{"id":4538,"date":"2011-10-04T12:31:56","date_gmt":"2011-10-04T16:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sidebarforplaintiffs.naomifein.net\/?p=4538"},"modified":"2012-03-27T13:29:16","modified_gmt":"2012-03-27T17:29:16","slug":"how-to-find-a-lawyer-or-maybe-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sidebarforplaintiffs.naomifein.net\/?p=4538","title":{"rendered":"Finding a lawyer: Or maybe not"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just as I’m getting set to offer my advice about how to find a lawyer, the New York Times<\/em> Magazine from Sunday, October 2, had a fat special advertising supplement called Super Lawyers\/New York\u2014Metro 2011.<\/p>\n

You’ve seen this sort of thing before. Lists of the Best Lawyers in NY, the Best Doctors in the Metropolitan Area. Although it may surprise you, I will be suggesting that you use this list (in an unusual way) to find a lawyer.<\/p>\n

I actually read through it fairly thoroughly and what should appear before my eyes? A full-page advertisement for my Foot Lawyers, whom I’ve already identified here as Dinkes & Schwitzer.<\/p>\n

I’ve related my problems in getting these lawyers to respond to my requests for updates. So you can understand why I laughed at one paragraph in the ad, and why it inspired me to write and send by USPS the following letter to William Schwitzer:<\/p>\n

October 4, 2011<\/em><\/p>\n

William Schwitzer, Esq.<\/em>
\n Dinkes & Schwitzer<\/em>
\n 112 Madison Avenue<\/em>
\n New York, NY 10016<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Mr. Schwitzer:<\/em><\/p>\n

I was interested to see your advertisement (and nice picture) in the Sunday NYT Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

I especially noted with wry amusement this paragraph:<\/em><\/p>\n

“Dedication to Clients: Client contact is the firm\u2019s most paramount principle. \u2018An attorney, not a paralegal or a secretary, regularly advises clients of the progress of their case,\u2019 Schwitzer says.”<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m amused, because \u2013 hi! \u2013 I am your client. And I\u2019ve been trying to get information on the \u201cprogress of [my] case\u201d for more than a year, long after I dragged my broken foot into your conference room on February 8, 2008 and signed a (Blumberg form) retainer agreement.<\/em><\/p>\n

Indeed, I had a nice conversation with your associate Nick DiSalvo about how lawyers should have a policy about keeping in touch with clients. That conversation was in court, on July 14, 2011. The reason I was in court? Because I had tried three times to contact one of your attorneys by e-mail, asking for a status update. No response.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ergo, you should add to that \u201cDedication to Clients\u201d statement the following:<\/em><\/p>\n

“Although we\u2019re too busy to respond to a client\u2019s request for information about the progress of her case, we are always happy to speak to a client at court conferences, providing she makes the effort to (1) find out when the court conference is; (2) get to the court; and (3) walk around trying to find a particular associate whom she\u2019s never previously met, yet who represents her.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Just in the spirit of honest advertising.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/em><\/p>\n

Naomi Fein<\/em><\/p>\n

I wonder if this will get a response.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just as I’m getting set to offer my advice about how to find a lawyer, the New York Times Magazine from Sunday, October 2, had a fat special advertising supplement called Super Lawyers\/New York\u2014Metro 2011. You’ve seen this sort of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1175],"tags":[426,32,9,213,5],"class_list":["post-4538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-facts-of-life","tag-communicating-with-a-lawyer","tag-how-lawyers-drive-clients-crazy","tag-law-and-government-agencies","tag-personal-injury-lawsuits","tag-talking-to-plaintiffs"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t