Unless you are blessed with fighting a case on a preferred contingency basis, lawyers for businesses or companies will work harder for their client than your attorney will work for you.
This point was made crystal clear in the tragic true story described in my latest book “Minority Viewpoint – my experience, as a person of color, with the American Justice System”. The defendant’s legal team worked for the hotel’s insurance company. They were hired by the insurance company and were accountable to the insurance company for prevailing in this matter. They needed to do an excellent job so the insurance company will continue to come to them for their other cases. As a result, they were aggressive advocates for their client and gave her a commendable defense.
On the other hand, I believe, that the lawyer and the law firm I hired felt no similar sense of accountability to me, whatsoever. I felt that there was a stunning difference between the quality of representation the defendant received compared to what I received.
Without a contingency arrangement in place, my lawyer was going to be paid a whole lot of money… regardless of his actual performance. And unlike defendant’s lawyers’ commitment to the insurance company, my lawyer and his firm couldn’t have cared less how I felt about the job they had done, after the matter concluded. At the time I decided to file, I was expecting to sue the defendant as an individual. I was blindsided by the hotel’s decision to become involved in the matter! But once they did, I believe that they gave the defendant far better representation than what I believe I received from my lawyer and his firm.