You undoubtedly already know that some attorneys in North County San Diego work in large firms with multiple partners and other associates, while other lawyers choose to work on their own in small, private offices (attorneys working on their own are known as solo practitioners). When hiring someone for your case, you might not know whether a firm or a solo practitioner will be able to better represent your interests. While both offer their advantages, here are some reasons that you may be happier working with a solo practitioner over a legal firm.
Knowing who handles your case. When you hire a big firm, you may talk with the senior partners at your consultation, but they may never even touch your case again until it goes to trial. In the mean time, your case could bounce between junior associates and paralegals who are often the only ones to prepare a case. Many clients are surprised to find their case is not even handled by the partners when it goes to court. When you hire a solo practitioner like Peter M. Liss, you know he will be the only one handling your case every step of the way, and whenever you make an appointment to speak to your San Marcos defense attorney, you can be sure who will be sitting on the other side of the desk.
More focus. One of the biggest selling points for large firms is that they have more resources at their disposal, but the problem is that they also have more attorneys and more clients taking advantage of those resources. Sometimes one firm can have thousands of clients at one time, which can make it particularly difficult to ensure any one client is getting the focus they deserve. A solo practitioner, on the other hand, will only take as many cases as he can handle and is then able to fully give each case his full attention. If he hires additional resources for a specific case (such as a private investigator or forensic services), he will be on top of those contractors to make sure they deliver their services in a timely and professional manner.
Dedication. Again, because a firm may be able to have a practically unlimited number of cases, the outcome of one individual’s case isn’t as important to them. When you hire a solo practitioner who can only take on a limited number of clients, he is bound to care far more about the outcome as it will affect his reputation as well. In fact, many busy Fallbrook defense lawyers who operate their own law offices are so selective about who they take on as a client that they will only take cases they believe they can win.
A wider range of experience. Because large firms often have so many partners and associates at their disposal, they often ask their practicing attorneys to focus on one specific field of law. For example, one associate might only have experiencing violent crimes, while another may specialize in theft cases. But many clients are charged with an array of crimes and having someone who has experience handling all of these types of cases can be critical in fighting all of the charges. Additionally, because the law is so complex, sometimes a precedent that applies to one type of crime may actually make the difference in a seemingly unrelated law -for example, a judgement in a computer crimes case could later affect someone facing a DUI charge. Only a Rancho Bernardo defense attorney with experience handling all types of criminal cases would be able to see the connection.
Affordability. Big firms have to pay big bills for their big staff and big buildings. On the other hand, solo practitioners tend to operate out of small offices and only have a small staff of one or two people. While they can hire external specialists for specific cases, they don’t keep them on the payroll so only the clients with cases requiring these services have to foot the bill for them. These lower overhead costs can make a huge difference in the total cost of your legal fees -and in situations where you may have the choice between a not-so-great plea bargain and a victory in court, being able to afford your attorney for a longer period of time could also make a huge difference in the outcome of your case.
It’s worth noting that most large firms are very selective about their clientele and often will only take on white collar crimes. Most criminal law “firms” you see advertised on search engines are actually entirely internet based and contract out their cases to outside lawyers or use junior lawyers they have on staff -this is why you should always ask who will actually be handling your case. Many of these firms advertise with “San Diego” keywords, but they will contract with attorneys from outside the county that know little about San Diego courts and local practices.
When you call these companies, the person answering the phone will usually be a salesperson that will try to convince you to use their firm through scare tactics or false and unethical promises. If a lawyer ever makes you a promise about your case result, it’s a good sign that you should call someone else.
The bottom line is that whether compared to a large firm or an internet-based firm, a solo practitioner has the resources to defend people in both simple and complicated cases. San Marcos defense lawyer Peter M. Liss has access to the same online legal research any firm can purchase and is able to hire investigators and experts if necessary. He can bring in trusted lawyer friends as co-counsel if the case requires more than one lawyer. Mr. Liss also graduated from a top ranked law school, The University of California at Berkeley’s Law School. He has more than 30 years experience and only handles criminal cases. Many internet firms also do personal injury, family law and other areas so they are spread too thin and hardly any one of them have lawyers with academic, work experience and credentials that could come close to matching Peter Liss. He has a great reputation as well as a track record of pleasing his or her clients. You can schedule a free initial appointment by calling (760) 643-4050.
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