Nobody wants to pay for a lawyer if they can avoid it. That said, I’ve been running this service for 15 years and have talked to over 300,000 people. I can’t tell you how many people over the years who have hired their cousin or uncle or friend for a case and then called me because they greatly regret that decision.
One of the biggest mistakes lawyers in Illinois make is assuming that they can handle any case or that taking on a claim will be easy. Insurance companies and other attorneys usually pounce in those situations and make the lawyer’s life difficult which in turn screws up your case. You’re essentially fighting with one hand tied behind your back.
The number one key to success in any legal case is getting an attorney with experience on the type of matter that you are handling. The problem that we see over and over is that your relative tends not to have the experience you need. Whether they take the case out of greed or pride or something else is beyond me. When the clients get to me it’s often because the case is either screwed up or dragging on forever. This leads to hurt feelings and often a bad result with the case itself.
For anyone who is considering hiring an attorney in Illinois, we always recommend that you think long term. That doesn’t mean go and spending $50,000.00 when your cousin will do the case for free. What it does mean is to try and figure out what your long term goal is, what’s the outcome you are looking for and who can best help you achieve that goal. If you were injured in a car accident and your relative has spent their career writing wills and filing bankruptcy paperwork, they aren’t the best attorney for you.
In any of these cases it’s up to you to look out for your own best interests. If you don’t then you can’t expect that anyone else will either. Don’t feel obligated to hire anyone other than who you think can do the best job for you. Once the case is done, it’s over and you can’t go back and hire the lawyer should should have retained in the first place.
To get a free referral for your case, call us at (312) 346-5320 or fill out our contact form. We want you to find the right fit for your situation.