Dallas Law Firms

What Makes a Good Dallas Law Firm?

The Cowboys would scream for joy even more than winning the Super Bowl if they found the definitive answer to hiring the right law firm for any legal issue. Because the truth is this:

It takes serious work finding the right Dallas law firm, let alone a good one.

But what makes a good Dallas law firm? I know I already asked the question up top, but it deserves a repeat ask. What makes it so difficult is the fact that the entire legal industry is so unique, always changing, always growing. Every situation is different.

So likewise, any lawyer walking the Earth currently will have unique characteristics – hence any Dallas law firm out there will be completely unique in nature. This is even the case for Dallas law firms that specialize in the same niches.

There Is Some Good News – You Can Figure Out Which Dallas Law Firm Can Work for You

It just takes a bit of research and some knowledge about the particular case before going into any firm. Why? Because knowing the details of the case can determine which law firm will work best.

For starters, every prospective client must know this about Dallas law firms: there are two types of offices out there.

1. the “Small” Dallas Law Firm

2. and the “Large” Dallas Law Firm

Typically, these types are physically characterized in several ways. For one thing, “large” Dallas law firms typically do their work in very large buildings. They may be skyscrapers, to be honest. The levels on these buildings are massive. The lawyers working in them have everything from paralegals to legal assistants to several interns. They’re, to be quite honest, pretty impressive.

“Smaller” Dallas law firms, on the other hand, are somewhat the opposite. Their offices typically span two or three rooms at the most, in a much smaller building, or in a business complex. One to three lawyers may work in the office. They may have a receptionist and/or legal assistant, and that’s about it. The office can seem pretty homey, though. There aren’t many clients out there that would complain about how it feels inside one of these small legal offices.

Those are your basic characteristics.

Now to the Advantages of These Two Types of Dallas Law Firms!

We’ll start with the “small” office:

1. Cheap

2. Personal Touch

3. More Hardworking

4. Specialization

5. Better State Law Knowledge

Here’s the rundown. You can expect for the most part these particular characteristics out of a smaller law office.

First off, they offer smaller rates. Why? Less expenses to deal with, less staff to pay. That’s really what it all boils down to. There are, of course, exceptions, such as particular law offices that have tremendous track records in certain specialized niches, such as….

1. Court Martial Law

2. Probate Law

3. Copyright Law

4. Estate Planning Law

5. Probate Law

6. Immigration Law

And much more. These niches for a smaller office may charge quite a bit. But for the most part, you can expect many personal injury attorneys and criminal attorneys to offer a basic hourly rate, and for those dealing with lawsuits and settlements, a contingency fee at best.

In addition, a lot of these lawyers working in the small offices will have sort of a personal touch to them, something that gets them to understand their clients and vice versa. This is especially beneficial in any case, because if a lawyer and client don’t get along very well or don’t even understand each other well, there’s a real likelihood that the case might not go so well.

Because these offices are so small, chances are the office can only handle so many clients. This would allow any lawyer working in a small office to really put as much heart and soul into the case as possible; and clients love that. Many times that’s what wins cases, really.

You can expect a small law firm in Dallas specializing in one specific niche to really do well for that particular case. In other words, choose one of those specialized offices over a big firm that has a “department” for that niche.

In addition, there’s no way around the fact that a local office – unlike one of the larger firms that have other offices all over the country and maybe even all over the globe – may have a much better understanding of the state laws over a long period of time.

It’s what they do. It’s what they practice. It’s what they deal with day in, day out. So recognize that.

But What About the Larger Firms Out There?

These days, it always seems that bigger doesn’t always mean ‘better.’ But don’t write off the big-name firms either. They do have their strengths, depending on the type of case.

1. The “Team” Advantage

2. More Trial Experience Overall

3. Better Technology

4. Better Overall Track Records

These are big ones, really. So a smart client will make sure to have a couple of the big names on a shortlist to see if the lawyers there are the right fit for the case.

For starters, the “team” advantage is a no-brainer, in that an entire department can work on a single case. In addition, all those paralegals and assistants can do their thing and handle some of the bread-and-butter work that can tie up the trial lawyers, like –

1. Paperwork

2. Interviews

3. Writing

4. Research

5. Reports

6. Correspondence

Some paralegals may even handle the writing of opening and closing statements. And all that needs to be done is the trial lawyer’s expertise in delivering them with authority.

Because that’s another advantage: trial experience. What matters in cases is what happens in the courtroom. Period. If a client’s lucky enough to have a case that never enters the courtroom, good. But for the real severe or complex ones, hearings are a definite. And if a case goes to a hearing, better be sure to get a good trial lawyer on your side; and for the most part most large firms practically own the best trial lawyers, because these firms will pay them the most. Obviously.

With the obvious advantage in technology, too, you can bet the larger firms will have the best overall track records. While smaller offices might have their fair share of wins, they also do have their fair share of losses. However, larger firms for any given niche will have more wins versus losses any day! They’re that experienced.

The Bottom Line, Though, Is….

It depends on the case. Plain and simple.

It’s not that a large firm or a small firm can better serve a client. It’s that the case has to suit the flavor of the firm in question – either small or large. Attorneys working in either can vary in personality and strength.

Just know that a basic understanding of what you’re dealing with in a Dallas shortlist of lawyers of both kinds of firms will help increase the chance of a favorable decision in your case. You can count on it.