Q. Besides being confused with legalese and facing high fees, do you think problems clients may face also lies in understanding the documents, the laws, and why are they there in the room with you?
A. That’s a great point, again, a very critical part of MLG and why we call it “the legal sanctuary.” I’m a big believer that the documentation or the legalese should remain initially out of the room. In truth, the focus should be to get a clear understanding and read on what those problems are, and to devise a solution that’s clearly understood, both with respect to the lawyer and the client.
Q. At McMenamin Law Group, what sets your firm apart?
A. Quite simply, “humanizing” the practice of law. We believe that after over 30 years of experience as described, you come to understand your strengths and your weaknesses. One of the strengths I’ve had from the inception is patience and understanding which leads to humanization of the process. When you look at our website, read our philosophy, it really is borne out of a radical departure from the traditional way that law has been practiced. MLG delivers the same level of sophistication, and delivery of our service as any other big law firm can do and does, but we approach it in a different way – we are not clock watchers. We’re listeners, we’re problem solvers. We work very hard. We take each client, large or small, as serious as the large one or the small one can be. We don’t rank people, there’s no ecosystem in our practice. That’s where the altruism comes and that’s where the care comes. That’s where the passion comes, so a client can feel without having to walk into a room and think, “Oh my God, how am I going to afford this?” Where they’re saying, “I’m scared, I don’t know what to do”. We try to dispel that. Dispel it so that we give that concept of that sanctuary where you’re not on a clock. You’re not coming in to talk to us with a consultation fee, you’re there to talk to us as we will talk to you, in a context of free association.
Q. What kind of advice can you give to someone shopping law firms for the best fit. What should they be looking for?
A: Well, when you’re shopping for a law firm, I think the things you need to be looking for:
- First, the person you’re sitting in front of. Do you believe that lawyer is going to be your advocate, and do everything in that lawyers’ power to get you to where you want to be?
- Secondly, do you believe he or she has the skill-sets to get you there
- Thirdly, is that lawyer more interested in discussing rates and fee structures than the case? If you walk into a law firm and the first thing they talk about are what they charge, how they charge, that’s a red flag, stay away from it and run.
- Fourthly, stay away from those lawyers that guarantee things, because any lawyer that will guarantee you results is not telling you the truth, so always stay away from them, because the practice of law by definition is subjective.
You may have a good case, but that may not translate in a litigation context to a jury or a judge, so there are no guarantees. At the end of the day, it’s about the fit. Without the fit, you’re never going to get anywhere. The McMenamin Law Group stands as a great example and role model for the future of the industry. Eliminating intimidating legalese, and stress from on-the clock fees puts clients at ease. This allows full focus on understanding the client and situation more thoroughly ending in better results.
For more information about Paul R McMenamin and the McMenamin Law Group please visit: http://mcmenaminlawgroup.com/
