RAD Newsletter Aug 2010
Referral Attorney Requirements and Checks
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. imposes high standards on the provider law firms and on all referral attorneys that provide legal services for their members. In order to receive referrals, an attorney must meet the following requirements:
- Attorneys must be in good standing with any State Bar, Supreme Court or other bar regulatory body having jurisdiction over the attorney.
- Must have a minimum of two (2) years experience practicing law.
- Must have and maintain legal malpractice insurance with a minimum coverage of $100,000 per occurrence.
- Attorney coverage status is checked annually. Attorneys may have no public discipline by the Disciplinary Board for any state where they are licensed to practice law.
- If rated by Martindale-Hubble, attorney must be AV or BV rated (cannot be CV rated). A referral attorney can also be un-rated.
- Neither a Referral attorney, spouse, nor any employee or employee's spouse may be a Pre-Paid Legal marketing associate.
- In return for providing client referrals to you or others in your law firm, you will be required to provide legal services to the Pre-Paid Legal client at a discount of 25% off your standard rates for hourly and flat fee cases. We understand a reasonable retainer may be necessary. We also ask that you give our members a free initial consultation.
Several of these requirements are checked annually and semi-annually. These include the following:
Checked semi-annually:
- Must be active and in good standing with the bar
- Must not have a CV rating (can be not rated) on Martindale-Hubbell
- Must have no public discipline
Checked annually on expiration date of malpractice insurance:
- Carry minimum of $100,000 coverage
- New questionnaire submitted with any changes (i.e. contact info, types of cases and locations attorney interested in, hourly and discounted rates, etc.)
- New Service Commitment Agreement signed
WOW: Ownership
I promise to handle each interaction with Pre-Paid Legal members as if that experience will be the sole factor in determining whether a person keeps the PPL membership…because IT IS!
Companies frequently poll customers to find out if they are satisfied with their service. The most important question is whether the customer is happy enough to tell others how much they like the company.
Giving clients an experience that makes them promote your business takes ownership at every level of service. Each interaction you have with a client builds a profile in their mind. Bad experiences tend to stick with clients, so it is important to make each experience exceptional.
Memorable service is achieved by giving clients what they want. This doesn’t mean clients want you to change the law. Clients simply want a certain level of customer service, particularly when things do not go their way. They want you to take ownership of your role and not pass the problem on to someone else.
Next time you help a client deal with a difficult situation, think about the important role that you play in the success of both your firm and Pre-Paid Legal
Law Firm Websites: A Front Page Checklist
There are many reasons why attorneys should have a well designed and informative website. A member who is referred to your office will often search for your firm online. If they cannot find your firm online or if they cannot find pertinent information on your website, you will not make a good first impression.
The most important aspect of your website is the front page. If you have a poor front page, visitors will not stick around and will be less likely to contact your firm. The following tips will help make the most of your front page.
Contact Info. Your firm's address and phone number should be easily visible without scrolling down the page.
Page Links. All page links should be easy to read and find without scrolling. Important page links including the contact page, attorney bios and resources should be grouped together.
Up-to-date Design. If your site was designed several years ago it may appear dated. Things change fast online, and your website needs to keep up. An outdated website gives visitors the impression that the law firm is behind the times.
Keep it simple. The front page of your website should be simple, clean and uncluttered. Only the most vital information and design details need to be included. Google is a great example of effective simplicity. While law firms need to convey more information than the Google home page, their front page should only include what is necessary.
If you have questions about website design or maintenance you may contact PrimeLegal LC via email at contact@primelegal.biz or by phone at (804) 545 2512.
