Does Experience Really Matter?

This is an interesting question, and especially apt when you are choosing an attorney.  The easy way to answer that is to say, "yes."  However, that is also far too simplistic.  Of course, experience matters , but how much experience, and what kind, and is there a direct correlation between experience of my attorney, and the fees they charge?

I like to bill myself as one of Central Ohio's most affordable attorneys.  Why do I say that?   Because, there are attorneys out there, who charge less, but more often than not, they have little to no experience.  You can find attorneys who charge no upfront retainer, and $50 monthly payments, but they likely have no experience in cases like yours.  I compare this to a situation, in which a father gives his daughter the keys to his prized Porsche, the day after she gets her drivers license.  Of course, that would likely not happen, because you don't want her learning to drive with that prized car, you want her to ding up the old Toyota, not the crown jewel of your automobile collection.

In the same way, you would probably not want her to drive the Porsche, you probably don't want to jeopardize the future of your loved one charged with a serious criminal charge, or the custody of your children, with someone who has little or no experience in those matters.  You don't want them "learning the law," on your dime, and at your expense.  If you were to choose those individuals, you will probably find out that by trying to save some money on attorney's you have cost yourself in the long run.  Attorneys not experienced in the cases they try, have a tendency to make mistakes, that at the very least will cost you money for them to fix them, and ultimately may doom your entire case.

I would also argue that, simply because an attorney charges very high rates, is not a guarantee that they have great experience, or that your case will go perfectly.  I am rather consistently  contacted by client's who tell me about the attorney's they used that charged them thousands of dollars, for results that the client could have easily achieved without an attorney at all.

Your lawyer should have good experience in the areas that you are using him in, they should charge reasonably based on those experiences, and choosing the cheapest attorney very well may cost you in the long run.

If you have a question about choosing an attorney, or you would like to speak with me, about my experience in certain kinds of cases, feel free to email me at, justinwright@jwrightlaw.com, or visit www.jwrightlaw.com, for more information about the services we provide.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog entry.  I hope to see you here again.      

How should I choose a lawyer for my Divorce or Criminal Defense case in Ohio?

I have recently been considering this issue, as client's approach me in regards to their cases.  Sometimes I am a client's first choice, and sometimes I am someone they come to when they are unsatisified with their current lawyer's communication style, or the results that are being produced.

Here is my advice when you are hiring a lawyer for a Divorce or a Criminal Defense Matter.  The First step, is research, look any prospective attorney up, on the web, and between their peers.  What I mean to say here, is go look that attorney up online, and find everything there is to know, and then ask some other attorneys around, what they think of this attorney.  Next, call them up, find out basic information, including their fee structure.  Next, you need to talk them face to face, NEVER hire a lawyer without looking into their eyes.  If you don't have a good feeling at that meeting, get out.  If you don't trust your atorney at the first meeting, you never will.

Ask your prospective lawyer, what they think will happen in this case, if they tell you the best case scenario, or guarantee a scenario, you need to leave right away.  I tell my client's, every one of them, that I cannot guarantee an outcome, and any ethical attorney will tell you the same thing.  If, you find someone willing to promise the world to you, you should be very wary.

Ask questions, a lot of them.  If your prospective attorney is short or impatient with you, or those questions, that is another good indicator, this individual is not right for you.   

I also am brutally honest with my client's, I would rather tell my client's what they need to hear, than what they want to hear sometimes.  If my client's expect the best case, and then are disappointed, I have done them a great disservice.  If, however, I have prepared them for the worst, and a better situation arises, that situation is much easier to address, than the converse of that. 

In Short, hiring an attorney in a Divorce or Crminial Defense matter is on par with one of the most important decisions in your life, as it will have such a monumental impact on your life.   It is something that should not be entered into lightly, you shoudl consult all available information, and you should talk to several people, before making a final decision.  Lastly,trust your instincts, they have served you well proir to this point, and they will be critical in this decision as well.

I wish anyone making this decision, good luck, and if you have any questions or concerns, feel free and call my office at (614) 230-5333, to schedule a no cost consultation.