The Erie lawyers of Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C., P.C. are frequently called upon by Erie television news programs to offer insight on newsworthy legal issues of the day. Recently, Eric Purchase spoke to an Erie reporter on the plight of a Pennsylvania family who said they might lose their home after following the advice of a California law firm. (To see the story and segments of the interview of Erie attorney Eric Purchase, click HERE.)
The story speaks to the plight of one Erie family who had trouble making their mortgage payments and who turned to one of those internet companies who advertise themselves as helping people with mortgage problems. This particular company claimed to be a California law firm. The company told the Erie family they should stop making their mortgage payments. The company explained that being in default would make renegotiation of the Erie family’s mortgage both easier and faster. The Erie family paid the purported law firm several thousand dollars and, following their advice, stopped making their mortgage payments. Now, the lender is foreclosing on their home and the law firm isn’t returning their calls.
There are many lessons to be learned from this experience, but one important lesson is that it is important to choose wisely when hiring a lawyer. Gathering information about the lawyer, ensuring that the lawyer is well known and well regarded in the community, meeting with the lawyer to make sure the lawyer is a good fit – these are all some of the most basic steps you should take before deciding to hire and rely upon the advice of a lawyer.
At our Erie injury law firm, we try to educate people about the steps they should take (and the mistakes they should avoid) when hiring a lawyer. To get more information about choosing the right lawyer for your Pennsylvania accident or injury case, order our free book “The Ultimate Guide to Car Accident Cases in Pennsylvania: A Road Map to Justice” by clicking on the link at right.