At Colbert Law Firm, we’ve been proudly serving clients across a wide range of legal fields for over 20 years. Unfortunately, throughout our practice, we’ve seen too many individuals fall victim to legal scams. The worst part was they were scammed right when they were already in trouble and looking for legal aid.
Nobody deserves to be deceived in difficult times. This is really heartbreaking. It is always better to take precautionary measures than being a victim of fraud.
Remember, the best defense is awareness. That’s why we’ve created this essential guide on how to spot a fake law firm in the U.S. so you can protect yourself before trouble starts.
How Common Is a Legal Scam?
In 2015, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) – UK’s top regulatory bodies for law firms and solicitors – found a 125% increase in the number of fake lawyers and law firms over the preceding years.
This report was published a decade ago, and the worrying factor is that things have gotten worse since then. Recently, even renowned firms have been accused of using AI to cite fake court cases.
When people decide to ask for legal aid, they are usually stressed and not in the right state of mind to be cautious and do their due diligence. For instance, a hit-and-run victim will be looking forward to getting their desired compensation as soon as they can. Naturally, falling victim to a scam might be the last thing on their mind.
Fake law firms are taking this opportunity and springing up like mushrooms all over the world. Identifying their malicious practices has also become more difficult as they are leveraging the power of cutting-edge technology to deceive unsuspecting victims.
How to tell if a lawyer is legit? How to safeguard yourself when you are most vulnerable to being scammed? Here is everything you need to know.
Warning Signs of a Fake Law Firm
1. New Online Presence
An established law firm is bound to have a strong online presence. Not only will they have a stunning website, but you will also find them active on other platforms, including social media, law firm directories, news, press releases, and more. Moreover, you will be able to easily contact them and reach their physical address without any difficulty.
However, the scammers may boast a superb website with rave reviews. But if you dig a little deeper, you will notice that their website and social presence are recent.
There are also some red flags you should be familiar with. For example, real law agencies add their agency name in their email addresses instead of using a generic address like jamessmith@gmail.com.
2. Lack of Credibility
When you are looking for a law firm, we always recommend that you first find a local agency and then check if they are licensed (we will talk about this later).
You should also go through their reviews and resources to understand how credible they are. Platforms like Reddit, Quora, Trustpilot, Glassdoor, and directories like Legal 500, vault.com, and law.com might be of great help. It is obvious that many people will be talking about a legit firm, whether good or bad, based on their own experiences.
3. Absurdly High or Low Fees Charged
If a law firm charges too high or low fees compared to the market norms, it is time to double-check their background.
Yes, high-profile law firms usually do charge high fees, but their reputation will speak volumes about their expertise. But you should be cautious when interacting with a lesser-known firm.
4. Demand for Upfront Payment
Fake lawyers know they won’t be able to fool their victims for long. That’s why one of their most common tactics is pressurizing you to pay for their “legal services” before they even take the first step.
Although renowned lawyers also ask for advance payments, sometimes as installments for client convenience, they will never force you to pay them immediately.
5. No Physical Address
When physically visiting a good law firm, you can expect a clean, well-furnished, and quiet environment with attorneys and staff in professional attire ready to assist you with care and compassion.
However, fake agencies won’t be so willing to meet you face to face. From consultations to signing documents, they might try to do everything through phone calls or emails.
How to Spot a Fake Law Firm or Lawyer?
1. Check Their State Bar Association Status
If you are living in the U.S., it is super easy to find if a law firm is licensed. Every state has its own State Bar Association website where you can search for a lawyer by their name, specialties, bar number, location, etc. You may be able to review the past 10 years of grievance history of a law firm. Check to see if you find out their current status.
However, not every state provides such detailed information. In that case, if you are lucky, your state’s bar association may provide referral services. And if you are not ultimately happy with the results of your search, you can call the association.
2. Look Into Their Bar Card
Every licensed attorney in the U.S. has a bar card, which is valid for two years from the date of issuance. It contains information like the attorney’s name, photo, bar number, address, and more.
Ask for the bar card and take note of the number so you can later contact the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of your state and check their legitimacy. They can inform you whether the attorney is registered and if a disciplinary action against them was taken before.
However, if they deny providing you a bar card, just ignore them and look for a better alternative.
3. Don’t Fall for Revoked or Suspended Law Licenses
You may come across attorneys practicing law with suspended licenses. They are actually pretty common these days.
When their licenses are revoked, they usually claim themselves as paralegals since they do not need a license for that. What’s more, they still keep serving the same law agency as purported paralegals.
In fact, without a valid license, they are not allowed to sign their names for any court proceedings and filings. As a result, they have to manage another attorney to sign on their behalf. If any legal professional is caught without a valid license, they are disbarred immediately.
4. Ask for Their Legal Product Examples
Whether big or small, popular or unpopular, real or fake, every law firm naturally claims to house the best legal professionals in the industry, and showcases high ratings and reviews to prove it. However, you need real evidence, not just their words and assurance.
If you are dealing with a high-stake case, you have every right to ask for their case studies, success stories, court filings, legal briefs, contracts, settlement agreements, closing statements, articles of agreement, and so on. Some documents may be confidential, but authentic law firms won’t be hesitant to share most of your requested paperwork.
Once you have the files, you can use third parties or go DIY to ensure their authenticity. When you are done with the vetting procedure, you should be 100% confident that the selected firm is the best fit for your specific legal needs.
5. Know About Their Professional Affiliations
All legitimate law agencies are actively affiliated with related law firm alliances, alumni associations, professional organizations, and other governing bodies. For instance, based in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, Colbert Law Firm is part of some of America’s most respected legal organizations, including the American Bar Association, D.C. Bar, Maryland State Bar Association, Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, and more.
Just hearing about their affiliations is not enough, since you need to verify as well. If possible, get in touch with those organizations so you can be sure they are not making things up.
6. Not All Complaints Are Convictions
When even reputed attorneys fail to win a case, many dissatisfied clients decide to file frivolous lawsuits against them. Criminal defense attorneys usually have to go through this trouble a lot, while numerous defendants have been found guilty of blaming their attorneys over the years.
The reason we mentioned this is because when you are looking at the reviews and reputation of a law agency, do not forget to make sure they are not the victim of false litigations.
What to Do if You’ve Been Scammed?
If you are sure that you have been scammed by fake attorneys, you have to act immediately. The sooner you take action, the better your chance to be remunerated properly.
Here is what to do:
1. Gather All Evidence
Collect as much evidence as you can to make your case strong, from relevant documents to receipts to emails and even call logs. Remember, you need convincing documents to increase the possibility of getting the remuneration you deserve.
2. Report the Scam
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is your first contact to report any kind of consumer fraud. Even if there was no monetary loss, you can still inform them about the fraud. The next authority is the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center if the whole thing or some parts of it happened online. Your state bar association and local police department should also be notified so they can take action against the fraud.
That’s not all, though. Based on the specifics of the fraud, you may also have to report to the Better Business Bureau.
3. Inform Your Bank or Credit Card Provider
Before you notice any unauthorized transactions or charges, let your bank freeze your credit in advance. If you do find any unauthorized access, request a reversal immediately.
Final Thoughts
How do you know if a law firm is legit? By now, with the help from this guide, we hope you know what to do before you hire an individual attorney or law firm. You will be fine as long as you take your time and do thorough research. For any further help, feel free to have a free consultation with our veteran attorneys.