How to Select an Attorney - Tip #4

Shannon C. Carey - SiebenCarey "Know Your Rights" AttorneyJune 17, 2014

Take the hype with a grain of salt.

Lawyers are not shy when it comes to talking about their accomplishments. When interviewing a lawyer, you may hear about the million-dollar verdicts they won or the honors and awards they received. 

These are nice credentials to have and perhaps favorable indicators of the lawyer’s ability but don’t base your decision solely on these. Be a little skeptical. 

A million dollar verdict sounds good, but it’s quite possible the case was really worth $2 million in the hands of another, more skilled lawyer. The size of the verdict sometimes depends more on the facts of the case (the injuries sustained, the applicable laws, the state where the accident occurred) than the skill of the lawyer. Great lawyers and big verdicts usually go together – but not always. 

When it comes to honors and awards, there’s been a proliferation of these in recent years. Be aware that not all awards are created equal. Some are legitimate and based on an honest and thorough selection process that involves a number of factors indicating peer recognition and professional achievement. Others are simplistic and based merely on lawyers voting for each other and amount to nothing more than a popularity contest. Worse yet, some sound legitimate but are “pay to play,” meaning the lawyer had to buy their way onto the list with advertising or membership in an organization. So, if the lawyer cites an honor or award, check the website of the organization making the award. See what the actual selection criteria are. If the criteria are not easy to find or not clearly stated, discount the value of the accolade.

Client Reviews

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Renee Goneau

SiebenCarey is a great personal injury law firm that really cares about their clients.  Highly recommend!

St. Paul Local 12

Thanks for everything, your experience paid off BIG!!!

Jenna L. at Insider Pages

I have had nothing but great service with these guys. They are very knowledgable on a wide variety of subjects and topic. They will help you with any case you need!

Carly R.

My boyfriend was hit by a car and while all the attorneys he talked to said he didn't have much chance of a case, SiebenCarey took him on and gave him a fighting chance. He's still recovering, but SiebenCarey is making it a lot easier.

Jazz Smith

SiebenCarey is a professional and dedicated law organization that help accident victim.

Jesse Bukal

In need of a personal injury attorney? Well you're if you're reading this you're in the right place. You'd be hard pressed to find more competent attorneys than the ones here at SiebenCarey.

They took my case to trial and an amazing job presenting the facts and fighting for my best interests! Three years ago I was unsure of what my future would bring; now that it's over I can rest a bit easier. With SiebenCarey as my counsel, I believe I had the absolute BEST representation a person could've asked for. I knew that I wanted the absolute best representation when searching for an attorney to handle my case and I most definitely received it.

If you need a personal injury attorney, look no further. Can't recommend highly enough.

Morgan Petoletti

My husband had an amazing experience with this firm. They listened and took the time to understand our case.

Daniel Ball

Really good professionals, they solved my issues in no time using the most impressive and advanced approach. Really good, highly recommended.

Eric Petoletti

Even though I was states away and could only talk on the phone, they listened and did everything that they could to win my case. I felt like I was a part of the family.

Cheryl Nelson

Jim Carey is down-to-earth, understanding, compassionate, extremely focused and downright brilliant in his skillful and highly successful resolution to my serious injuries resulting from a car accident. I can't say enough about how grateful I am and how pleased I am with his representation and the service from his entire team. Thank you.

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