How do I choose Legal representation?

How do I choose Legal representation? Here at McMahon Goldrick Solicitors, we have over 60 years of experience dealing with cases of a catastrophic nature. At McMahon Goldrick Solicitors our philosophy is that you, the client, need to concentrate on your recovery whilst your solicitor concentrates on your case. We go out of our way to ensure that we do not adopt a paternalistic approach, but we do consider the client as a very significant member of the team.

It is important to note that solicitors are individuals, and each has its own unique approach to cases and clients. Therefore, when seeking legal representation, the choice of your solicitor is critically important. It is vital that you choose a solicitor that you connect with and that has the appropriate level of expertise. So that you can make a decision you are comfortable with, we encourage you to speak to more than one solicitor. There are codes of conduct or policies in place that prevent solicitors from approaching you without invitation.

To assist you in making the decision, you might consider the following:

1. Does the solicitor have experience in dealing with cases that involve catastrophic injury?

Ask them for examples. If they don’t have a sufficient amount, their expertise may be limited. At McMahon Goldrick, we have been exclusively involved in dealing with catastrophic injuries since 2010. Have a look at the success stories on our website to learn more about this.

2. Is the solicitor used to dealing with claims of a high value?

Again, you can ask the solicitors about their caseload and prior legal representation experience. Do they regularly handle cases with values in excess of two, three, four million? This is important in order to identify if the solicitor has the experience and ability to deal with cases of equivalent gravity. Here at McMahon Goldrick Solicitors, we regularly deal with cases between 1m and 20m.

3. Ask the solicitors about the context they have in other jurisdictions and how quickly they are likely to secure reports.

It is important to identify if the solicitor has the key contacts to obtain reports to help put your case together. Over the years at McMahon Goldrick Solicitors, we have established professional connections with the top medics and expert witnesses who are involved with these cases if necessary.

4. If the solicitor is away for any reason, do they have colleagues with similar experience who can deal with your case in their absence?

The reason for this is that it is helpful to build up confidence and momentum quickly in any case. No case should ever come to a standstill. At McMahon Goldrick we operate as a team and it is the team that deals with your case, not just any one individual.

5. Has your solicitor attended a catastrophic injury training day and when was that?

This is a way for your solicitor to keep up to date with medical and legal developments that relate specifically to catastrophic injury cases. At McMahon Goldrick, we regularly attend such CPD (Continuing professional development) events.

6. Rehabilitation

Always discuss with your solicitor the options for rehabilitation. Enabling you to access rehabilitation services is critical to you and your family. In a case where there is little or no dispute in respect of liability, your solicitor might be able to locate appropriate case managers to coordinate your privately funded care regime, although this is still voluntary in Ireland. Any success that McMahon Goldrick has had in this regard has been done so by way of voluntary contribution from the defendant’s insurance company.  

7. Communication

It’s important to note that you will need to be able to speak to your solicitor on a regular basis. At McMahon Goldrick Solicitors we will ask you how you like to be communicated with. It is important that the solicitor communicates with you in a way that is the most convenient for you, be it Zoom, email, telephone or in person.  Our preference here at McMahon Goldrick Solicitors is to ring the client and thereafter follow up with an e-mail summarising the nature of the call.

As mentioned above, we operate as a team here at McMahon Goldrick Solicitors, therefore it will be a team of people who will look after your file.  This helps to ensure that there is always someone here in the office who will know about your case and be able to help you.

8. Trust

Perhaps most importantly of all, you need to be able to trust your solicitor. Clients need to feel confident their solicitor knows what they are doing, and they understand the difficulties you are facing.

If you encounter problems with your solicitor, do not be afraid to raise these problems with your solicitor as they may be unaware of your frustration. If you are unable to sort out the issues or if you have lost faith in your solicitor, change solicitor. Catastrophic cases are too important not to do so.

If such situations were to arise in McMahon Goldrick Solicitors, we would immediately call the client to understand their frustration. To date, we are pleased to say that we have not had to do that. When clients come to us, having changed their solicitor we recognise the file itself is in very good shape, but it has not really progressed any further down the line.

At McMahon Goldrick we understand the importance of choosing the right legal representation that can have a significant impact on the outcome of a legal matter. It requires careful consideration of various factors, such as the solicitors experience, expertise, communication skills, and trust. It is important to take the time to do research to ensure that you are comfortable with their approach and confident in their ability to represent you effectively. The solicitor, client relationship is a partnership, and you should feel comfortable and supported throughout the legal process.

If you have any questions in relation to any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact McMahon Goldrick Solicitors at (01 6770044) or Ralph McMahon personally at ralph.mcmahon@rmcm.ie