Do you have an understanding of the difference between an attorney who handles cases and one who refers cases? If you are in the market for an attorney to handle the legal aspects of your auto accident case, you should be aware of the following information:
Definitions
An attorney who does not take the lead in the advancement of litigation is referred to as a referral attorney. Some referral attorneys do nothing more than get the client’s contact information and forward it on to another attorney, while others take on a tiny piece of the case and do things like investigation and information gathering.
The attorney who is in charge of managing a case is referred to as the handling attorney.
How can I identify the difference between the two?
- If a considerable percentage of cases involving automobile accidents are referred out – Many attorneys who refer cases are willing to refer out particular sorts of cases, such as cases involving car accidents. If you are looking to determine whether or not the attorney you are thinking of hiring is a referral attorney, a good question to ask is what percentage of overall cases he recommends out as well as what percentage of car accident cases are comparable to yours that he refers out.
- What different kinds of cases does the attorney have pending at the moment – While it comes to specific instances, some attorneys advertise that they handle a diverse variety of matters when, in reality, they hand off such cases to other attorneys. You should make a request to the attorney in question to give you with a summary of all of the cases he is currently working on. It seems likely that the vast majority of those cases are going to be quite comparable to yours. If he does not have any cases involving vehicle accidents on his caseload at the moment, he will most likely recommend you to an attorney who does.
- Simply ask about your case. The vast majority of attorneys recognize the ethical requirement not to mislead their clients. Therefore, if you simply query about your case and ask whether it will be referred to another attorney, they will probably give you the truth.
- Put everything in writing, and make sure you go through it carefully — The majority of legal contracts will have a provision that states the attorney intends to refer the client’s case to another party. Should you choose to accept this agreement, they will be granted the opportunity to either refer the case or bring in a co-counsel member. You are under no obligation to provide your consent to anything, and you are free to make any modifications to this basic contract that you see fit. If you are certain that you do not want your case to be handled by any other attorney, you can request that a clause be added to the contract that gives you the right to terminate the contract and causes the attorney to forfeit the right to any fees if the case is referred to another attorney. You can make this request if you are certain that you do not want any other attorney to handle your case.
Which one of them should I choose?
You are the only one who can decide whether or whether your circumstance calls for the assistance of referral counsel. You have to get as much information as you can and consider all of your choices before you can make the one that is best for you. An attorney who acts as a recommendation can assist you in communicating with the attorney who is managing your case; they can also assist you in selecting the attorney who will handle your case in the most effective manner; and they can serve as an additional source of guidance regarding your case. On the other hand, there are a few reasons why you should seriously consider hiring a lawyer who specializes in addressing legal matters.
- A recommending attorney is eligible to receive a certain amount of the total fees collected from the case. Because of this, if you engage both a referring attorney and a handling attorney, the latter will be less likely to take your case because he will have to split the earnings with both of them. If, on the other hand, you hire a great attorney from the beginning, he will be aware that his time is valuable and will be more ready to take on your case than if you hire him later.
- It’s likely that you have a lot of inquiries regarding your situation, and you’d like to get responses to all of them as quickly as you can. If you retain the services of a referring attorney, the person who ultimately makes the decision on your case will not respond to your inquiries; rather, the attorney will do their best to address your concerns before handing off your case to another individual who may have an entirely different perspective on the matter. On the other hand, if you keep the same attorney managing your case from the beginning to the end, you may have confidence that any questions you have will be answered expeditiously and thoroughly.
- Relationships between attorneys and their clients are very crucial. You should absolutely work with someone you can put your faith in, and the best way to accomplish this goal is to cultivate a connection with your legal representative. As a result of this, it is probably in your best interest to hire a handling attorney who will be with you from the beginning all the way through the end, rather than putting your trust in a referring attorney who you may never meet. This is because the handling attorney will be more familiar with your case and will be able to answer any questions that may arise.
If you are involved in a car accident, it is entirely up to you to decide whether you want to engage an attorney who handles cases directly or one who refers cases to other attorneys. However, in order to make the choice that is best and most educated for you, you must first have an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks associated with each option. If you utilize the options shown above as a reference when you are looking for legal representation, you will be able to make an educated decision about which one is best for you and your situation.
