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Prospective Clients

There are numerous ways to decide on which lawyer to hire when you need legal services. Permit me to suggest a few criteria for you to consider.

Ability of the Attorney
Cost of services
Availability
Communication

Ability of the Attorney

Experience is important, but ability may be more so. Experience only grants the practitioner a general ability, except in very specific cases. Ability, on the other hand, allows the lawyer to adapt to the needs of each individual client and every single, unique case.

No case is exactly the same as any other case. Experience helps the attorney to know what likely needs to be done to solve the case, but the best attorneys have substantial abilities in addition to experience. The necessary abilities that any lawyer should have are writing, research, communication, and problem solving.

Am I the best lawyer in practice today? I cannot claim any such a thing; however, I can discuss my ability with you.

Writing: In addition to law school, where every lawyer garners at least a bit of writing ability, I have studied for a Master of Science degree in technical writing. Furthermore, I have worked for as a legal editor for two prestigious organizations. I am willing to pit my writing skill against any practicing lawyer.

Research: I have done extensive research throughout my legal studies, my graduate studies, undergraduate studies, and my legal practice. Of particular relevance to family law, I spent an entire year as the editor and publisher of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Family Law Case Summaries newsletter, which at the time was sent to more than 500 family law practitioners throughout Minnesota and elsewhere. In editing and publishing this newsletter, I came across almost every type of case that one can imagine arises in family law. Even now, Minnesota family law attorneys ask me for advice their family law cases and even contract my research and writing services in their cases.

Communication: This is a critical skill—so much so that I dedicate a whole subheading below.

Problem Solving: Law students learn surprisingly little about problem solving, and yet problem solving is one of the most critical skills (at least in my opinion) that any attorney must possess. Fortunately for me, I spent four years honing my problem solving skills in my undergraduate studies of philosophy and logic. What’s more, I am a mathematics (mostly algebra and calculus) hobbyist. I spend my free time solving problems just for fun.

Cost of Services

Reasonable. That is the key word when considering costs. Not too expensive, but not too cheap (unless there is some kind of promotional discount perhaps).

If the cost of services—as in attorney fees, staff fees, and incidental expenses—is too high, then the service is not worth the price. If the cost is too low, then there may be a risk of lack of dedication to your case or lack of confidence of the attorney in his capabilities.

High prices also do not guarantee high quality. Bloated attorney fees may mean nothing more than that the lawyer has substantial overhead and likes to take extremely expensive vacations.
You do not always get what you pay for. Ask your attorney how much their overhead is in proportion to the fee. Ask how much they will charge you for copying, faxing, e-mails, and phone calls.

If the cost sounds reasonable to you, then it probably is.

Availability

I take no more cases than I can handle. I know attorneys who take on more than they can handle because they overestimate their workflow and underestimate the amount of time and dedication each case requires.

I am available for in-person appointments, telephone conversations, e-mail exchanges, and even Gmail video chats. While I have a life outside of practicing law, with enough forewarning I can be available at any time.

Communication

There are two parts to communication: 1) between attorney and client, and 2) advocating in negotiations and in court proceedings.

On the first, I just mentioned that I am available in person, by phone, by e-mail, and by video chat. I try to strike a balance with my clients and communicate to the extent that the client prefers. This may mean weekly status updates, or it may mean communication as frequently or infrequently as some significant action occurs in the client’s case.

On the second, I am a confident and accomplished public speaker. I have taught large and small groups, I have spoken before large and small audiences, and I think extremely quickly on my feet. I am also a master of language and have been since I was young. I have sprachgefühl. And I have formal and substantial education in language. I also study foreign languages, which helps me to understand English that much better. Lawyering is, fundamentally, wordcraft in all regards. I have spent more than two decades perfecting my wordcraft.