WHAT A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE WILL DO FOR YOU

There are lots of jokes about good lawyers vs. bad lawyers. "A good lawyer is the one that won your case. A bad lawyer is one who lost your case."

But seriously, what will a great representative do for you?

1. He/she will take your case seriously, work at it energetically and really care about the outcome.

2. He/she will be available to you. "The greatest ability is availability." Lawyers' time is valuable because so many clients need some of their time. Sometimes it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day to handle paperwork, legal preparation, records review, handle consultations and meetings--and return all the phone calls. I am saddened when I hear people talking about attorneys who won't return their calls or don't have time to speak to them, ever.

3. Your representative will meet deadlines. Period.

4. He/she will get to know your needs and concerns and do everything possible to meet them. You should be a personal client, not just a file or case number.

5. A great representative will try to overcome the usual negatives in a case and seek a way to win "anyway." All cases have pros and cons--strengths and weaknesses--and a good rep will overcome the weak points and use the strong points!

I sometimes review a case and come to the conclusion (to myself), "There is just no way this case is going to win." Nearly always, the answer lies in digging more deeply into the medical record. Get to know the record like the back of your hand. Often, after doing that, it's like a great light opens up and screams, "This is how you can win this case!" Yes! Why didn't I see it before?

Even excellent representatives lose cases. Of course there are some factors your rep cannot control. But over the long haul, an excellent representative builds bridges that provide a path to winning a lot of cases--even if it involves great personal sacrifice and a lot, lot of hard work! There are few shortcuts to success.