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Selecting The Right Law Firm

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:45:25 +0000

Virtually all individuals and businesses at some point in time (and some on a regular basis) require the services of a law firm. Selecting the right law firm is critical. Here are some pointers that can help in making that important decision:

1. Trust. There is probably no other element in the attorney/client relationship that is more important than “trust.” You must feel a high level of trust in the attorney: trust that the attorney is competent; is honest; and has your best interests at heart. The trust factor goes both ways: the attorney must trust that the client will be truthful; will pay for services rendered; and will listen when the attorney explains the legal ramifications of the issues involved.

2. Competency. You must be confident that the attorney is competent and experienced in the area of the law that is involved in the representation.

3. Service. Your satisfaction level with your law firm will be largely determined by the level of service that is provided. Service involves things such as returning phone calls promptly, keeping the client informed of the status of the matter, and simple courtesies. Most legal issues involve a certain measure of stress or even discomfort; being treated with courtesy and in a responsive manner will go a long ways toward ameliorating your stress and discomfort.

4. Reasonable Fees. These days charges for attorneys’ fees are all over the place. On almost any legal matter if you check with different sized law firms with different levels of expertise, you will find that the range of charges can differ greatly. For the most part, the old adage applies: “you get what you pay for.” Even so, there are instances where some law firms charge fees that are unreasonable under the circumstances. In assessing whether the proposed charges are reasonable, there are many factors that go into the equation; expounding on those in detail here is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that the experience and expertise of the attorney, the complexity of the matter and the time required to be devoted by the attorney are key factors.
The above considerations are all important in the selection of an attorney. What can you do to evaluate the prospective law firm in the above four areas?

There is no crystal ball that you can look into to get the answers. There are some steps that you can take, however; the following is a list of some of them:

1. Interview the attorney, asking probing questions about all of the above.

2. Consider the law firm’s reputation in the community by asking friends, relatives and neighbors if they have had any experience with the law firm.

3. Research on line what others have said about the law firm (use caution here, however, because sometimes a disgruntled client, who has in fact been served well by a law firm, but who acted unreasonably himself in connection with his relationship with the law firm can spread false and unfounded statements about an otherwise very good law firm).

4. Inquire with the Florida Bar regarding available information pertaining to disciplinary actions against the law firm.

None or all of the above is foolproof. Certainly, an eye to eye interview with your prospective attorney, wherein you assess each of the foregoing factors, as supplemented by your other research, will go a long way toward making the right decision.

– Rulon D. Munns, Esq., is a managing shareholder of Bogin, Munns, & Munns, P.A., a full service law firm with offices in Orlando, Clermont, Kissimmee, Deltona, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Melbourne, Gainesville, and Leesburg, Florida. He welcomes questions and comments regarding the above and can be reached at rulon@boginmunns.com.

NO LEGAL ADVICE: This blog entry is not intended as legal advice nor should you consider it as such. It is intended only as general information. You should not act upon this information without retaining professional legal counsel. Please keep in mind that merely subscribing to or reading this blog or otherwise contacting Bogin Munns & Munns, P.A. in the manner that you have will not establish an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Bogin Munns & Munns, P.A. cannot represent you until the firm knows there would not be a conflict of interest, and the firm determines that it is otherwise able to accept the engagement.

Essay Winner Coral Brown is presented with an IPAD from Ranier & Rulon Munns.

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:51:46 +0000

Darlene Brown is my mother and the strongest person I know. She works two jobs, one as a full time cytotechnologist and part time as a cashier at Albertsons. She is supporting my father, my sister, and myself and is putting my sister and I through college. Never once has she asked for anything in return for the struggle she goes through every day. Both my father and I had major health problems requiring surgery in the past few years yet my mom was right there taking care of us and being a rock of strength the whole time. My mom would never admit to being the amazing woman she is because she simply thinks she’s doing what she should, not what she has to. She has influenced me in every way possible. She taught me integrity, compassion, determination, humility, and many other things through example; not just by telling what was right and wrong but showing me how to tell the difference myself. She is such a sweet, giving and deserving person I aspire every day to become a little more like my mom who inspires me so much. Please pick my mom, she is so much more deserving than I could ever hope to put in words.

Divorce vs. Dissolution Do you know the difference?

admin — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:54:42 +0000

Divorce and dissolution of marriage are two terms that many use interchangeably and without understanding the difference. In Florida, marriages are not terminated by divorce, but rather the union of marriage is dissolved. In Florida courts, those seeking to end a marriage file a “Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.” They do not ask for a divorce. Divorce is a legal term that requires a finding of fault. In order to divorce her husband, a wife would have to show misconduct or fault by the husband. In Florida, we have no fault divorce. This means that, although the court does have to make a finding that the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” neither party has to provide evidence that the marriage is ending because of someone’s fault or misconduct. A marriage may be found to be irretrievably broken because the parties can no longer effectively communicate or they have just given up trying. To terminate a marriage in Florida, neither spouse has to provide evidence to the court that would rise to the level of a legal determination of fault, such as adultery or abuse.

– Mary Hoftiezer, Esq., is a domestic law attorney with Bogin, Munns, & Munns, P.A., a full service law firm with offices in Orlando, Clermont, Kissimmee, Deltona, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Melbourne, Gainesville, and Leesburg, Florida. She welcomes questions and comments regarding the above and can be reached at mhoftiezer@boginmunns.com

At Home With Rulon Munns

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:25:27 +0000

Rulon Munns is featured in the January/February issue of Central Florida’s Lifestyle Magazine Executive Living (a supplement to Orlando Business Journal). Click here to learn more about Rulon Munns and his faith, family, and work.