Attorney billboards and commercials. You see them everywhere. Smiling faces, catchy taglines, phone numbers pasted in giant, bold font.

The one thing they all want: calls.

Attorneys in Georgia (and many other states) are prohibited by law from calling potential clients. They have to wait for people to call them first.

And even though we’re a law firm, we agree with this rule. Can you imagine how many calls and messages would inundate your phone after a car accident or workplace incident?

Clients should decide who the best lawyer is to represent them, not the other way around.

But this can be a difficult decision to make. There are so many attorneys to choose from. How do you know which attorney is the right one to handle your case?

Having worked in the legal arena for more than 30 years, Attorney Gary Martin Hays has some insight into one of the simplest ways to choose the best lawyer.

All it takes is a simple phone call.

1.   Can you speak with the lead attorney?

When you call a law firm, ask if you can talk with the attorney that appears in the TV ad or on the billboard. See if you can get THAT attorney — the one who is making all of these promises — on the phone.

We’re willing to bet you won’t be able to. To the lawyers in the large firms, your call is just a number on a spreadsheet. They won’t have anything to do with you or your case unless they think it’s worth millions of dollars.

2.   Does the lead attorney live in your state?

Larger law firms spread to other states, but the attorney in the advertisement who asked you to call probably doesn’t live where you live. They live far away, more concerned with corporate meetings and marketing events than whatever is happening with your case.

3.   Does the lead attorney have a license to practice law in your state?

The most likely answer? No.

The big budget attorneys you see promising over-the-top sums of money probably don’t have a license to practice law where you live. They won’t be able to advise you on your rights and have to rely on less experienced attorneys to do that for them.

You deserve a local attorney who understands your rights.

These attorneys like to say “Call me!” in their ads but those words ring hollow when you realize they don’t live in or have a license to practice law in your area. You’ll be assigned a random attorney you don’t know, someone the lead attorney probably hasn’t even vetted or met.

And the larger the law firm, the bigger the bureaucracy and the slower your case will progress.

Don’t get lost in the shuffle of paperwork and filings. Call around. Do your due diligence. See if the other attorneys have the right credentials and if you can get them on the phone.

Hire an attorney recognized as a legal expert.

If you live in Georgia, call us, Gary Martin Hays & Associates. We’re a local law firm that works exclusively in the Peach State with a license to practice and a personal investment in our community.

We’ve earned more than $1 billion for people and families who were injured and had their lives turned upside down. National associations for lawyers regularly rank our law firm amongst the top experts for a variety of personal injury categories.

More importantly, Gary Martin Hays & Associates and its experienced team of personal injury lawyers are consistently rated by our clients as compassionate, personable, and going above and beyond the basic needs of the case.

Want to meet Attorney Gary Martin Hays on the phone or even in person? You can! All you have to do is call and ask.

If you suffered an injury due to a car accident, work accident, or other incident caused by someone else’s negligence, contact our Georgia personal injury law firm today at (770) 934-8000. Consultations are free and confidential.