MOST UNUSUAL, BUT COMPLIMENTARY, REFERRALS

Referrals are the lifeblood of any small business, especially small law offices. Frankly, we could not survive without referrals as we do not advertise. We succeed by doing good work for people at reasonable prices and hopefully our firm name gets out by word of mouth.

Having practiced law for thirty years now, I have had referrals from a wide variety of sources. These sources include: current clients, former clients, family members, other lawyers in and out of town, members from my Church, other parents from my son's Boy Scout Troop, childhood friends, educators from my kids' schools and business leaders in the community.

After a couple of decades of experience under my belt, however, I did start getting referrals from what I - at first - thought was a very unusual source - the other party in a previous case! While I felt oddly unsettled by this source of referrals at first, I have grown to accept them as a compliment. For a person to have gone against me to now suggest to a relative or friend that they should use me as their lawyer is truly an expression of praise. In fact, I have been told by a number of these new clients that they were referred to me because they had heard that I was well prepared, honest, knowledgeable about the law and/or had a good control of the courtroom situation. Although somewhat humbling, I cannot help but to think: who was my adversary in the previous case, why were they not prepared, what do I do or did the other side not do?

Another growing referral source as I have practiced over the years, is from fellow attorneys. While understandable from colleagues that do not practice in my area of law, but I am dumbfounded by the growing number of family lawyers sending cases my way as well. Some are now retired or have stopped practicing in the family law area; however, a number of fellow practitioners will send cases that they know are unduly messy or complex as they do not want to handle such high stress action. Still others, do not want to go against a particularly aggressive or slimy lawyer on the other side but want to make sure that the person is in good hands. Whatever the reason, I find these referrals, albeit unusual, a complimentary act.

However, you find me, please feel free to give my office a call if there is anything that I can help you with in my areas of practice - personal injury, wills or probate.