Hiring a lawyer can be a difficult decision – especially if you don't fully understand the process. The following questions and answers are meant to take some of the guess work out of that process:

• Why should you hire a lawyer? A lawyer can act on your behalf by providing his or her expertise in resolving disputes. Lawyers with insurance backgrounds understand how insurance companies work. They know how estimates and claims processes can often be used against policyholders and know how to fight back. More importantly, hiring a lawyer means that you have someone fighting on your behalf with your best interests at hand. Insurance companies want you to believe that they have your best interests at hand, but as we all know, that is seldom the case.
• When should you hire a lawyer? In many cases, policyholders will hire a lawyer when they simply can't make headway with their insurance company in getting the claim processed, when their insurance company wrongfully denies their claim or refuses to pay the full value of their claim. However, you can never hire a lawyer 'too soon' to act on your behalf – especially when the lawyer is hired on a contingency fee basis (meaning that he or she will only get paid when you do.)
• What kind of lawyer should you hire? When dealing with insurance companies, it is best to hire a lawyer who understands how insurance companies operate. General practitioners do not have the level of experience as those whose practices specifically focus in this area.
• What questions should you ask a lawyer before hiring him or her? There are several questions you can ask your lawyer before hiring him or her, including:
  -How long have you been in practice?
  -How long have you practiced insurance law?
  -What types of insurance cases have you handled and what have been the outcomes?
  -Do you have trial experience? If so, how much?
  -Are you a member of any clubs or organizations that deal with insurance issues?
  -How are you compensated?
  -What up-front costs are involved?
• How are lawyers compensated? Lawyers who handle lawsuits against insurance companies are generally paid on a contingency fee basis, which means that they don't get paid until you get paid. Many will pay for miscellaneous costs (filing documents, hiring experts, etc.) up front and then deduct those amounts from your recovery, but it's important to ask if you need to pay for any up-front, out of pocket expenses.
• What are the benefits / risks of hiring a lawyer? The benefits of hiring a lawyer are that you will have someone representing your best interests. A lawyer who understands how insurance companies operate can also take on the stress that often accompanies the claims process and you generally don't need to pay any money up front if the lawyer is paid on a contingency fee.
  
  The greatest risk of hiring a lawyer is hiring the wrong one. Any licensed lawyer can handle your case, but if they don't understand the insurance process, they're not likely to obtain the best results.

At Advocate Law Group, we've seen how insurance companies often take advantage of their policyholders – hoping that they'll settle for less than they're entitled to or not fight a fire insurance claim denial. Simply put, we think it's wrong and we decided to do something about it. Contact us and we will explain what we do to help you get what you deserve.

For a free consultation, contact us at 1-888-ITS-LEGAL (1-888-487-5342).

Southern California Office
Advocate Law Group
7700 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 605A
Irvine, CA 92618

Northern California Office
Advocate Law Group
2330 Marinship Way, Suite 200
Post Office Box 835
Sausalito, California 94966-0835

Fire Insurance Claim Manual for Homeowners

1. Fire Insurance Claims Manual Forward
2. The Basics of Homeowners' and Fire Insurance
3. How Fire Insurance Policies Work
4. The Fire Insurance Claims Process: A Step by Step Review
5. Identifying and Overcoming Fire Insurance Claims Obstacles
6. Tips to Make the Fire Insurance Claims Process Work Smoothly
7. Fire Insurance Lawyer - How to Hire