Five Reasons to Hire a Local Lawyer

Brian Brijbag, Esq

In the food industry, there is a well-established trend to select local goods over non-local options. Shopping local has many advantages as compared to buying something from another County, State or even Country! When you support local businesses, you are helping your neighbors and your local economy. It is the local business that will put their name on the back of a little leaguer’s uniform or sponsor the downtown art fair.

When it comes to hiring an attorney, the benefits when you hire a local lawyer vary, but they are all valid. There is a huge marketing push to convince you that “Size Matters” and that you need the “largest” personal injury firm in the Country to help you win your case. Firms like mine do a good deal of business every year from those that thought “Size Matters “and fired the large law firm for more personal attention to their case.

People that believe the “Size Matters” propaganda soon learn that a licensed attorney rarely looks at their file, they talk to the secretary and not their attorney most of the time, and they are a file number lost in a sizeable sea of files.

Here are the top five reasons to hire a local lawyer:

They know who matters
They Know when to press which buttons
They know what the rules are, both written and unwritten.
They understand the importance of a good name.
It’s more practical for both you and your lawyer.

The first reason is that they know the right people.

Working locally gives an attorney a significant benefit. Before the process really begins, a local attorney will see how all the pieces fit together as you explain the situation. If you were issued a traffic ticket, the attorney is likely to be familiar with the officer who issued the ticket. Local lawyers are familiar with the judges, prosecutors, court clerks, and everyone else involved in the legal system. People, not robots, are in charge of resolving legal issues.

Pushing the Correct Buttons is Reason #2.

In many ways, knowing the people involved and how they have dealt with similar circumstances in the past is invaluable. Some points, for example, may be more convincing to one judge than to another.

Every case has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. An attorney’s understanding of the courtroom and the players involved aids them in determining which buttons to press in order to present the case in the best light possible.

Reason #3: Following the Correct Procedures

Every court has its own set of procedural rules. The rules are numerous, and some are more strictly followed than others. A non-resident attorney can easily annoy the judge and receive a reprimand for not knowing a specific law.

Rules will cover anything from whether or not to stand while speaking to the judge to who may appear at a hearing. It all boils down to the fact that there are just too many courts and laws to know them all. A traveling attorney can never grasp the laws of the local court as well as a local attorney will.

Reason #4: Having a Positive Community Reputation

In the legal profession, reputation is crucial. If you spend a lot of time in court, you’ll easily notice the lawyers are respected (and which aren’t). Local lawyers are more likely to put extra effort into maintaining a good image in their home court. They are more likely to arrive armed with a well-thought-out strategy for advancing your rights. Outside lawyers, on the other hand, could never appear in that court again.

Reason #5: Greater Accessibility and Convenient Location

Last but not least, a local attorney is more convenient than a non-local. If your lawyer’s main office is 50 miles away, he or she will be hesitant to meet with you on a regular basis. There’s also something to be said about being able to go from the lawyer’s office to the courthouse in under 30 minutes. Being able to do business on your attorney’s turf will make the process less stressful.

A Special Note on Local Attorneys and Satellite Offices

Finding a genuine local attorney can be difficult. Many large corporations have satellite offices located in an area. They will meet with you in that office to solicit your business without having to spend any time there. The satellite office can give an attorney the appearance of being local while providing none of the advantages of genuinely local representation. Before making a decision, make sure to ask the attorney how frequently she or he visits a particular office location.

The Law Firm of Brian S Brijbag is your local law firm! Attorney Brian Brijbag is a graduate of Springstead High School and a longtime Hernando County resident. He understands Hernando, Citrus, and Pasco counties because he lives here, he raises his family here, and he supports the local community. We offer free consultations for those in a car accident so you can see that while size does matter, it is more the size of the fight in the dog and not the size of the dog in the fight! Visit us at www.brijbaglaw.com or call us at (352) 358-5880.