We all known that the most effective approach to finding an attorney is via personal endorsements. I found this outstanding post on Lovers on Bazaarblog (the guys that used to power our consumer feedback technology) that really explains why shared client feedback is so important in the Lawyer selection process.
As we note in the Avvo 3-Step Guide to Choosing a Lawyer, there are a number of things consumers need to keep in mind when choosing a lawyer - specific experience, communication skills, good standing with the bar, etc. When it comes to finding those lawyers, however, we also note that there is more than one way to narrow down the field.
One way is to use Avvo, of course. However, some consumers want or need more in-person guidance, and this is where bar association lawyer referral service (”LRS”) programs come in.
Typically run by local bar associations (for example, here in Seattle LRS is provided by the King County Bar Association), LRS are particularly useful for those who aren’t sure exactly what legal issues they might be facing.
A typical bar-sponsored service will be staffed with experts who can take a consumer’s call, help him or her figure out the legal issues involved, and then provide a referral to a local attorney specializing in the area. Although there may not be a choice of attorneys, the vetting and screening process done by the LRS means consumers get a timely referral to someone who is in good standing with the bar and has experience in the legal area in question.
Like most legal services, those provided via LRS are not free, although the vast majority require that participating attorneys provide the initial 30-60 minute consultation for free or a nominal fee.
We’ll have more to say about lawyer referral services in the future, but for now, if you are looking for LRS in your area, the American Bar Association maintains a comprehensive list of such programs.
The subprime mortgage financial crisis has resulted in a sharp rise in foreclosures. Rising interest rates coupled with adjustable rate mortgages have left home owners unable to meet mortgage commitments. There are alternatives to foreclosure.
Many lawyers specialize in resolutions to stop mortgage foreclosure. Home owners are entitled to certain rights that lenders don’t always inform them of. Foreclosure lawyers know the rights of a homeowner and how to stop the foreclosure process and keep you in your home.
As an alternative, filing for bankruptcy can potentially help you avoid foreclosure. Avvo has over 6,000 bankruptcy lawyers to choose from.
Yesterday, the WSJ’s Marketplace covered a new trend of top lawyers charging an hourly rate in the four figure range.
I thought it would be interesting to see if the Avvo Rating was correlated to the billable rate of more than $16.50 a minute these high priced attorneys charge:
Kevin Arquit Avvo Rating: 9.0-Superb
Barry Ostrager Avvo Rating: 8.6-Excellent
Richard Beattie Avvo Rating: 9.1-Superb
Stephen Susman Avvo Rating: 10.0-Superb
Benjamin Civiletti Avvo Rating: 9.2-Superb
Brad Scheler Avvo Rating: 8.8 Excellent
Peter Lattman, at the WSJ Law Blog also covers it, which includes a very interesting comment from a Lawyer from Denver: “client’s are wooed too much by the marketing and allure of these high priced lawyers - there are plenty of other lower priced lawyers who can do just as good of job. It just takes some time and digging to find them.” Here at Avvo, we’re trying to make that digging easier.
You’ve heard Avvo talk about the difficulty Joe Consumer has in finding an attorney. Mark Draughn’s description of Finding a Traffic Lawyer offers great insight into the mindset of someone looking for an attorney, the criteria he considered (not necessarily what you’d think), and using the web to find one (FindLaw this time; we’d recommend a search on Avvo for Chicago Traffic Ticket Lawyers.) Most importantly, he acknowledges he doesn’t know how to go about “trying to pick a good lawyer.”
A Public Defender offers a complete review of the post, taking into account the salient legal marketing issues.
Avvo exists to help consumers who are lost when faced with choosing a lawyer. But, I think it is worth asking why they are so lost, or why it’s easier to find information and opinion on health providers and restaurants than it is on lawyers. Scott Greenfield’s post Good Questions Coming from the Avvo Debate has an interesting discussion on the pros and cons of the different ways that people choose lawyers, but few others have addressed the topic. To shed some light on the issue, I’d like to share some of the results from a recent Ipsos survey that we sponsored:
* Only 17% of American adults say it is easy to research detailed information about attorneys
* Only 17% of American adults say they are very confident in their ability to choose the right attorney
* Over the past two years, 25 million Americans were faced with a situation in which they considered hiring an attorney, but they didn’t because they didn’t know how to choose one.
Clearly the status quo isn’t working, and these numbers are not good for consumers or attorneys. There’s no simple explanation, but in my opinion, here are some of the reasons:
* Consumers approach the decision of choosing a lawyer with a general apprehension towards the legal industry. In a recent Gallup survey asking consumers about their perceptions of various industries, the legal industry came up fourth from last. (What’s interesting, however, is that our Ipsos survey showed that only 12% of consumers who actually used a lawyer were dissatisfied with the service they received. So there is a serious gap between perception and reality when it comes to working with lawyers).
* For many years, the Yellow Pages were the most frequently used source for finding a lawyer, behind only personal referrals. Yellow Pages ads may tell consumers about a lawyer’s years of experience and possibly some awards, but how many include a lawyer’s disciplinary history, or comments from former clients? In short, there hasn’t been a source of information that shows the good and, if relevant, the not-so-good, about a lawyer.
* Over the past few years, more and more consumers are doing their research on the Internet. However, while the Internet makes it possible to find information on virtually any subject you can think of, that doesn’t hold true for researching lawyers. One big reason for this appears to be that of the approximately 400,000 solo practitioners in the U.S. today, a whopping 60% still do not have a web site according to a recent ABA study.
I think these three things contribute greatly to consumers being lost when choosing a lawyer. The general apprehension of consumers towards lawyers, the reliance on the Yellow Pages ads, and the large number of lawyers without a presence on the Internet – they all combine to leave consumers in a world of hurt…so much so that 25 million of them decided to avoid the process altogether.
Surely there are other factors, but my sense is that currently these are some of the biggest drivers. I’m sure there are other perspectives on this issue, and I’d love to hear both lawyers’ and non-lawyers thoughts on why consumers remain so lost in making this very important decision.