{"id":4115,"date":"2005-09-27T22:59:31","date_gmt":"2005-09-28T02:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/09\/27\/fine-print-schmine-print\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:33","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:33","slug":"fine-print-schmine-print","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/09\/27\/fine-print-schmine-print\/","title":{"rendered":"fine print? schmine print!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Yesterday’s discussion<\/A> of Missouri’s new lawyer advertising rules<\/A> <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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raised the issue <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>of how consumers choose lawyers.  Today, I want <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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to tell <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>you about a wise consumer who knew which lawyers not<\/EM> to pick.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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A reader who found this weblog when Googling about contingency fees,<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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wrote to tell me about a firm with whom she was discussing <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>a case <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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potentially worths millions of dollars.   Here are her own words<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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(emphases added by me):<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                                                                            \"magglass\"<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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I had met with these attorneys a month ago about my case.  <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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They were <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>with me for five hours learning the details and asking <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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lots of questions. Upon my leaving, they presented me with a <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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contract to review and sign. <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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One of the attorneys was putting lots of pressure on me to hurry <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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and sign<\/EM>, and at that point, I just needed some time to really think <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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about my decision and my motivations.   <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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I finally decided I was ready to proceed forward, and called them last <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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week.  We sent up a meeting for this past Monday.  I had brought with <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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me a copy of the first contract they had given me to make sure things <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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were the same.  <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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Once I was there, they presented me with the contract and things had <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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been changed<\/EM>. Big things…like the percentages<\/EM> and also their attorneys <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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fees<\/EM> had gone up.  I immediately questioned the percentages, and he <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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said <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>that it was a mistake and was quick to correct those.  As far as the <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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higher <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>attorney’s fees, he said it was to my benefit, since it applied to <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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the other <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>side having to pay.  Needless to say, I was taken aback.  <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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\"eyeChart\" One of the attorney’s said to me this morning, “It’s like you are <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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purchasing <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>an airline ticket.  You don’t ask all these questions about the <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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fine print on <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>the back of the ticket…you just buy it!”<\/EM>  I said to him, “If that <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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ticket was <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>going to cost me $5 million dollars I most certainly would ask <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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a lot of <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>questions!” <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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Anyway, I went and picked up my materials today.  He had told me if I didn’t <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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have something ready to sign by tommorow at 5:01 I could come pick my <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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things up.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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I’m glad she walked out.  Personally, I’d love to file a grievance against these <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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lawyers — or give them a little infam-e.  Am I being too critical, impractical, <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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or naive?<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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“<\/EM>Fiduciary<\/EM><\/A>\/Schmiduciary”<\/EM> is not an acceptable attitude for a law firm.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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\"tiny afterthought<\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/EM> (Sept. 28, 2005):  A consumer who’s willing to invest some<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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time in finding a lawyer, should consider reading Jay G. Foonberg’s <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Finding the Right Lawyer<\/A><\/EM>.  (even its table of contents<\/FONT><\/A> is helpful)  The <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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author sells it for $19.95, but the Amazon.com Marketplace<\/FONT><\/A> has <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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copies for as little as $1.14 today.   Also, legal reform group <\/FONT>HALT<\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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has an online brochure, “Before Your Hire a Lawyer<\/A>,” that lists your  <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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rights as a consumer of legal services and the kinds of information <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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and treatment you should expect from a lawyer. <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/P>
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<\/FONT> <\/P>
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first snow falling
I trust in his hand…
bridge by the gate<\/FONT>
<\/P><\/FONT><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/FONT> <\/P>
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<\/FONT> <\/P>
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entrusting it to young folk
I sleep…
cozy wood fire<\/FONT><\/P>
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<\/FONT> <\/P><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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trusting its fate
to the autumn wind…
duckweed<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>
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Kobayashi Issa<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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       translated by <\/FONT>David G. Lanoue<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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                                                                                                                                             “EyeChartN”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday’s discussion of Missouri’s new lawyer advertising rules raised the issue of how consumers choose lawyers.  Today, I want to tell you about a wise consumer who knew which lawyers not to pick.   A reader who found this weblog when Googling about contingency fees, wrote to tell me about a firm with whom she was discussing a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-14n","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13007,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115\/revisions\/13007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}