subject: Use an Appearance Attorney for Your Legal Practice [print this page] Use an Appearance Attorney for Your Legal Practice
This is very useful for smaller firms, with one or two lawyers, who might not have the time to leave the office for a few hours for a single conference. Another situation where appearance attorneys can be useful is when an appearance is required in a relatively far away district. For example, if your firm is in Long Island, and you have a few personal injury cases in Westchester, New York, your travel time could easily take you half the day. You also have to deal with the headaches of a rush hour commute and tolls. Why not hire someone local to handle your appearance?
The benefit of a per diem attorney is obvious for a small or medium sized firm (0-5 lawyers). The need to be in two places at one time is a real possibility when you have have few attorneys. Last minute matters can be a real headache for the solo practitioner. Beyond the administrative annoyance, attorneys who miss an appearance may face sanctions and ethical issues (cases have been thrown out for one too many missed conferences). Simply winding up on the wrong side of a judge is never a good thing, especially for a smaller law firm. Per diem lawyers can usually cover an appearance on short term notice. This means that contacting their office the day before an appearance will usually be possible. Of course, arranging an appearance a few days in advance is best. For your own protection, you should always confirm any appearance with the appearance attorney prior to the appearance.
A per diem attorney can valuable even to larger firms. Having additional help without the high cost of a full time associate is a great advantage for any firm. Even larger firms who have many lawyers to cover cases can benefit from outsourcing their appearance work. Every time an associate leaves the office, many billable hours are wasted. Personal injury files fall further and further behind as attorneys sometimes have to spend hours attending a single conference. A per diem lawyer can make all the difference. Most successful appearance attorneys practice in one location. This allows them to handle many cases at once.
