Finding the right attorney for your business needs has become critical as New York’s shift into economic recovery gathers momentum. A recent case of a Long Island woman posing as an Immigration Lawyer highlights the importance of doing your due diligence.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s office announced that they are pursuing a case against 44-year-old Tania Gonzalez for claiming more than $30,000 from several undocumented migrants seeking her help. Authorities claimed that Gonzalez told her clients that they would be eligible for a 10-year visa, if they had entered the country illegally and resided in the country for the last decade. No such program exists under US Immigration Laws.
Gonzalez filed fraudulent Applications for Asylum with Federal Immigration Services without the victim’s knowledge. She allegedly deceived hardworking immigrants promising to help them on their path to obtaining US residency.
Nassau County Acting District Attorney Joyce Smith
The arrest came as a result of a joint investigation by the Nassau County DA, Department of Homeland Security, Fraud Detection and National Security. Federal agencies have been consistent in their enforcement of these types of cases; a Tampa Bay man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a similar offence.
The Signs of a Great New York Attorney
- Good Office Condition
A struggling lawyer, often, neglects more than just bills. Struggling lawyers, in many cases, are unable to handle matters in an effective manner. An office with old/cheap furniture and tattered rugs is a sign of a firm that may be in financial troubles. A lawyer in New York in financial trouble may lead to financial troubles for you.
2. Good Listeners
They are a great listener and they understand your needs. Good New York lawyers will take the time to understand your goals and the outcomes you are wanting to achieve.
3. Great Organizational Skills
An efficient and effective lawyer in NY, in all but the most exceptional of instances, is a lawyer that is organized. Check the office of the New York lawyer. If the office is strewn with unorganized fills, folders, pens and paper, you, likely, don’t have an organized lawyer.
4. Good Team Player
In complex matters, in most cases, working in teams is essential for success. Many lawyers in firms big and small have no experience working effectively in teams. Your, NY lawyer is, likely, not effective in teams if he has no case management system, no CMS, no phone call booking engine, has an outdated website and seems to be difficult to get in contact with. Those that work effectively in teams, have systems in place to make the team work in an effective and efficient manner.
5. High-Level Experience & Reputation
Experience and reputation matters. Ranking services for lawyers, usually, are not so useful. Many of these rankings are pay-to-play rankings and, thus, do not adequately represent experience and reputation. However, AVVO does a decent job in analyzing the experience and reputation of lawyers via an algorithm, but AVVO is far from perfect. Please do your due diligence and search online for as much as you can find on the lawyer.
6. Good Manners & Disposition
Be comfortable with your NY attorney. Lawyers are in the service business, if your lawyer does not have a disposition that allows you to trust, respect or believe the lawyer, likely, other people feel the same, thus, this lawyer may not have a good reputation in the community. Additionally, if you hate your lawyer, I bet the lawyer hates you. You can find many good lawyers, find one that you can like for your own mental health.
7. Lawyer, Not Preacher
You want a NY attorney that asks questions and listens. A lawyer that preaches, pitches and blabbers on for hours shall, likely, never care for the needs of the client and shall, likely, not fully delve into your case. Make sure your lawyer cares about the details of the case. Of course, a lawyer shall be unable to understand the full nature of your case in a mere initial consultation.
8. Busy, But Not Too Busy
In most cases, you need a NY lawyer with adequate time to work on your case. If your lawyer has too many cases, he/she may be too burdened to do the work necessary to succeed. You can tell if your lawyer is too busy, often, by his manners, disposition, organization of his office and how easy it is to contact the attorney. Additionally, if the lawyer is not able to spend the time to talk with you, learn about the matter, ask questions and proactively consider options, you may never be able to get the attorney to provide the time necessary to handle the matter. This is a major risk. Too many lawyers are too busy to even think.
9. Broad Experience
In some novel (new), complex, new tech and new economy matters, lawyers with too specific experience in, only, one area of law may not be adequate for your needs. Many lawyers that primarily specialize in a specific area of law, often, do not have the general NY legal experience necessary to handle a novel, complex, cutting-edge tech and/or new economy matter, because of lack of experience. Often, attorneys, in New York, with broad-based experience are capable of thinking outside of the box, in these type cases, often this skill is essential.
10. Proactive
A proactive NY lawyer is, often, proactive with clients, the courts, counter parties and opposing counsel. Your lawyer should be chasing you, you should not be chasing the lawyer. If you are chasing a lawyer for an appointment, the attorney, likely, has no systems in place to confirm meetings. If your attorney does not send a message after your meeting, you, likely, do not have a proactive attorney in NY. If you are chasing a lawyer prior to engagement, you shall, likely, be chasing a lawyer after the engagement.
11. Trustworthy & Ethical
I regret to have to say this, but yes the legal profession has its share of untrustworthy and unethical lawyers. Just because the lawyer has not been reported to the bar, does not mean the lawyer is ethical. Talk to the lawyer and probe. Often, you can judge ethics by the focus of the New York attorney. If the focus of the attorney seems to be solely on money, this is, often, a sign of ethical issues. In many cases, this is the most important issue, but the hardest to judge.
12. Realistic Expectations
Ideally, your attorney should be objective and cautiously optimistic. A great attorney will be able to pursue an outcome based on the facts of the case. A great lawyer won’t make promises about the outcomes, but will give you realistic options on how to pursue the matter.
For a no-charge consultation with a New York lawyer, schedule a call with our Managing Partner Sean Hayes.