Lawyers who Guarantee Results -- Advice to Clients

In follow-up to yesterday's post about the lawyer who promised that he would get the client out on bond (and, as I learned later, promised that he would get the case dismissed!), here's some advice to clients and their families when dealing with a lawyer who promises a result that other lawyers don't:

Get it in writing.

Ask the lawyer to set every promise down in writing. If you ask and he refuses, the promise is worthless. I won't tell a client anything about his case that I'm not willing to sign my name to. There is no way in hell the lawyer who promised to get the client out on conditions of release will put it in writing. There is, equally, no way he will guarantee that he will get the case dismissed. If he did, he would be setting himself for a lawsuit and a grievance. He may be willing to promise that he will "probably" get the client out on bond or that there is a "99% chance" he will get the client's case dismissed. These weaselly promises aren't less than worthless -- when (not "if") the desired result doesn't materialize, the lawyer will claim that he never promised anything, and the client will be out of luck.