Taboo 1. An overly superstitious relationship
Among the hundreds of customers we have received, some are "the best". The purpose of looking for a lawyer is to ask a lawyer to "make a match" and hope that the lawyer can "match the bridge" or provide "opportunities" for them. When they meet for the first time, they are outspoken and full of gunpowder.
The network resources gradually formed by lawyers in the process of practicing, especially the resources of the judiciary, are undoubtedly the boosters of lawyers' successful practice, but in most cases they are not the key factors to win the case. We can understand that the client is eager to solve the current problem when hiring a lawyer, but after calming down, should the client think more about the value of hiring a lawyer?
Five taboos for hiring a lawyer
The value of lawyers lies in protecting the legitimate rights and interests of clients to the greatest extent according to facts and laws. Yes, the premise is still facts and laws, not connections. Of course, the greater value of lawyers is also reflected in maintaining social fairness and justice, rather than bringing the bad experience of "litigation is relationship" to clients.
On the other hand, even if you win the lawsuit through personal connections, customers will not be grateful to you in the end. What you admire is not your major, but your courage to mix and match. Instead, customers will think, if I can't afford the price, can I win the case?
For the above-mentioned parties, because we did not clearly realize the value of lawyers and lawyers' services, we had to politely refuse and suggested that they hire another lawyer. Sometimes when we are not busy, we will sincerely persuade them to solve the problem through proper channels. But in most cases, I can see that when they leave the office of the law firm, their faces are unhappy or contemptuous.
Later, some of these clients came to us after losing the case, telling us not to trust the lawyers we hired before, and they were superstitious about relationships and authority. They spent a lot of money, but the case ended in vain.
Wool is on sheep. When hiring a lawyer, the parties must pay attention to those lawyers who brag and brag about their relationship. Of course, it is absolutely impossible for a lawyer with professional ethics to accept the so-called "matchmaking". Before making up his mind to hire a lawyer he trusts, the client should first correct his mentality and listen to the professional legal advice or suggestions given by the lawyer peacefully when talking with the lawyer.
Taboo 2. Bargain with a lawyer
There may be no smarter group in the world than lawyers. If there is, we may think of small vendors in the vegetable market. But the question is, can the lawyer service be the same as buying food in the vegetable market? If it is really comparable, lawyer services can be compared with medical services. I think which patient would be stupid enough to bargain with the hospital when seeking medical treatment?
In fact, doctors solve patients' life and health problems, while lawyers solve the personal freedom or property problems of the parties. The two have the same effect.
The cost of a lawyer is time. Lawyers have many clients, and their legal service plans will definitely be different. Although we have always maintained the style of handling cases equally, the selfishness and reality of human nature make it impossible for us to handle cases equally.
For high-quality clients and clients who pay higher fees, lawyers are often more willing to spend more energy to deal with their cases. Therefore, the lawyer's shrewdness lies in this. Your bid may virtually determine the energy he is willing to pay, especially the time cost.
Smart clients don't obsess over lawyers' quotations. An honest lawyer, his service will definitely match his quotation. In fact, this is also an ideal state of service, just like after a patient comes to the hospital, the doctor is only responsible for treating his patient wholeheartedly and even rejuvenating his hand without wasting a lot of energy to bargain.
Taboo three. Trust the lawyer's promises and guarantees.
The parties should understand that all existing laws and norms prohibit lawyers from making unrealistic promises about the outcome of the case. In fact, lawyers can't decide the outcome of a case.
Under the current judicial system, the judgment results of cases, especially sensitive cases, are influenced and restricted by many factors, even excluding extra-legal factors, such as the intervention of the main leaders of the party and government, the interference of media public opinion and so on.
Therefore, even if a lawyer makes a promise or guarantee on the outcome of the case when he is in contact with the client, it is unreliable and can even be characterized as "fudge".
Of course, on the one hand, the lawyer of the person in charge will inform his client of the prohibitive provisions of the current legal norms, on the other hand, he will evaluate the final trend of the case in combination with the client's statement and legal provisions or issue a legal opinion to the client, so that the client can decide whether to hire a lawyer.
However, in practice, some parties ask the lawyer to make a commitment to the outcome of the case when dealing with the lawyer for the first time. Sometimes, lawyers don't even read basic files. Sometimes, in the process of telephone consultation, some parties will make such a request. This is extremely absurd.
Taboo 4. Lawyers introduced by acquaintances are unreliable.
Due to its inherent particularity and the fact that China's lawyer system has only been restored for more than 30 years, the overall legal service system is still not perfect and the value of legal services is still in doubt.
Once you encounter legal problems, it is often urgent to find a lawyer. If you have milk, you will be a mother. But more often, lawyers are invited through the introduction or recommendation of relatives and friends. In other words, in fact, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding between the parties and lawyers, and everything is maintained between the trust of the middleman or introducer. If the middleman or introducer is in charge, that's fine.
If irresponsible, it will lead to some ridiculous situations that we know in practice. For example, in the end, the parties actually found that the so-called "lawyers" did not have a lawyer's practice license, and later proved to be local "legal service workers" (these people can not handle criminal cases, but can handle some civil cases, and sometimes call themselves "lawyers").
Other parties are actually looking for criminal lawyers. After losing the case, they found that the introducer introduced him to a so-called "barrister" who enjoys a high reputation in the field of divorce proceedings.
In the worst case, we must point out that some lawyers are in cahoots with the introducer. The lawyer gives a certain commission and the introducer is responsible for introducing the case. Under this benefit distribution system, judges often introduce cases for the benefit, ignoring the professional scope of lawyers and the specific needs of the parties.
Therefore, sober parties should comprehensively examine the lawyer's personal practice experience and professional knowledge, rather than trusting the introduction or encouragement of acquaintances, and should have their own objective standards and evaluation criteria.
Taboo five. Trying to control the lawyer after paying.
Such a party is also stupid. The reason why I choose to be a lawyer is that most people still value the freedom of this profession and have no hesitation. Some lawyers who switched from prosecutors even ignored the opposition of their families and the retention of their leaders, mostly for freedom. Therefore, in their bones, they are unwilling to be bound and sent.
It is natural for the parties to hire lawyers to pay, and it is also their duty for lawyers to perform their obligations according to law and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the parties. But in essence, they are independent individuals, do not contain each other, and have no distinction between master and servant. After paying the fee, some parties are self-righteous and think that the lawyer is his servant. They call their lawyers day and night, on non-working days and holidays, asking about the progress of the case. Finally, the lawyer couldn't stand it, and there was a contradiction. The relationship between the two sides deteriorated and even the entrustment was lifted, which finally affected the progress of the whole case.
After reaching an entrustment with a law firm, the parties concerned should be full of trust in their lawyers, establish the idea of taking lawyers' work as the center, and obey the guidance of professionals. Of course, this does not rule out that the parties have their own suggestions or opinions and can communicate with lawyers. Lawyers can selectively accept the suggestions of the parties on the basis of comprehensive cases. Lawyers can refuse some unreasonable or even illegal suggestions, so as not to complicate and affect the progress of the whole case.