What Kind of Lawyer Should Represent You?
There’s an old joke that goes like this:
Question: “What do you call the person who graduated last in their medical school class?”
Answer: “A doctor.”
It’s funny but at least we know that medical school graduates are not allowed to practice medicine or get near a patient without constant supervision through a rigorous apprenticeship as an intern and resident. Then there are the additional years of training needed to specialize in a specific field which culminates in becoming certified in that specialty.
Anyone who manages to graduate law school and pass the Bar has a license too. But that’s where the similarity with doctors ends.
Licensed attorneys may start practicing law and take any type of case they choose as soon as they are sworn in. There is no requirement to train in a specialized area of the law before “hanging out a shingle,” as there is for doctors – a fact we should be very grateful for. Imagine how you would respond if your podiatrist finished checking out your hammer toe and then suggested he perform your knee replacement.
When people want me to handle a complicated divorce or negotiate their tax debt with the IRS, I say No. I say when it comes to divorce or IRS problems, I’m the podiatrist. But the reality is that any licensed attorney can represent anyone in any type of case. Any lawyer can represent any homeowner in a foreclosure matter, no matter how long they have practiced or what other areas of law they handle.
Because of this, homeowners facing foreclosure should ask themselves, what lawyer do I want to represent me?
Avoid Dabblers
First, let’s talk about the lawyers you should avoid: “Dabblers”.
Remember the podiatrist above? The one who offers to perform your knee replacement? This can and does occur often, metaphorically, in law practice. Many lawyers step away from their usual practice to take on clients in an area in which they have little familiarity. Sometimes it works out okay, like when a lawyer helps a friend through a “simple closing” or reviews a “simple contract” for them. “Simple” is the operative word here.
Whatever it is, a lawyer with little to no experience in a certain area of law is in no position to have clear, honest, realistic discussions with their clients about the strengths and weaknesses of their case, possible outcomes, and realistic odds of success.
We call these lawyers “Dabblers” because they dabble in cases outside their area of “expertise.”
Every lawyer has a story of when they “dabbled” in an area of law they had no business working in. They usually don’t end well for the client or the attorney. I handled a family law matter for a client very early on in my solo career. The client got what he wanted but I never want to go near family law again! I was in over my head because there is a lot to know about custody issues and I didn’t have the experience.
The Right Connecticut Foreclosure Attorney
Needless the say at this point, if you are in foreclosure or are having issues with your mortgage company, you don’t want the dabbler. So who do you want?
It’s simple: you want an attorney who works on foreclosure matters, and the issues that surround them, every day. An attorney who has:
- A deep knowledge of the complexities of foreclosure law and is intimately familiar with Connecticut’s specific statutes, regulations, and case law.
- A solid grasp of the multitude of legal and procedural steps involved in a foreclosure case. Navigating these complexities seamlessly and effectively is the key to any foreclosure defense.
- A full understanding of lender strategies and tactics.
- Well-honed motion practice and courtroom skills in order to work within the process
- A familiarity with all the players- the lenders, their servicers, their attorneys, the court mediators and the judges.
- A complete understanding of every available option the homeowner has at every stage of the case.
The only way for a lawyer to acquire these skills is to concentrate solely on foreclosure matters the way an orthopedic surgeon concentrates solely on joint and bone repairs. Studying, being involved in legislative changes to the foreclosure laws, handling foreclosure after foreclosure case, going to court, knowing the clerks, judges, mediators, opposing counsel, and so much more, make a foreclosure attorney.
This is the attorney you want to handle your foreclosure. After all, the attorney handling the foreclosure for the bank does foreclosures all day every day. That is what they do. They don’t dabble in any other area of law.
And neither do I.
