Here is something most people don't expect a lawyer to spend time on: tracking down clients.
Honza Prchal has been an attorney with Heninger Garrison Davis since 1998, working alongside Lew Garrison. In this video, he shares that one of the things he spends the most time on is finding clients who moved, changed their phone number, or changed their email and forgot to let the firm know.
Watch: What Happens When Your Lawyer Can't Find You? | Honza Prchal
Why it matters
As Honza puts it, "We need to know how to get in touch with you because it makes representing you in court significantly easier."
When we can't reach you, important questions about your case can go unanswered. And when your case resolves, a check mailed to an old address, or even to a different state or country, can be difficult to get into your hands.
Tell us when any of these change:
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Your phone number. Even if you keep the same number most of the time, a quick update when it changes saves a lot of effort.
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Your email address. This is often how we send updates and documents.
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Your mailing address. Especially important when a check may be on the way.
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Your last name. Marriage or divorce can change your name, which can make it harder to issue a check.
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Your family situation. Knowing a little about your household helps us stay in touch.
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Your circumstances. If you become incarcerated, please ask your criminal defense lawyer to contact us. Knowing about a potential recovery in your case may matter to them, too.
Using Hona? Keep it up to date
Heninger Garrison Davis uses Hona to keep clients updated on their cases. Our colleague Catherine Davis has a separate video explaining how it works you can watch here.
Hona is a great tool, but only if the contact information in it is current. If you change your phone number or email, update it in Hona, too.
Pro tip: give us a backup contact
If your phone number changes often, Honza recommends giving us the name and number of someone you trust who is easy to reach. That could be:
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A parent or grandparent
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A best friend
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Your pastor, priest, or preacher
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A longtime coworker or former employer
Anyone who will know where you are can make a big difference.
Why we work so hard to find you
Honza points out that the word "professional" comes from "to profess," dating back to the Middle Ages. It describes a calling. For our attorneys, that means taking our duty to represent you seriously.
So when we lose touch with a client, we go to real lengths to reconnect. Sometimes that surprises people, like when we reach out to a neighbor or even an ex-spouse. We would much rather reach you directly. We're on your side, and we're working to get you the recovery you deserve. In most cases, we don't get paid unless you do.
Stay connected with Heninger Garrison Davis
The easiest way to help your case is to keep in touch. Update your contact information whenever something changes, and follow us on social media for firm news and updates.
Visit hgdlawfirm.com or call our office to update your information today.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
