And The Winner Is

Small law firms!

Many clients believe that a large law firm means a better result. This is not accurate. Below you will find some of the benefits and detriments of hiring a large law firm versus small law firm:

Large Firm

Benefits: more support staff and personality alternatives.

Detriments: repetitious billing and work, non-qualified individuals handling your issues, profit mentality, poor client relations due volume of cases, large corporate structure equals inefficiency, more cases - more scheduling conflicts, inability to get an attorney on the phone.

Small Firm

Benefits: first-hand knowledge of your file, streamline effect in that the same person is doing the work, no strategic or corporate billing structure, not as motivated by profit, owner involvement, better conflict resolution with clients, more familiar with issues in litigation, more personalized with direct access to your attorney, better time management (i.e., if you want something done and done right, you give it to a busy person).

Detriments: less support staff and less personality alternatives.

Conclusion: With large firms you will have contact with more administrative people, and attorneys are billing driven because of the corporate structure. There could be replication of work due to more than one attorney handling your file and reviewing to catch up because they are delegating their duties. In small firms you are usually dealing with an owner who has better time management skills, is vested in your case and has a complete history versus several members of a firm each having limited knowledge of your file.