A Letter to Our Clients

Dear Prospective Client,

The choice of a lawyer is important and should not be based solely on advertising, but on someone who can help with your legal difficulty in a compassionate manner. To that end, there are a few things about my firm and my practice that I would like to share with you.

Upon accepting a criminal defense case, I vigorously advocate on behalf of my clients within the bounds of the Rules of Professional Conduct, the ethical rules all lawyers must practice within. While many find the phrase, "vigorously advocate on behalf of my clients" cliché, I believe that, in this era of seemingly endless options when it comes to the choice of an attorney, being a vigorous advocate is potentially the best quality a lawyer can possess. A vigorous advocate strongly negotiates in settlement discussions and diligently applies the various laws and rules throughout the pre-trial process. A vigorous advocate is willing to go to trial, if an appropriate settlement cannot be reached, and once in trial, I employ many tactics within my overall strategy to win the case for my clients.

I will schedule appointments around my clients' schedules. To do this, I can schedule appointments early in the morning to the evening, and this includes Saturday and Sunday. I know that people are busy with work and their families and that many clients simply cannot meet with me during regular business hours because it would cost them money to take time off from work or they have no one to watch their children while they are at an appointment with me. This is a simple tenet of customer service that I follow. Namely, I am available to meet with my clients at times that are convenient to them and if that means we have to meet on a Saturday at six o'clock in the evening, then that is when we will get together.

In the end, choosing a lawyer is a very personal and important decision. My philosophy is simple: vigorously working for my clients with extensive personal contact and an honest appraisal of the best result we are likely to attain with the added benefit of my work experience that allows me to sympathize with my clients' perspectives and concerns about their case. While I believe that settlement is always a viable option, if a better result can be obtained or the client wants their day in court, then I will take the issue to trial and fight the issue out in court to attempt to obtain the best result for my client.

Sincerely,

Heath A. Stuart