Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Attorney
How many significant cases have jury trials have you had and what are your results?
This question can help you determine if, in fact, the lawyer you are considering hiring is a true trial lawyer. Many lawyers call themselves “trial lawyers” but, in reality, they do not have trial experience with significant cases. Insurance companies know which lawyers actually have experience with jury trials and which lawyers do not. You will do much better if your lawyer truly tries his cases and has a successful track record.
At Henry Spiegel Milling LLP, we try cases. Throughout the years we obtained verdicts for our clients in greater than 90 percent of the cases we have tried to a jury. Our trial verdicts range from several hundred thousand dollars to up to 15 million dollars. We will be happy to discuss our past successes with you when you contact us.
What is your experience handling the particular type of case and what monetary settlements have you achieved with these types of cases?
It is important to put the lawyer on the spot when interviewing lawyers for a serious personal injury case. You certainly will not hire building contractors without asking about their prior experience. Although many cases are settled confidentially, lawyers should freely tell you about their past experiences and their successes. This is something that should strongly influence your decision when you are selecting a law firm for a significant personal injury case.
At Henry Spiegel Milling LLP, we have over 100 years of combined experience handling serious personal injury and wrongful death cases for individuals and families. In the last eight years alone, we have resolved over $250,000,000.00 worth of cases for our deserving clients. Although many of the settlements we obtain are confidential, a representative sampling of our settlements can be found on our Verdicts and Settlements page. Compare this list with other law firms you may be considering for your personal injury case.
Are any of the lawyers in your firm a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers?
The American College of Trial Lawyers is universally regarded as the most prestigious and exclusive trial lawyer organization in the United States. In fact, only the top 1% of lawyers from any state can be considered for membership in this academy. (See https://www.actl.com for information on this exclusive organization.)
We are proud that our senior partner, Phil Henry, is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Phil is an example of what this elite organization stands for. He is indeed one of the finest trial lawyers in Georgia and he conducts his practice in the most ethical manner possible. Phil’s standards are also the standards of each lawyer in our firm. You will not find higher quality representation than at Henry Spiegel Milling LLP.
Do you regularly teach other lawyers at seminars? How often and on what subjects?
The answer to this question will provide you with insight into the reputation of the attorneys you are considering for your personal injury case. Attorneys that are recognized as the top in their fields are routinely invited to lecturer and teach other attorneys at seminars and conferences. Along with teaching other lawyers, these top lawyers are also asked to write papers that are distributed to the other lawyers attending the conference.
At Henry Spiegel Milling LLP, our lawyers are regularly asked to teach other lawyers at seminars and conferences. In fact, we are asked many times each year to lecture. Over the years, we have taught other lawyers about numerous topics, including how to effectively pick juries, how to handle certain types of cases (medical malpractice, products liability, wrongful death, trucking accidents, automobile accidents, roadway design), how to effectively argue for clients at trial, and how to obtain significant verdicts. We will be happy to discuss our experience with you at any time or you can review some of our presentations now.
How many cases do you handle at one time?
The answer to this question will tell you a lot about the type of lawyer you are talking to. Some lawyers handle 50 or even 100 cases at a time. This means that the lawyer probably cannot devote significant personal attention to any particular case. It also means that most of the work on these cases is probably being handled by staff members of the firm—not the lawyers themselves. At Henry Spiegel Milling LLP, our lawyers work on only a handful of significant cases at any given time. This allows us to give our clients’ cases significant personal attention, which results in much larger settlements for our clients.
