Myths About Smaller Law Firms
Many clients in need of legal representation fall into believing inaccurate myths about small law firms that convince them that a larger firm will offer superior services.
In fact, the value of a law firm's services is not in any way indicated by the firm's size. Determining whether a law firm has a successful track record is much more complicated than simply considering the firm's size and notoriety in your community.
Avoid making the following inaccurate assumptions regarding small law firms if you want to find the best possible legal representative for your case:
Lawyers working at small law firms are generalists.
It seems natural that a larger firm will have more freedom to assign certain lawyers to particular cases so that firm lawyers will become specialized. On the other hand, lawyers at a smaller firm may have to take on a wide variety of cases since the firm doesn't have as many different choices when assigning cases.
However, some smaller firms get an edge over competitors by specializing in a niche market. For example, a family law practice might limit itself to providing representation in matters of child custody.
If you're looking for a specialist, you'd do better to look at how a particular law firm markets itself rather than how large it is. If the firm offers expertise in a certain area, you can be sure that they will try to make that known in their advertising efforts.
The firm hasn't grown because it hasn't been successful.
Although growth in general suggests business success, this is not always the case when it come to law firms. Partners at small law firms might want to keep things small to avoid the stress of having to manage over a large team of lawyers.
The firm is understaffed.
Some clients assume that lawyers at a smaller law firm will be spread very thin because they're trying to take on too many cases with too few lawyers and assistants. This might leave clients worrying that their attorney won't give their case the time it requires for success if they work with a small firm.
However, how well the leaders of the firm manage is more important than the size of the firm when it comes to keeping case assignments under control. When you're interviewing lawyers, try to get a sense of how organized the law firm is by looking out for signs of stress and disorganization among staff members.
For more information, contact Stuart Simon Law Firm or a similar organization.
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