PT8M28S
“I'm gonna talk to you today about how hiring an attorney is very much like dating. It's kind of, it's a funny topic that we have going on, but it's actually very true. So when you're looking for an attorney, you want someone that you're comfortable with, someone that understands you, someone that relates to you, and the question is how do you find that person?”
“So when you're looking for an attorney one of the big things you can do that has an advantage over dating websites is you can look at reviews. Now I think it would be very nice that if things like Eharmony and Match.com had reviews from past relationships, it would be pretty helpful.”
“What I'd like to encourage you to do though when you're looking for an attorney is not just look at the star rating. Yeah stars are great, I hope that I always have five stars, right now I do, knock on wood. But when you're looking through these reviews, actually look at what the people are saying about this attorney.”
“And do not doubt for a second that this is a relationship. You are literally, if you're facing criminal charges of any kind, you are forming a relationship with your attorney because this person has got to have your back they have got to have your best interest at heart. And in order to do that, my personal opinion is they have to know you as a person.”
“But when you have your life hanging in the balance and you're facing charges, whether they're DUI, domestic violence charges, felony charges, they have serious impacts and serious consequences on your life. So you need to be able to be comfortable with this person and be able to put your trust in them. Because if you can't trust your attorney, who are you gonna trust to handle this for you?”
“So for me, for example, this is my online dating profile to you, potential client. I'm not like other attorneys, I don't stop from cussing either, I don't bullshit you, I don't mess around, I'm not going to sit there and sugar coat everything and tell you that everything's gonna be okay if it's not. What I do is I work with you and I walk through everything with you, and I am on your side and I fight for you and I make sure that you feel like you not only have an attorney, but you have a friend in your corner.”
“My whole outlook on having an attorney and hiring an attorney, I'm not trying to get every single person who has ever committed a crime here in Colorado Springs to hire me. First of all that would be exhausting, secondly there's not enough time, and third, it's not always a good fit. And that's okay, it's just like with dating, it's not you, it's me. If you have someone that doesn't quite work with you and you just don't get that vibe from them, you just don't feel comfortable with them, move on, find someone else.”
“But what I'll do is if you tell me what you're looking for, I will give you an attorney who fits that mold that you're looking for. I will recommend someone that I know personally, not only who is a good attorney, but someone who will be what you're looking for.”
“So to recap, hiring an attorney is very much like dating. You need to look and see, number one, if you can even look at their face. I know that sounds stupid, but it is important because if you can't have an open and honest conversation with your attorney because something about them is driving you crazy, you're not gonna be able to put everything before them and put your trust in them the way you need to.”
“So what I encourage you to do is if you're in need of an attorney or if someone you know needs an attorney, look them up, look up what their clients say about them. Don't just take the flashy websites and oh I've got this many years of experience, that's great, but really dig into who this person is and make sure that you feel personally comfortable with them.”
“What I'd like to encourage you to do though when you're looking for an attorney is not just look at the star rating.”
“And do not doubt for a second that this is a relationship. You are literally, if you're facing criminal charges of any kind, you are forming a relationship with your attorney”
“But when you have your life hanging in the balance and you're facing charges, whether they're DUI, domestic violence charges, felony charges, they have serious impacts and serious consequences on your life.”
“And that's okay, it's just like with dating, it's not you, it's me. If you have someone that doesn't quite work with you and you just don't get that vibe from them, you just don't feel comfortable with them, move on, find someone else.”
“I'm not like other attorneys, I don't stop from cussing either, I don't bullshit you, I don't mess around, I'm not going to sit there and sugar coat everything and tell you that everything's gonna be okay if it's not.”
“I make sure that you feel like you not only have an attorney, but you have a friend in your corner.”
“It is a personal relationship that you're forming, this person is gonna be by your side for a couple months, possibly for years dealing with certain cases so you need to feel comfortable with them.”