Choosing an Elder Abuse Attorney

Choosing an Elder Abuse Attorney - Don't be fooled.

Experience Counts

When Looking For an Attorney that specializes in Nursing Home Abuse and Elder Law it is important that you take care in selecting the right firm. Senior Abuse and Nursing Home abuse laws and regulations are becoming more complex.

With over 20 years of professional experience, the Charlip Law Group, L.C. has the track record to make sure your nursing home or elder abuse case is handled properly.

The Charlip Law Group, L.C. works primarily with the elderly which means more than an expertise in the nursing home abuse law. We bring to our clients a knowledge of the specific nature of elderly abuse and nursing home neglect that allows us and our staff to ignore the myths relating to aging and the competence of the elderly.

At the same time, they will take into account and empathize with some of the true physical and mental difficulties that often accompany the aging process. These things will hopefully make you more comfortable when dealing with your nursing home abuse issues and ease your way as you try to resolve your legal problem as it relates to elder abuse and nursing home abuse.

Ask Questions First

Ask lots of questions before selecting and elder law attorney for your nusing home abuse or elder abuse case. You don't want to end up in the office of an attorney who can't help you. Start with the initial phone call. It is not unusual to speak only to a secretary, receptionist or office manager during an initial call or before actually meeting with the attorney. If so, ask this person your questions.

• How long has the attorney been in practice?
• Does his/her practice emphasize a particular area of law?
• How long has he/she been in this field?
• What percentage of his/her practice is devoted to elder law?
• Is there a fee for the first consultation and if so, how much is it?
• Given the nature of your problem, What information should you bring with you to the initial consultation?

The answers to your questions will assist you in determining whether that particular attorney has those qualifications important to you for a successful attorney/client relationship. Call the Charlip Law Group, L.C. right now if you have questions regarding nursing home abuse or an elder abuse issue.

If you have a specific legal issue that requires immediate attention, be sure to inform the office of this during the initial telephone conversation.

Once You Have Found an Attorney When you have found an appropriate attorney, make an appointment to see him/her. During the initial consultation, you will be asked to give the attorney an overview of the reason you are seeking assistance, so be sure to organize and bring all the information pertinent too your situation.

After you have explained your situation, ask: What will it take to resolve it? Are there any alternative courses of action? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each possibility? How many attorneys are in the office? Who will handle your case? Has that attorney handled matters of this kind in the past? If a trial may be involved, does he/she do trial work? If not, who does the trial work? If so, how many trials has he/she handled? Is that attorney a member of the local bar association, its health advocacy committee, or trust and estates committee? Is that attorney a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys? How are fees computed? What is his/her estimate of the cost to resolve your problem and how long will it take? Discussing Fees There are many different ways of charging fees and each attorney will choose to work differently. Be aware of how your attorney charges. You will also want to know how often he/she bills. Some attorneys bill weekly, some bill monthly, some bill upon completion of work. Ask about these matters at the initial conference, so there will be no surprises! If you don't understand, ask again. If you need clarification, say so. It is very important that you feel comfortable in this area.

Some attorneys charge by the hour with different hourly rates for work performed by attorneys, paralegals and secretaries. If this is the case, find out what the rates are. Other attorneys charge a flat fee for all or part of the services. This is not unusual, for example, if you are having documents prepared. Your attorney might use a combination of these billing methods.

In addition to fees, most attorneys will charge you out-of-pocket expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses typically include charges for copies, postage, messenger fees, court fees, disposition fees, long distance telephone calls and other such costs. Find out if there will be any other incidental costs.

The attorney may ask for a retainer. This is money paid before the attorney starts working on your case. It is usually placed in a trust account and each time the attorney bills you, he/she pays himself or herself out of that account. Expenses may be paid directly from the trust account. The size of the retainer may range from a small percentage of the estimated cost to the full amount.

Get It in Writing Once you decide to hire the attorney, ask that your arrangement be put in writing. The writing can be a letter or a formal contract. It should spell out what services the attorney will perform for you and what the fee and expense arrangement will be. REMEMBER-- even if your agreement remains oral and is not put into writing, you have made a contract and are responsible for all charges for work done by the attorney and his/her staff.

Make It a Good Experience A positive and open relationship between attorney and client benefits everyone. The key to getting it is communication. The communication starts with asking the kinds of questions contained in this document. Use the answers to the questions as a guide not only to the attorney's qualification, but also as a way of determining whether you can comfortably work with this person. If your concerns are given short shrift, if you don't like the answers to these questions, if you don't like the attorney's reaction to being asked all those questions, or if you simply do not feel relaxed with this particular person, DO NOT HIRE THAT PERSON. Only if you are satisfied with the attorney you have hired from the very start will you trust him or her to do the best job for you. Only if you have established a relationship of open communication will you be able to resolve any difficulties which may arise between the two of you. If you take the time to make sure that you are happy right at the beginning you can make this a productive experience for both you and the attorney. You will thank yourself, and your attorney will thank you.

Click Here view The Nursing Home Bill of Rights

Click here to get help immediately If you feel a member of your family has been a victim of elder abuse.