When do you need to call Carey, Leisure & Neal?

BOARD CERTIFIED TRIAL LAWYER VERSUS NON-BOARD CERTIFIED TRIAL LAWYER

If you were injured in any type of accident that wasn’t your fault, or have had the terrible experience of losing a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, you should care whether your lawyer is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law.

The legal field is different from certifications in other professions. For example, most doctors are Board Certified in their particular area of expertise. In the legal field, however, Board Certification is actually quite rare. In fact, less than 2 % of Florida’s lawyers are Board Certified Civil Trial lawyers.

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In the legal field, Board Certification is not something that is required of attorneys of any specialty. In order to be Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, a lawyer has to satisfy several requirements. They must be a lawyer for at least 5 years. They have to dedicate a certain amount of their practice to civil trial work, and must have taken at least 15 cases to trial within recent years. They must have spent at least 55 hours in specific Continuing Legal Education courses. Judges and other lawyers are interviewed about their qualifications and skills. Finally, a Board Certified lawyer must pass a challenging exam. It’s an extensive process.

You can be sure that if your lawyer is Board Certified, you are in good hands. He or she knows what they are doing, understands the applicable laws and rules, and knows how to conduct a trial; you can trust their advice.

Don’t assume that because your lawyer’s billboard or commercial says “Trial Lawyer” that they are Board Certified, or that they have ever been in an actual courtroom. Ask them if they are Board Certified. If you feel uncomfortable asking, you can find out from the Florida Bar.

If your lawyer is NOT Board Certified, ask them if they are supervised by a lawyer who is. If your lawyer is not yet Board Certified but is working towards certification under the supervision of an attorney who is already Board Certified, you are in very good hands.

If your lawyer isn’t supervised by someone who is Board Certified, you should ask some more questions, including: How many cases has your lawyer taken to trial, or have they ever actually filed a lawsuit?! If their answer is “None, I don’t have to go to trial because everyone settles with me,” that is not a good sign. You don’t want a lawyer who isn’t experienced with lawsuits to force you to settle because he or she doesn’t know how to go to trial, or can’t afford to. The insurance companies know which law firms take cases to trial and which law firms always settle. The law firms that go to trial generally get more respect; therefore they get higher offers from the insurance companies.

At Carey Leisure & Neal, all three of our partners Thomas Carey, Jodi Leisure and Katherine Neal are Board Certified in Civil Trial Law in Florida. Furthermore, Tom Carey and Jodi Leisure are nationally Board Certified. All of our associate attorneys are supervised by our Board Certified partners and all are working towards Board Certification.

At Carey Leisure & Neal we treat our clients as if they are family.

Call our law firm now to speak with an attorney about your case. It is always a free consultation with no obligation to retain us. Our lawyers give clients their personal cell phone numbers and email addresses and can be reached 24/7. By hiring a lawyer from our firm, you can expect excellent communication, great service and hard work. Contact us at 800-927-0400 for a free, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation.