New Year, Renewed Resolution: Serving My Colorado Clients

If you’ve made it to this post, you’ve successfully navigated your way past countless articles on New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, eat right, watch less television, read more books, save more money, spend less money, make more money.  Don’t get me wrong, you can sign me up for all of those, but my 2018 New Year’s resolution probably isn’t one you’ve come across recently, nor is it one that’s new for me.

Every New Year since opening my Colorado criminal defense firm in 2015, I reaffirm a resolution that is near and dear to my heart: serve my Colorado clients even better this year than I did last year.  My clients are the centerpiece of my law practice, and my guiding principle has been and continues to be: meet clients where they are.  What does that mean, exactly?  Well, in the New Year spirit of revisiting and reaffirming personal and professional goals, you’re about to find out!

Meeting clients where they are means more than simply driving to where my clients live, but I’ll start with this piece because it’s important.  At the risk of stating the obvious, Colorado is a large state (it’s the 8^th largest of all U.S. states and territories!).  As those of you who live in Denver know, getting across that city alone can take over an hour, so imagine how difficult it is for clients to travel to an attorney who may live in another city altogether.

Also, while the majority of Colorado residents live in the large cities, those in the more rural areas need access to legal help just as much as their urban counterparts—if not more so.  Aspiring attorneys from Colorado’s rural regions gravitate to the urban parts of the state—they have to in order to attend law school, but many don’t return to their hometowns because the density of potential business is higher in Denver, Boulder, or Colorado Springs.

I grew up in Holyoke, a small town of about 2,000 people in the Northeast corner of Colorado.  I’ll forgive you if you’ve never heard of it.  I deeply understand the need to serve rural communities, which is why I travel across nearly a quarter of the state to meet with my clients.  During a recent DUI Motions Hearing, I almost laughed out loud when a District Attorney claimed I didn’t know the area, the town, or the challenges people face in rural areas.  In reality, I was more of a local than she was!  My client—who also knew this fact—was ultimately glad to have me as a knowledgeable defense attorney, and not just because we won that hearing, but also because the DA had to drop the case entirely as a result!

“Lawyers are too expensive!”  It’s a common sentiment (and in some cases, I don’t entirely disagree).  While my former clients wouldn’t describe me as a “super cheap lawyer”—I’m very good, and my rates reflect that—everyone whom I’ve served would agree that I understand the budget constraints facing most Coloradoans.

I have a varying fee structure, which means I work directly with each client to determine the type and timing of payment.  Whether a fixed-fee rate, hourly rate with a retainer, or hourly rate without a retainer, each client’s fee structure is tailored to his or her unique circumstances.  I’ve even bartered for other services!  Students, victims, veterans, and government agencies also qualify for discounts.

There are a number of factorsthat go into setting my legal rates (for more on that see this earlier post), but for me, meeting clients where they are means helping those who cannot afford a high-priced lawyer.  So, feel free to contact me at (970) 670-0738 or [email protected] and just ask for a quote.  Talk with me about your situation!  There’s never any obligation to sign up for formal representation until you’re satisfied you know exactly how much it will cost and what you’ll get out of it in exchange.

Many of the clients I serve at Nicol Gersch  Law Offices, LLC have criminal defense matters.  By definition, this means that many of my clients have been accused of committing a crime.  DUI charges, assault and domestic violence offenses, reckless driving violations—whatever the legal issue people bring to my office, the first thing I do with every client is connect with them on an individual, human level.

I’ve been in practice long enough to know both that good people can make mistakes and that innocent people can be charged with crimes they didn’t commit.  Meeting my clients where they are demands that I look beyond the reason they have come to me and see them for who they really are.  Often my clients are wonderful Coloradoans who are simply scared, vulnerable, and need my help.

I can’t wait to see what the New Year brings to my law practice, and I hope a year from now, I’ll be able to report even greater client satisfactionthan my firm has achieved to date.  For more information what former clients think about my services, feel free to browse the thoughtfulonline reviews I’ve received so far.  I hope to receive a message from you soon, even if it is simply to tell me what your New Year’s resolution is.  Happy 2018!