Why Should I Use Your Law Firm Instead Of Other Oklahoma Attorneys?

Great question! Hopefully, as we try to distinguish our services that it doesn’t sound like a criticism of other attorneys. Oklahoma has a number of fine, reputable, and talented attorneys! Your choice in legal counsel should be the lawyer who’s the right fit for you! We may not be; until we have a chance to get to know you it’s nearly impossible to say. If it turns out we aren’t the right choice, we may know someone who is.

What Makes Us Different Than Other Attorneys

We don’t practice in many areas of law that other Oklahoma attorneys practice. If you are going through a divorce, charged with DUI, or a long list of other things, we’re not the right law firm for you. We don’t do divorce, DUI, criminal, title examinations, Social Security disability, immigration, workers’ compensation, tax law, bankruptcy, patents, or any of the typical consumer areas of legal practice. So if you need these legal services, we aren’t for you.

What Type Of Lawyer Are You

This has been my favorite all-time question through the years! When in-person (so I can use facial expressions and voice tones for humor), the answers have varied. I have laughingly told people that, “I’m a ‘criminal’ lawyer”. It usually raises a few eyebrows! With a big smile, I have occasionally responded, “The greatest lawyer!” or “The Best!”

Whatever the answer, it’s always meant to let folks know that being a lawyer hasn’t gone to my head. It’s more important to be a real person first and a lawyer second. So I like to laugh and have a little fun along the way! Legal matters are stressful enough without adding lawyer egos, false pride, and boastful bragging!

Our attorneys have been heavily focused on business, insurance, insurance coverage and claims, construction litigation, LLCs, corporations, and helping companies navigate the Oklahoma legal system. The cases have often been complex litigation involving 30 – 50 witnesses and 100,000 pages of exhibits. In 35 years, there have been jury trials in all kinds of cases including insurance, negligence, bad faith, fraud, business disputes, construction defects, broken contracts, employment matters, challenges to corporations and LLCs, and the list goes on.

What Difference Does Experience Make

Unlike medicine, law changes take place much more slowly. When a new doctor graduates medical school, they come out with all of the latest knowledge about all of the newest procedures and treatments. When a new lawyer passes the bar examination, they completed 3 years of learning to think like an attorney, but they have little or no practical experience in how the legal system really works.

While doctors go through an internship and residency with hands-on experience under the observation of a medical specialist, many Oklahoma attorneys leave law school without having been inside a courthouse.

Litigation experience teaches you lessons like no other method! Having judges, particularly Federal judges, grade your homework so to speak has real-life consequences! You can’t replicate the real-life lessons learned at the courthouse in an academic setting. The hard knocks of learning in the courtroom develop alertness to issues, problems that are going to arise, and how things are going to play out in front of a jury.

At the end of the day, your legal problem will be resolved in a courtroom if you can’t find a way to settle it.

Understanding trials, courtrooms, and litigation isn’t like book learning. Instead, it’s like a fistfight! You can read books and watch videos about boxing or martial arts. However, all the theories in the books sort of disappear when you get popped in the nose! You learn how to fight from the bloody nose and black eyes. It’s one thing for some to tell you to “duck” in a sparring session. It’s quite another to be instinctively taking action to prevent the blows you got the last time.

Attorneys with experience can better decide, “is this a case that needs to be quietly settled?” or “is this one that the client can stand their ground”? All lawyers have opinions! If you want 6 opinions, go see 5 lawyers! You should evaluate those differences of opinion in significant part based on the experience of the attorney.

Business Minded

While we like to have a little fun during work, we’re task and goal-oriented. If we can’t bring value to you, then we want you to find an attorney who does. Sure we operate a business and charge for what we do. But, if we aren’t part of a solution, there’s simply no satisfaction in the job! Work is supposed to be satisfying on every level, particularly going home knowing you were able to help someone else. If our services don’t provide value to you, then we aren’t the right fit.

We Understand Insurance and Coverage Matters

Most folks don’t realize how much of what happens in the legal arena is insurance-related. Oh, sure they know car accidents are heavily insurance-driven. But, most people don’t realize that insurance is the propelling force in all kinds of situations. Coverage or the lack of insurance coverage sets up the background for foreclosures, bankruptcies, subrogation and recovery actions, etc.

In Oklahoma, an insurance company has a duty to defend. What this means is that there may not be coverage for the damages. However, there may well be coverage to pay for the legal fees and expenses. Having litigated coverage issues from every angle, the ability to have observed what every role plays in the process is critical to finding solutions.

Can You Tell Us A Little About You

I grew up in Oklahoma with a few years spent over in Arkansas. It was back in the days when people didn’t lock their doors and folks didn’t have to be nearly as cautious. We lived way out in the country for part of my life and in town at other times. The country-life was always the best!

I like to do ranch work, build fences, trail ride on horseback, work livestock, and enjoy the outdoors. In the past, I used to hunt, fish, and enjoy nature from a deer stand or a boat. I spent a little time in aviation as a private pilot and found flying was great fun! As a serial entrepreneur, business management continues to be my area of personal interest. You never stop learning and business is ever-changing so I love books, podcasts, and talking about business ideas, strategies, and the American Dream!

I really enjoy helping a certain type of people — those who help themselves! The special clients are the ones who appreciate and use what we have to offer. These folks work hard for what they have, don’t expect handouts from the government, and believe in being self-sufficient to the extent they are able. This doesn’t mean that I don’t like to help a person who needs help! But, I very frankly don’t like working for people who don’t pull their own weight. I am not talking about those who just can’t due to a physical or mental disability, but the ones who whine and cry for big brother to care for them from the cradle to the grave.

We live in the greatest country that ever existed!

I have little respect for those that can’t appreciate this wonderful land of opportunity that we’ve been given! Yeah, it’s not perfect, nor will it ever be. But, we have more choices, options, and freedoms than any place in the world!

I like the priorities that I was taught growing up, God first, Family second, and Country third! Everything else always falls in line if you keep it straight. Hey, not everybody likes me! That’s okay, I’m just a boy that was raised in the country with Oklahoma values and beliefs.

Our best clients aren’t the ones that paid us the most money, it’s the ones who stop by just to say hello or send a handwritten card at Christmas. We may not have done any work for them in 20 years, but there’s a connection that remains from all those many years back. Long term relationships with great folks, that’s what it’s really all about!

If we don’t suit what you hope to find, then maybe we’ll have some idea about another lawyer that will work better for you.

Do You Charge For Your Time

No, we charge for our value. There’s a difference. Our time may be reflected on a bill for services, but the associated cost is for helping you with your legal issues. If your number one concern is the hourly rate or how much, then we are not the cheapest attorneys you can find in Oklahoma (and we don’t intend to be).

Some people get so focused on the cost they overlook the better deal. You usually get what you pay for. You may disagree and that’s your prerogative. In buying cars, land, buildings, hiring engineers, accountants, attorneys, doctors, and a myriad of other products, price is not the primary consideration. “Well, you’re a rich lawyer so you can afford it!” Value isn’t about what you can afford, it’s really what you can’t afford.

The wealthy can afford to do it twice, three times, or just keep re-doing the deal without concern about running out of money. If you don’t have unlimited funds, then you better pay attention to what you are getting for your money because you may not be able to do it all again. A rich guy can buy a car without test driving it. If the car doesn’t work out, he can trade for another one. If you’re like most, you really should locate the vehicle that suits your needs. It costs money that you may not have to keep trading, but the auto sales folks love you!

Oklahoma attorneys with lower hourly rates that aren’t as efficient or who don’t create value are just costing you money!

What’s It Going To Cost To Talk To You

Well, do you talk fast or slow? We did have this guy from Texas last year that talked REALLY SLOW! It took the first half of the day to get his name and where he was from!

The cost depends upon what you want to accomplish. We do offer some flat fees so you know upfront what to expect, but there are still some matters that have to be done by the hour. Otherwise, we keep track of our time in hourly cases in six-minute intervals. We do some “meet and greets” without a charge. These depend upon the legal issue and our schedule.

Assuming our flat price plans aren’t what you think you need, then we can quote the cost of the consultation after you answer a few questions for us.

If you are looking for a “free” 30-minute appointment to grab as much free legal advice as you can, then don’t. Simply said, if your situation isn’t important enough for you to spend a little bit of money, then it’s unlikely to be important to us. You should know the sign out front says “Law Office”, and not “Legal Aid”.

When our air conditioner quits working, the repair guy wants to be paid to look at the problem. He says if we aren’t all hot and bothered by the heat, then it’s really not bothering him much either. When we’re ready to pay him to cool things down a little, he’s happy to take a look. We sort of feel the same way.

It goes back to our philosophy of “liking to help those who help themselves.” Generally speaking, we don’t seem to do well with folks who are just trying to get something for nothing. If you’re looking for Oklahoma attorneys to give you legal advice without paying, you probably should speak with one of the other really fine law firms in town.

Listen, we don’t mean to sound harsh or difficult! We just know that folks don’t appreciate what they don’t pay for.