One thing we would like to emphasize is that it’s important to have local counsel for your legal matter. We recently handled several cases transferred here from out of town or out of state. Our clients were legitimately confused about the outcome to expect because attorneys in other areas gave them projected expectations far different from our own. Other areas, especially other states, sometimes have very different laws and results. Many times, the expected result differs based on the Judge or Commonwealth assigned to the area. For example, we handled a matter for a client in Virginia Beach and were shocked at the assumption reached by the opposing side. After conferring with local counsel, we realized that Virginia Beach indeed views this legal issue differently than the Rockbridge county area. We were fortunate to resolve that case favorably, but only because of our connections and insight from local counsel in Virginia Beach.

The same is true with the greater Shenandoah valley area. It’s important to retain local counsel who are intimately familiar with our Judges and how the law is interpreted here. We know which factors and circumstances are more likely to influence the case in your favor. What attorneys from other areas have told you – while most likely correct for their area of practice – is not necessarily what to expect in our area. Retaining local counsel should be one of your biggest priorities in choosing a law firm to represent you.