October 2020

As a legal firm, you’re part of the legal world, but you also operate as a business. You have to compete with many other local firms in your area.

You probably want to stand out as an expert law firm, so you can attract clients. But what does it take to be among the best law firms in America?

Here we’ll discuss five traits of the best law firms so you know what to strive for to make your firm stand out among the rest.

1. An Expert Law Firm Provides Services in a Timely Manner

One of the most important traits of an expert law firm is the timeliness in which they deliver their legal services.

Being attentive to clients and considerate with timely communication is crucial in keeping them satisfied, and the best lawyers know this. For the best outcomes in a case, timeliness is essential.

2. They Embrace Modern Technology

The most successful law firms don’t resist new technologies that can improve their efficiency. Instead of looking at these technologies as a luxury or resisting the change, expert law offices see these tools as a necessity. They make an effort to train their staff on these modern tools, such as those on the Sweetlaw.com site, instead of stubbornly sticking to conventional methods.

3. They Are Recognized Within Their Community

One of the easiest ways to spot an expert law firm is by noting how well received they are within their own community. For a firm to be well-received, they are likely taking measures to contribute to their community in a meaningful way. One such example is if they offer pro bono cases to those who are unable to afford high-quality legal assistance when they need it most.

4. They Attract Top Level Talent

Law firms are no different from other types of businesses when it comes to attracting and keeping talent on board. They realize that their own people are their most valuable asset.

They also recognize that their clients want to be working with the most talented legal team that they can find. To maintain a top-level team of talent, a good law firm will have an effective strategy in place that retains the best of the best.

5. They Strive to Be a Great Place to Work

One of the most important characteristics of a successful law firm is its reputation for being a great place to work. In this, they attract the best people in the business who can then turn around and offer top-notch legal services to their clients and the community.

Employees and staff that are treated well want to stick around and continue to build up the firm and improve its services.

Learn More About Being the Best

These are just a few of the efforts you can take to reach expert law firm status. Use these tips whether you’re looking for a law firm or hoping to improve your firm’s reputation.

To learn more about how to improve your practice, be sure to check out our other resources regularly.

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Not every divorce lawsuit is settled and closed with the help of a divorce lawyer. Many small divorce cases are often filed individually as there aren’t many complicated issues to deal with. Whether you should get a lawyer to look into your case depends on your circumstances.

When You Don’t Need a Lawyer

You don’t need to spend money on hiring a divorce lawyer if you can work out every issue with your spouse amicably. Some of the legal issues that need to be resolved in a divorce case are child support, child custody, debt payment, and distribution of property. When you work with your spouse, you will be able to make the best decision on the important issues that are brought up in the court. Your children will also experience a smoother transition. It is up to you to get a lawyer to go through the agreement. Divorce lawyers Irving TX will be able to ensure that the agreement drafted between you and your spouse does not miss any important information.

You are Facing Violence from Your Ex

You can hire a divorce lawyer if you are being ill-treated by your ex. Your ex is abusing you verbally or physically and you are afraid of living in violence every day. You can seek a divorce lawyer to help you take out a temporary restraining order to keep your ex away from you before the divorce case is settled. With the temporary restraining order, you have permission from the court to move out of the house with the kids. If you don’t have the temporary restraining order, your spouse can accuse you of kidnapping the children.

You and Your Ex Can’t Come to Terms on Financial Issues

You and your ex are having a big argument on how the assets, and properties are to be divided. You don’t trust your spouse and think he is hiding some important financial issues from you. If you have a lawyer, he will be able to perform an investigation and find out all the financial issues. The lawyer can assist in valuing assets if you and your spouse can’t decide on the value of a property. He will review the previous appraisals, and tax assessment when valuing the assets. The divorce lawyer can assist in the property division and make sure that each party receives an equal amount.

You Need Assistance in Child Custody Issues

You need a lawyer to help with the child custody issues in your divorce. It can be difficult to agree on certain topics with your ex. If you and your ex can’t come to agreement, you can get a lawyer to help you in making the arrangement. In this way, you can avoid arguing with the judge in the court. If you and your ex already come into an agreement, you can get a lawyer as a limited scope representation and help you review it. A divorce attorney can also guide you if you need to appeal to court orders to make changes to an arrangement. He can help you to renegotiate the child support and redraft the schedule.

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The insurance industry is worth tens of billions of dollars. Even in today’s economy where claims have become more common, we’re still seeing a very positive outlook for businesses that cover everything from home damages to car accidents.

How has the insurance industry grown into such a behemoth? In large part by doing everything in their power to avoid paying out fair claims to people like you.

That may sound cynical but it’s indeed in an insurer’s best interest to pay as little as possible in claims while collecting as much as possible in premiums. That’s where insurance attorneys come in.

Insurance attorneys are trained to fight with insurers that make bad faith offers or decline the claims of insured individuals. If you’re struggling to work with your insurance company or an opposing party’s, keep reading to understand how to find the perfect attorney to represent your interests.

1. Think About Whether or Not You Need an Attorney

We always advocate for people to lawyer up when dealing with difficult insurance companies. Before you take that advice though, try to get an idea of what the upside of gaining legal council might look like.

When you hire insurance attorneys they’re going to collect their payment by taking a portion of whatever amount of money they’re able to get you from a settlement. If they ask for 40% of your settlement but were only able to drive up your settlement offer by 20%, you’ve lost money.

All of that to say that if you’re getting extended an offer without representation that seems fair, you may be better served taking it instead of fighting.

2. Search Online Reviews

Online reviews provide consumers like you immediate context on businesses across several niches. The legal industry is no exception.

Run a local search on sites like Yelp or Google to find which insurance attorneys are the most loved near where you live. We recommend shortlisting companies that have over 10 reviews and an average rating for 4-stars or higher.

Note that not every insurance attorney will have a presence on review sites. That doesn’t automatically mean they’re bad at what they do.

3. Consider Years in Practice

Every attorney has to get their start somewhere. We recommend that start not be on your case.

While that might sound bad, the truth is, becoming good at winning cases is a process that takes practice. The more practice your attorney has negotiating with insurers and getting in front of juries, the more secure your outcome will be.

4. Analyze Areas of Expertise

Given how complex the law is and how much it varies from niche to niche, your perfect lawyer should be an expert in the kind of insurance case you’re dealing with. For example, if you’re thinking of suing your homeowner’s insurance company, find an attorney that explicitly markets their experience doing that.

You don’t want an attorney that spends half of their time managing divorce cases championing your insurance needs.

5. Schedule Appointments

By now, you should have an idea as to which insurance attorneys in your area are worth having conversations with. Take that shortlist of prospects and start scheduling appointments.

As you try to get time on the books, pay attention to the ease in which an attorney allows you onto their calendars. If you’re really struggling to find availability, keep in mind that the attorney you’re considering is likely busy and may be not as responsive as you’d like when managing your case.

6. Inquire About Case Win Rates

There’s nothing wrong or insulting about asking an attorney about their track record when you first meet them. After all, understanding how often they deliver favorable results for their clients is a great way to discern how likely they are to get you the result you’re looking for.

Any lawyer that can’t summarize for you basic data about the outcomes of their cases or that’s coy about sharing that information is best avoided.

7. Understand If They’re Willing to Go to Court

No parties in insurance disputes want to go to court. Trips to courtrooms are costly, time-consuming, and outcomes are very unpredictable.

Given those factors, it’s almost always in the interest of everybody involved to arrive at a settlement.

Still, on very rare occasions, insurers and victims are not able to come to terms on how best to mediate disputes. When that happens, a trip to the courtroom may be necessary.

Will your lawyer back you if court ends up being the only way to get the compensation you’re entitled to? Be sure to ask them.

Lawyers that refuse to go to court are missing a key piece of leverage when it comes to your case.

8. Go With Your Gut

You’re going to be working with the attorney that you choose to hire a lot as you navigate …

Let’s face it, placing a loved one in a nursing home can feel like a gamble.

After all, studies have found that 1 in 10 seniors will experience a form of elder abuse. Unfortunately, many seniors who voice their experiences with nursing home neglect are disregarded. Instead, their concerns are chalked up to an aging mind and even spurts of dementia.

When it comes to nursing home neglect, it’s important to understand that this neglect may come in various forms. This could be anything from emotional and physical neglect to passive neglect and deprivation.

If you’re considering placing your loved one in a nursing home, you’re going to want to read this. We’re uncovering seven signs of nursing home neglect that everyone should be aware of. When browsing different homes, knowing which signs to look out for will be incredibly helpful.

1. Physical Marks 

First things first, it’s crucial to be aware of any unexpected physical markings on your loved one.

This may come in the form of anything from bruises and welts to cuts and scratches. If your loved one is unable to explain where they’ve come from, this could signal the possibility of physical abuse.

However, it’s also important to note that signs of physical abuse can be found in broken objects such as eyeglasses or clothing. You’re also going to want to watch for unexpectedly broken bones or unexplainable injuries.

At the end of the day, physical neglect calls for further action. If you’re noticing physical marks, you’re going to want to move forward in calling a local attorney. With this, your attorney can advise you on how to proceed and the best steps to take for correction.

2. Unusual Behaviour 

Has your loved one been exhibiting unusual behavior?

Maybe they’re quieter and more confidential than usual. Or, perhaps they’re showing signs of timidness and fearfulness. Either way, these changes in behavior must be monitored and taken seriously.

To start, be sure to discuss these changes with your loved one. You can also ask a trusted staff member if they, too, have noticed these changes in behavior. If these changes continue, it could be a sign of nursing home neglect.

3. An Unkempt Environment 

One of the most common and telling signs of nursing home neglect is an unkempt environment.

In order for the residents to be properly cared for, it’s crucial for the nursing home environment to be clean and organized. Not only can a lack of tidiness be detrimental to the mind, but it’s also unsafe for residents.

If you’re noticing that your loved one’s nursing home is dirty and unorganized, this may be a sign of nursing home neglect. If the staff are unable to properly care for the physical environment, it’s unlikely they’re able to properly care for the residents themselves.

4. Lack of Proper Utilities 

When you visit the nursing home, you’ll want to take notice of which utilities are available and being used.

Is there proper lighting? Is it warm enough during the colder months? Is it too hot in the middle of summer?

In keeping their residents as happy and healthy as possible, nursing homes must provide their residents with proper utilities. This includes utilities in common rooms as well as their own private residence.

5. Physical Changes 

Does your loved one appear weak and frail?

Of course, certain medical conditions and old age can result in sudden weight loss and a frail appearance. However, you should always be keeping track of how your loved one appears physically.

Are they keeping weight on? Do they look more frail and discolored than usual?

If you’re witnessing sudden changes to their physical body, it could signal that they’re not eating enough. In some cases, this might be because the staff isn’t providing adequate food options or taking the necessary measures to feed them. If a patient is a notoriously poor eater, a neglectful staff member may avoid feeding them altogether.

Don’t hesitate to ask your loved one about the food that they consume. If you notice any red flags, be sure to address these issues with a trusted staff member.

6. Insufficient Staff 

Is the nursing home adequately staffed?

With over 39.5 million Americans over the age of 65, there’s a steady demand for senior care workers. Unfortunately, filling and maintaining these positions isn’t always easy. As a result, many nursing homes don’t have enough staff to take care of the residents.

When this happens, residents are often left to fend for themselves and their daily care is minimized. When you’re paying for and relying on the nursing home staff, this is simply unacceptable.

If you feel that your loved one’s nursing home is lacking staff, be sure to voice your opinions to a trusted staff member.

7. Lack of Services Available 

Which services are available to your …