What to look for when hiring an attorney for nursing home neglect in Arizona

If you’re looking for some advice or legal assistance but you’re not sure who to turn to or trust with such a sensitive topic, we’ve put together some of the key qualities to look for before hiring an attorney for any kind of nursing home abuse case.

Before choosing a legal professional to represent you and your loved one, there are a few qualities to look for that will help you recognize if they’re the right attorney for you.

In our guide to hiring the right attorney for a nursing home abuse case, we share some tips for family members who suspect something is not right within a nursing home as well as what to look for when hiring a reliable and trustworthy attorney to handle your highly sensitive case.

To figure out how the nursing home you have chosen for your family is rated and to see if the home has any prior violations, check out our nursing home index. We’ve compiled all of the nursing homes in Arizona as well as their health code reports.

Additionally, take a look at our Nursing Home Glossary– an index of important words you need to know in a nursing home abuse case and their definitions.

Research the kind of legal support you might need

Before agreeing to any legal support from an attorney, do some background research into their listed experiences in nursing home abuse.

As with many areas of law, there will be attorneys that have gained substantial experiences with areas of nursing home abuse that may suit your personal situation best. Make sure to research their law firm or practise as much as possible, particularly if they have shared their previous professional experiences or examples of cases on their website.

As your case will be both highly sensitive and personal, we recommend choosing an attorney who already has experience dealing similar cases previously. While this may not always be possible and every case will differ due to the nature of abuse cases, it is important to shop around before agreeing to hire someone to represent you legally.

Research their law firm and listed experiences with previous legal cases to help you gain a better understanding of how they can help your own personal case. This would apply even if you’ve been personally recommended to someone by a close friend, as they need to be the right fit for your own case.

Hire an attorney with nursing home abuse experience

Choosing an attorney who has specifically listed nursing home abuse in their previous case experience is definitely going to benefit your case from a legal perspective. An experienced attorney will already be familiar with the processes and laws surrounding nursing home abuse cases in Arizona.

While your case is unique to you and your loved ones, choosing an attorney who has handled cases that have similar themes before will help you establish a relationship with them and builds confidence that they can help you on your own journey.

Choose a locally-based attorney to Arizona

Regulations for care settings like nursing homes are unique to each state across the US, so choosing a local attorney will only help you with your case.

If possible we recommend choosing an attorney who is local to you and the nursing home your family member or loved one lives in. Locally-based attorneys will have a greater understanding of state law in Arizona when it comes to regulations for nursing homes, and they’ll be able to advise on any legal loopholes and ramifications that may exist.

Here in Arizona, we know that nursing home regulations differ widely from other neighboring states, making it essential for our attorneys to be familiar with laws within Arizona if the case is against a home here. As .

Having local understanding and familiarity with the nursing home too will help keep communication consistent between you and your representative too. Being able to arrange face to face meetings as often as needed with your attorney will help build trust between you both whilst keeping the case momentum going.

Being local to your attorney’s office may also help with handling legal paperwork or even arranging a face to face meeting, enabling you to move your case forward without delays as you can physically visit their offices if and when it’s needed.

How do they make you feel?

Once you’ve done some background research and found a suitable attorney it’s important to arrange an initial consultation with them, to see how they make you feel in person. Some attorneys offer a free initial consultation call or skype call, allowing you to ‘try before you buy’.

As humans, we have a ‘gut instinct’ when we meet someone new- so ask yourself how do they make you feel;

• Do you get on with them on a professional level?
• Would you enjoy meeting or talking with them on a regular basis?
• Do they show empathy and give you space to express yourself?

Pay attention to how they make you feel when you’re explaining your situation to them. Are they listening carefully, do they give you the time and space to explain your case clearly.

As this will no doubt be a highly emotional and sensitive time for you, your attorney should be calm and give you the time you may need to give them all the information.

Choosing someone who makes you feel negative or in any way a nuisance, will make your time spent working on the case together become fractured and feel like a chore. It’s important that you choose someone who you wouldn’t mind spending time with, as this is an essential part of working on any kind of abuse case.

Communication is key

Once you’ve chosen the right attorney to represent you and your family, consider how well they communicate with you. As with many aspects in life, clear, concise communication is vital for securing success with your legal case. It works both ways too as your attorney will need to get hold of you as often as needed throughout your case.

If you’re unsure about where your case is or what your attorney is due to work on next, ask yourself these questions:

• Are you in regular contact with your attorney?
• Do you know what progress has been made in your case?
• What is your attorney working on next

These are basic questions surrounding your legal case and if you’re in regular contact with your attorney, you should feel confident that you are both communicating well.

All successful relationships come down to communicating well so make sure you are in frequent contact with your attorney and vice versa. If you’ve agreed to have a meeting, make sure to attend. Make sure you reply to their questions and emails as communication is a two-way street.

Clear costs and fees

When you’re hiring someone to represent you, it’s important to understand how much their fees are before you go any further.

Some lawyers work on an hourly rate while others will have a fixed pricing scale so make sure to discuss their payment terms.

Payment agreements will differ for each attorney, some ask that you pay installments, some offer a no win, no fee arrangement, and others will expect regular payments so make sure you are fully aware of theirs.

Further frequently asked questions when hiring a nursing home abuse attorney

There are many other questions people have when it comes to hiring an attorney for nursing home abuse cases as there is a huge element of trust that needs to be developed.

How can I tell they’re a good attorney?

There are a few other signs that you should look out for when trying to establish whether they’re going to be a good fit for your case. These could include:

• How reliable they are with sticking to deadlines
• What kind of questions do they ask you
• Are they in regular contact with you
• Are they happy to share previous case results with you

Every person is different and will respond differently but a good attorney will hopefully make you feel confident in following their advice.

Can I ask to see references on their previous cases

Yes, a good attorney will happily share some previous case results with you to help build trust with you. A good attorney will refer back to previous legal cases where they have handled a similar abuse case, perhaps withholding names and other details but discussing the outcomes and even their process will also help you establish a good working relationship.

Remember that as with all nursing home abuse cases, they are typically of a sensitive nature so don’t expect to know all details.

Emotions will no doubt already be running high for you and the added complications of unexpected fees can only make things feel worse. Be clear with how your attorney works out their costs before you agree to any further work to avoid any unplanned bills.

Remember; you’re hiring someone to help you through one of the most challenging and emotionally draining times of your life, it’s so important to make sure you consider all of the points above before committing to both a financial and legal agreement together.

Getting it right with your attorney will make all the difference for you throughout this stressful time and can really be the deciding factor when it comes to the outcome of your legal case.

If you’re looking for any kind of legal advice or want to talk to us about any of the points raised in our guide, please don’t hesitate to contact us today and a member of our team will be happy to help.