STEPHAN
Tax law is a highly specialized area of expertise and there are many different types of taxes. Thus, not all lawyers have expertise in all types of tax issues or problems. As a result, it would be a good idea on your part to prepare a bit more in looking for a good tax lawyer than might be the case with other areas of legal expertise.
The biggest fear of most Americans is a tax audit. If the IRS audits you, it is time to retain an experienced tax lawyer. Audits are undeniably scary things. That being said, not all audits are equal. The IRS, in fact, uses three different types of tax audits. The tax attorney is the person who can help you now.
Correspondence tax audits are the tool used most by them. In these audits, if it lets you know there is a problem and asks for more money or information. If they are asking for information that makes you nervous, go see a tax lawyer. If they are asking for money, determine whether you are comfortable paying it or want to fight it.
Office audits are a step up from correspondence audits. You are asked to come to an office with documents and/or information. It is highly recommended that you do not go without an experienced tax audit lawyer. If you do, the agent may try to get you to say incriminating statements or provide information for which they have no right to get. A good tax audit lawyer will put a stop to such tactics.
Field audits are the stuff of legend. In a field audit, they come to you. An agent will appear at your office or home and start rifling documents. This should scare the “you know what” out of you. In such a situation, you must get a tax audit lawyer. They will often sit down with the agent as the audit occurs. This is particularly effective since the lawyer can effectively push the agent in directions that are helpful to you while avoiding less comfortable areas.
When the IRS comes calling, it is extremely important to take the situation seriously. They aren’t auditing you unless the agency believes you are playing games with your taxes. The agent’s mindset will not be whether you have done something wrong. Instead, it will be how to find proof you’ve done it. This mindset often leads to further tax assessments and even jail time for tax evasion.
If they contact you regarding an audit, you could be looking at years of stress. Once you make the smart choice of retaining a tax audit lawyer, you need to pick the right one.
You want to select a tax audit lawyer who does nothing but fight for you. He or she should have at least seven years of experience doing this and probably more. Again, you don’t want an inexperienced lawyer to be learning while defending you. The definition of wisdom is learning from your mistakes. You want a lawyer who already has wisdom, not one who will gain it on your case.
STEPHAN
May
28
Mesothelioma Lawyers Know Exactly What is Going On
Filed Under Health | Comments Off
Nick Johnson asked:
Mesothelioma is a heartbreaking condition caused by exposure to asbestos. It is a form of cancer that develops mainly in the outer lining of the lungs or the heart, but most certainly can also form in the abdominal cavity. This cancer is often found in people who have worked with asbestos in the past, most notably when it was inhaled on the job site.
In the United States, 10,000 people a year die from asbestos intake, and many people who suffer from mesothelioma have the legal ability to extract compensation from the companies that have used the asbestos that harmed them. Taking legal action for asbestos-related health issues is a touchy subject, though, and the laws are constantly changing. Different states have also adopted different laws on the subject, so depending where you live or where the incident took place, you may find yourself facing differing legal issues.
In Texas, the asbestos laws change all the time. Before you should worry about that, though, you need to have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. If you have not been diagnosed, but are worried that past exposure to asbestos may have caused harm, visit your doctor immediately. Mesothelioma diagnosis is difficult to perform mainly because the mesothelioma symptoms resemble those of other ailments.
However, a chest scan could find problems such as pleural thickening (that’s thickening of the outer lungs) or other evidence of cancer in the abdomen. Tissue samples may also need to be taken to make sure that mesolthelioma is present. If a positive diagnosis does come out of this and you can link it with exposure to asbestos, you are probably qualified to seek legal counsel. The next step is to find an adequate mesothelioma lawyer.
Texas has a number of excellent mesothelioma lawyers to choose from. The lawyers here deal with constant change in the legal system representing mesothelioma, and as such have to keep up with the changes and trends of the laws regarding the disease. By working with a top medothelioma lawyer in Texas, you will be working with someone who knows exactly what is going on at all times regarding mesothelioma laws.
It can be difficult to choose a lawyer, as many of them claim to be a top contender in their field. It’s hard to know who will really bring around a positive result at the end of your claim. Although it may be difficult to weed out the lawyers who don’t know the mesothelioma laws so well, you can be assured that knowledgeable lawyers are out there.
Let’s go over some of the more influential Texas mesothelioma lawyers out there. Fred Baron, who took on his first case for a toxic tort client in the early 1970’s, has become one of the most important mesothelioma lawyers in not only Texas, but across the United States. In fact, he currently ranks as one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S.” Lisa Blue is a psychologist and trial lawyer who has published books on mesothelioma and provided over 200 lectures on the subject of trials relating to the illness. Besides these two notable lawyers, there are many more top mesothelioma lawyers in Texas, all you need to do is look.
Finding a top mesothelioma lawyer in Texas puts you on the right path to receiving compensation for asbestos-related illness. There is no reason to have to suffer without being given what you deserve by the companies responsible for the asbestos. To find lawyers that work in Texas on predominantly mesothelioma cases, the best place to look is the internet. The top mesothelioma lawyers in Texas all have websites detailing their achievements and contact information. You can go through all the information for a number of these lawyers simply by going through some websites. From here, you can choose the ones you feel you would be comfortable with, and then speak with them personally.
Asbestos-related mesothelioma cases are more common than you think, and with the constantly changing laws it’s important to find a lawyer that is on top of his or her game. There are many top mesothelioma lawyers in Texas, but it’s finding them that will take some time. After a diagnosis proving your condition, you should look into finding a lawyer that is right for you. Then, you can start towards getting the compensation you deserve.
CHADWICK
Mesothelioma is a heartbreaking condition caused by exposure to asbestos. It is a form of cancer that develops mainly in the outer lining of the lungs or the heart, but most certainly can also form in the abdominal cavity. This cancer is often found in people who have worked with asbestos in the past, most notably when it was inhaled on the job site.
In the United States, 10,000 people a year die from asbestos intake, and many people who suffer from mesothelioma have the legal ability to extract compensation from the companies that have used the asbestos that harmed them. Taking legal action for asbestos-related health issues is a touchy subject, though, and the laws are constantly changing. Different states have also adopted different laws on the subject, so depending where you live or where the incident took place, you may find yourself facing differing legal issues.
In Texas, the asbestos laws change all the time. Before you should worry about that, though, you need to have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. If you have not been diagnosed, but are worried that past exposure to asbestos may have caused harm, visit your doctor immediately. Mesothelioma diagnosis is difficult to perform mainly because the mesothelioma symptoms resemble those of other ailments.
However, a chest scan could find problems such as pleural thickening (that’s thickening of the outer lungs) or other evidence of cancer in the abdomen. Tissue samples may also need to be taken to make sure that mesolthelioma is present. If a positive diagnosis does come out of this and you can link it with exposure to asbestos, you are probably qualified to seek legal counsel. The next step is to find an adequate mesothelioma lawyer.
Texas has a number of excellent mesothelioma lawyers to choose from. The lawyers here deal with constant change in the legal system representing mesothelioma, and as such have to keep up with the changes and trends of the laws regarding the disease. By working with a top medothelioma lawyer in Texas, you will be working with someone who knows exactly what is going on at all times regarding mesothelioma laws.
It can be difficult to choose a lawyer, as many of them claim to be a top contender in their field. It’s hard to know who will really bring around a positive result at the end of your claim. Although it may be difficult to weed out the lawyers who don’t know the mesothelioma laws so well, you can be assured that knowledgeable lawyers are out there.
Let’s go over some of the more influential Texas mesothelioma lawyers out there. Fred Baron, who took on his first case for a toxic tort client in the early 1970’s, has become one of the most important mesothelioma lawyers in not only Texas, but across the United States. In fact, he currently ranks as one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S.” Lisa Blue is a psychologist and trial lawyer who has published books on mesothelioma and provided over 200 lectures on the subject of trials relating to the illness. Besides these two notable lawyers, there are many more top mesothelioma lawyers in Texas, all you need to do is look.
Finding a top mesothelioma lawyer in Texas puts you on the right path to receiving compensation for asbestos-related illness. There is no reason to have to suffer without being given what you deserve by the companies responsible for the asbestos. To find lawyers that work in Texas on predominantly mesothelioma cases, the best place to look is the internet. The top mesothelioma lawyers in Texas all have websites detailing their achievements and contact information. You can go through all the information for a number of these lawyers simply by going through some websites. From here, you can choose the ones you feel you would be comfortable with, and then speak with them personally.
Asbestos-related mesothelioma cases are more common than you think, and with the constantly changing laws it’s important to find a lawyer that is on top of his or her game. There are many top mesothelioma lawyers in Texas, but it’s finding them that will take some time. After a diagnosis proving your condition, you should look into finding a lawyer that is right for you. Then, you can start towards getting the compensation you deserve.
CHADWICK
May
28
How to get my lawyers sue the embassy?
Filed Under Law Enforcement & Police | Comments Off
lim asked:
Hi, I am from Singapore and my exhusband had made Turkish passports by forging my signature, the mother, at the Turkish embassy in Singapore. He then absconded my 2 kids to Turkey. How do I get my lawyers to sue the embassy or get them to surrender the passport application documents to get the Singapore police to investigate the forgery? Any suggestions and also how to get my kids back?
BARNEY
Hi, I am from Singapore and my exhusband had made Turkish passports by forging my signature, the mother, at the Turkish embassy in Singapore. He then absconded my 2 kids to Turkey. How do I get my lawyers to sue the embassy or get them to surrender the passport application documents to get the Singapore police to investigate the forgery? Any suggestions and also how to get my kids back?
BARNEY
May
27
What percentage do lawyers usually charge for insurance claims?
Filed Under Insurance | Comments Off
Brian L asked:
I’m just wondering how much lawyers charge for insurance claims. What percentage of final settlement do they usually take?
ROMEO
I’m just wondering how much lawyers charge for insurance claims. What percentage of final settlement do they usually take?
ROMEO
May
25
Can a judge decide on a case without the lawyers to plead a case?
Filed Under Law & Ethics | Comments Off
mac20 asked:
A case has been going on for a year. Papers have not been presented properly and so on. Can a judge just decide before a case is presented on by the lawyers. Can he just judge the case on what’s written from both parties?
VAN
A case has been going on for a year. Papers have not been presented properly and so on. Can a judge just decide before a case is presented on by the lawyers. Can he just judge the case on what’s written from both parties?
VAN
May
24
Why are there no pro bono Lawyers who will take a whistle blower case?
Filed Under Law & Ethics | Comments Off
Judy (starynite) asked:
We talked to most of the Lawyers in town. We thought we had a lawyer but he backed off. People think it is easy to get a lawyer to take your case but not in this town.
LANDON
We talked to most of the Lawyers in town. We thought we had a lawyer but he backed off. People think it is easy to get a lawyer to take your case but not in this town.
LANDON
May
20
Lawyer Marketing - How You Create Breakthrough Success
Filed Under Affiliate Programs | Comments Off
Henry Harlow asked:
Lawyer marketing and the “manager’s mantra” go together. Never heard the manager’s mantra? The “manager’s mantra” is an important variable in successful legal marketing. The manager’s mantra is “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Well, that is nice Henry and how will that help me?
Most attorneys have some sort of referral network (if only a small one) however; attorneys really don’t know how to manage their lawyer marketing so that their referral network expands. The first step in this expansion is to know where you are and then you can figure out how to get to where you want to go. Yes, it is important to understand the geographics, demographics and psychographics of your referral sources/clients for sure and you need a lawyer marketing management system. By understanding more about how to manage your legal marketing referral sources, you can grow this referral network and boost your attorney marketing efforts with less work on your part.
What Your Expanded Lawyer Marketing Referral Base Delivers To You
What does having this lawyer marketing management system in place mean for you? If you are working your legal marketing referral sources well, you are building a base that will make a significant impact on your bottom line, as I am sure you know. You will be sent more business and be able to retain more quality business that will in turn send you more quality business. You will have an easier time saying no to mediocre or poor cases and holding out for top dollar cases. You can even pass on work that simply does not appeal to you personally if you know that your lawyer marketing referral base will consistently deliver.
Professional marketers know the process of wooing a referral base involves creating “know, like, trust, relationship, credibility, and top of mind awareness (TOMA)” with your legal marketing referral sources. I think you see the benefits clearly so lets move on to giving you the management tool to make it a reality.
Measuring a Lawyer Marketing Referral Base
Lawyer marketing is not always and exact science and that does not keep us from keeping statistics. The “game” of legal marketing will be improved just like keeping statistics in baseball, football or hockey improves performance. The tool we will use consists of four basic lists to measure your legal marketing referral base as it exists currently and see where your attorney marketing time needs to be focused thus putting your resources into those referral sources with the potential for the most return.
The first list is called the “Top 20″ List. If you only have a few lawyer marketing referral sources, obviously, it may only be the Top 10 or even the Top 2 List. But the first objective after listing your top lawyer marketing referral sources is to increase the list to 20 if it is not there already so that is why we call it the Top 20 list. In order to qualify for the Top 20 List, a referral source must have sent you X amount of business in the past year and has hit that level consistently over the last three years. Depending on your practice area, X may be one, two, or three very profitable cases. For example, if you are a PI lawyer you might consider X to equal the referral of at least one case that netted the practice over $25,000 in contingency fees (or set the benchmark higher or lower as you see fit). If you practice residential real estate then X might equal someone who sent you a minimum of 3 closings per month (again you can set this benchmark higher or lower depending on your current situation). Bottom line here is whether for PI, estate planning, family law, or real estate legal marketing, you will know what level is appropriate for your Top 20 level of lawyer marketing attention.
The second list is the “Farm Team” List. Here we are using a baseball metaphor of your Top 20 being the “major leagues” and this second list being the farm team in training for moving up to the big leagues of the Top 20. Your Farm Team List consists of those legal marketing referral sources who are between having at least tried to send you someone up to whatever you have set the threshold of being a Top 20 list member. This trying to send you someone can be as casual as a friend asking if his or her neighbour called you after being given your card by your friend. We all know that lawyer marketing is sometimes this accidental.
The third list is the “Who You Know” List and is similar to any standard networking list. It includes everyone you know, even everyone your spouse knows, as well as those people known by your family and your staff. Take this one out as far as you like. The bigger it gets the better for lawyer marketing.
Finally, there is the lawyer marketing “Categories List”. This is a list of professions and occupations in general that would have the capacity to refer business to you. There are no names on this list, only general occupations/professions. For example, a PI lawyer might list nurses, physical therapists, medical technicians, chiropractors, neurologist, plastic surgeons, orthopaedists etc. while a family lawyer might list psychologists, social workers, marriage counselors, CPAs, hairdressers, real estate lawyers, etc.
Working a Lawyer Marketing Referral Base
Now you have measured your lawyer marketing referral network what do you do with that list? Just to be sure I need to say every lawyer has as their best referral source category other lawyers so be sure to list all other practice areas that would have a particular ability to refer to your practice area on your categories list. Also every lawyer marketing system needs to list “current clients” as a category and put those clients on the Top 20 and Farm Team list as they move out of the Who You Know List since clients should be on the Who You Know List. Also some of your clients are in the categories you have listed and they need particular attention first in legal marketing.
The way you use the list in lawyer marketing is to pay particular attention first to building and maintaining relationships with your Top 20 and Farm Team List members. As you deepen and develop those relationships they will send you more clients than ever before since you are building “know, like, trust, relationship, credibility, and top of mind awareness (TOMA)” with these people. Ask the Top 20 and Farm Team members to introduce you to other people they know in the categories that have the ability to refer to you and they will. See if any of the Who You Know List members are in the categories you are seeking and cultivate those members. See if the Who You Know List members can introduce you to people on your categories list. You get the idea here. Over time you will fill your Top 20 and Farm Team lists thus only have time to devote to maintaining and building from them I am sure. Not sure how to do this entire legal marketing building from a communications perspective? Well, that is the subject of future articles, worth a visit to my website for more information or contact me and we can work on that together. You can master lawyer marketing I am certain.
ANTWAN
Lawyer marketing and the “manager’s mantra” go together. Never heard the manager’s mantra? The “manager’s mantra” is an important variable in successful legal marketing. The manager’s mantra is “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Well, that is nice Henry and how will that help me?
Most attorneys have some sort of referral network (if only a small one) however; attorneys really don’t know how to manage their lawyer marketing so that their referral network expands. The first step in this expansion is to know where you are and then you can figure out how to get to where you want to go. Yes, it is important to understand the geographics, demographics and psychographics of your referral sources/clients for sure and you need a lawyer marketing management system. By understanding more about how to manage your legal marketing referral sources, you can grow this referral network and boost your attorney marketing efforts with less work on your part.
What Your Expanded Lawyer Marketing Referral Base Delivers To You
What does having this lawyer marketing management system in place mean for you? If you are working your legal marketing referral sources well, you are building a base that will make a significant impact on your bottom line, as I am sure you know. You will be sent more business and be able to retain more quality business that will in turn send you more quality business. You will have an easier time saying no to mediocre or poor cases and holding out for top dollar cases. You can even pass on work that simply does not appeal to you personally if you know that your lawyer marketing referral base will consistently deliver.
Professional marketers know the process of wooing a referral base involves creating “know, like, trust, relationship, credibility, and top of mind awareness (TOMA)” with your legal marketing referral sources. I think you see the benefits clearly so lets move on to giving you the management tool to make it a reality.
Measuring a Lawyer Marketing Referral Base
Lawyer marketing is not always and exact science and that does not keep us from keeping statistics. The “game” of legal marketing will be improved just like keeping statistics in baseball, football or hockey improves performance. The tool we will use consists of four basic lists to measure your legal marketing referral base as it exists currently and see where your attorney marketing time needs to be focused thus putting your resources into those referral sources with the potential for the most return.
The first list is called the “Top 20″ List. If you only have a few lawyer marketing referral sources, obviously, it may only be the Top 10 or even the Top 2 List. But the first objective after listing your top lawyer marketing referral sources is to increase the list to 20 if it is not there already so that is why we call it the Top 20 list. In order to qualify for the Top 20 List, a referral source must have sent you X amount of business in the past year and has hit that level consistently over the last three years. Depending on your practice area, X may be one, two, or three very profitable cases. For example, if you are a PI lawyer you might consider X to equal the referral of at least one case that netted the practice over $25,000 in contingency fees (or set the benchmark higher or lower as you see fit). If you practice residential real estate then X might equal someone who sent you a minimum of 3 closings per month (again you can set this benchmark higher or lower depending on your current situation). Bottom line here is whether for PI, estate planning, family law, or real estate legal marketing, you will know what level is appropriate for your Top 20 level of lawyer marketing attention.
The second list is the “Farm Team” List. Here we are using a baseball metaphor of your Top 20 being the “major leagues” and this second list being the farm team in training for moving up to the big leagues of the Top 20. Your Farm Team List consists of those legal marketing referral sources who are between having at least tried to send you someone up to whatever you have set the threshold of being a Top 20 list member. This trying to send you someone can be as casual as a friend asking if his or her neighbour called you after being given your card by your friend. We all know that lawyer marketing is sometimes this accidental.
The third list is the “Who You Know” List and is similar to any standard networking list. It includes everyone you know, even everyone your spouse knows, as well as those people known by your family and your staff. Take this one out as far as you like. The bigger it gets the better for lawyer marketing.
Finally, there is the lawyer marketing “Categories List”. This is a list of professions and occupations in general that would have the capacity to refer business to you. There are no names on this list, only general occupations/professions. For example, a PI lawyer might list nurses, physical therapists, medical technicians, chiropractors, neurologist, plastic surgeons, orthopaedists etc. while a family lawyer might list psychologists, social workers, marriage counselors, CPAs, hairdressers, real estate lawyers, etc.
Working a Lawyer Marketing Referral Base
Now you have measured your lawyer marketing referral network what do you do with that list? Just to be sure I need to say every lawyer has as their best referral source category other lawyers so be sure to list all other practice areas that would have a particular ability to refer to your practice area on your categories list. Also every lawyer marketing system needs to list “current clients” as a category and put those clients on the Top 20 and Farm Team list as they move out of the Who You Know List since clients should be on the Who You Know List. Also some of your clients are in the categories you have listed and they need particular attention first in legal marketing.
The way you use the list in lawyer marketing is to pay particular attention first to building and maintaining relationships with your Top 20 and Farm Team List members. As you deepen and develop those relationships they will send you more clients than ever before since you are building “know, like, trust, relationship, credibility, and top of mind awareness (TOMA)” with these people. Ask the Top 20 and Farm Team members to introduce you to other people they know in the categories that have the ability to refer to you and they will. See if any of the Who You Know List members are in the categories you are seeking and cultivate those members. See if the Who You Know List members can introduce you to people on your categories list. You get the idea here. Over time you will fill your Top 20 and Farm Team lists thus only have time to devote to maintaining and building from them I am sure. Not sure how to do this entire legal marketing building from a communications perspective? Well, that is the subject of future articles, worth a visit to my website for more information or contact me and we can work on that together. You can master lawyer marketing I am certain.
ANTWAN