Virtual services make a lot of sense to me. My law firm operates using the best technology, service, or product for a given need. I don’t pick the most expensive option or the one that is custom-made for attorneys. I pick the option that works well and keeps overhead as low as possible.

In a lot of cases, virtual services are the best choice.

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2009 Andrew Flusche. Law Journal Interviews Andrew

I saw the above sign in Firehouse Subs a few weeks ago. Such a simple message, but crucial for any business.

As your lawyer, I strive to do my absolute best every day. All the fancy business cards in the world cannot make up for poor service.

You deserve better. After thinking about whether or not to start my own business, I decided to do so. I want to help you.

The single most important part of my law practice is YOU. Without great clients who value my work, I’m nothing.

Marketing really doesn’t matter. Operations matters.

If I’m ever operating below what you need or expect, please tell me. I want to earn your recommendation based on top notch legal work and dedicated client service.

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2009 Andrew Flusche. Operating in the Best Way Possible

Yesterday, I was included in a Wall Street Journal article called Twitter Goes Mainstream. It’s a great article that talks about Twitter being used outside the early-adopter crowd of techies. Here is the portion that mentions me:

Other users are flocking to Twitter as an easy self-publishing and promotional tool. People are using it to build up their professional reputation by sharing updates about their work in a less time-intensive way than starting a blog. Andrew Flusche, an attorney in Fredericksburg, Va., recently used Twitter to promote a webinar he was holding on trademark registration. The session got 15 attendees, compared with seven for a subsequent seminar he didn’t promote on the service.

Mr. Flusche, 26, has also found the service handy for referring cases to experts in other areas, as well as keeping up with professional contacts he doesn’t see often. “You get interesting glimpses of them,” he says. “It’s a different way to network with people and get to know them.”

I didn’t receive this interview by doing anything spectacular. I just responded promptly to the reporter’s request. She was on a deadline, and I had the time to call her back.

Help yourself by helping a reporter.

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. Andrew in the Wall Street Journal

How easily can you talk to your lawyer on the phone? Does an assistant screen your call first? Does he promptly return your voicemails?

I’m sadly disgusted by the way many of my colleagues handle their phones. Actually, failure to return client messages is a prime source of bar complaints against attorneys.

I even have difficulty talking to fellow attorneys on the phone. As I write this, I have messages pending with at least three other attorneys, who haven’t called me back in over two days.

One of my work philosophies is to always be accessible. I answer my own phone; you don’t have to battle your way through a line of call screeners. I return your messages within one business day.

You deserve an attorney who makes you a priority. And you shouldn’t have to wait days to talk to your attorney on the phone. I’m the lawyer you can call.

Photo by shoehorn99

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. Can You Call Your Lawyer?

Now the ABA Journal, a national lawyer magazine, has written a story about the class. It’s in the context of lawyers offering free classes to the community to market their services.

I’m definitely excited to have such great coverage of anything I do. And I strongly believe in giving valuable information to the community. Free educational classes are a win-win for everyone involved. The attendees get to learn about a legal topic, and the lawyer gets to meet lots of new potential clients.

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. National Lawyer Magazine Writes About Andrew

About a year ago, I wrote about the Google Docs end user license. Basically, I concluded that Google Docs isn’t very safe for confidential information that you want to safeguard.

Now there has been a huge flareup over the Google Chrome terms of service. I was interviewed by a reporter about how the license truly affects users like you. He wrote a comprehensive article that is now online.

If you would like to know more about Google’s Terms of Service, I highly suggest reading the article. Here is what I added to the article:

Andrew Flusche, a Fredericksburg, Virginia, lawyer who focuses on copyright and other issues, questioned how internal Google policy would guarantee protection of the end-users.

“Google’s internal policy can change any time; it’s their policy,” Flusche said. “The only protection users have is what the EULA [end user license agreement] says.”

The user agreement could allow Google to “publish a full-color book of Picasa photos as a promotional product,” he added.

Google is correct when it says many Web sites have similar copyright provisions, he added. “But that doesn’t mean anything,” Flusche said. “The terms are still unfavorable to users; that’s the dynamic of a huge corporation and millions of end-users.”

Photo by manfrys

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. Andrew Weighs In On Google Terms of Service

I’m a lawyer. But it’s still difficult to explain how I can help specific people. That’s the purpose of an elevator speech, and mine needs some work. Thanks to this great article from FreelanceSwitch, I’m going to refine it right now.

I’m a business lawyer

I actually do more than that, but business is my focus. And most of the people I meet at networking events are business people. Thus, starting off with business law gets their attention with something that they need.

But a good elevator pitch must do more than that. As Freelance Switch explains:

The goal of your elevator speech should be to start a conversation, and get permission to continue it.

So I should continue with a specific problem most business owners face: liability. Can the business be sued? Can creditors come after the business owners? I can answer those questions. More importantly, I can help protect the business and its owners.

I solve business problems

Fundamentally, this is what a business lawyer does. We solve legal problems for business owners. Do you have outstanding accounts to collect? I can pursue those people for you. Do you need assistance negotiating and drafting contracts? Give me a call. I’m your guy for business law.

Do you have a business problem?

One good way to encourage conversation is to ask the other person a question. So asking something if the person has a business problem is a good method for me to see if there’s a need I can fill.

I still need to refine this into a true elevator pitch. But that’s a continual process.

Photo by Piero Sierra

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. Business Lawyer – My Elevator Pitch

Fredericksburg lawyers are an interesting bunch. We come in all shapes and sizes, ages and lifestyles.

There are a wide array of Fredericksburg lawyers available for your legal needs. Some firms concentrate on criminal matters, while others focus on family and domestic issues. And of course all sorts of other Fredericksburg lawyers practice in many fields in between.

Personally, I help small businesses and entrepreneurs with their legal needs. And I do a smattering of other work from traffic offenses to collections.

If you are in search of Fredericksburg lawyers, feel free to call me at 540.318.5824, and I’ll help you out. If I cannot help with the service you need, I can refer you to a colleague. Don’t let your legal needs go unmet.

Photo by ►Voj►

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. Fredericksburg Lawyers In All Flavors

Are you a business owner with outstanding debts? You don’t have to let them be unpaid.

Virginia debt collection is a vey well-established system. The law makes it fairly simple to collect outstanding money that is owed to your business.

Get a judgment

For any debt owed to you under $15,000, you can sue the debtor in Virginia’s General District Court. This is the lowest level trial court in Virginia. The procedure is typically informal, and you can easily represent yourself.

To file suit against a debtor in Virginia General District Court, you simply fill out a 2-page warrant in debt that you obtain online or at the court clerk’s office. Put your name, the debtor’s name, the amount he owes, and fill in the other details. You then have to file the warrant with the General District Court clerk and pay the required fees. Fees vary by jurisdiction and the amount you claim is owed, but $50 is average.

You will have to show up at court on your return day. This is when the defendant can come and dispute the amount owed. If the debtor does not show up or if he does not contest the debt, you win! If the debtor contests the debt, your case will be set for trial at a later date.

Trial in Virginia General District Court is pretty basic. You will need to prove that the defendant truly owes the amount you claim is due. The defendant can try to dispute the claim by presenting his own evidence.

Collect the money

Once you have a judgment in your favor, you can start procedures to collect the money from the defendant. Virginia law provides several powerful tools for creditors.

Debtor’s interrogatories – You can’t have very effective debt collection until you know what assets the debtor has. This process requires the debtor to appear and answer questions about the type, amount, and location of all his assets.

Writ of fieri facias – Once you know the debtor has personal property, you can ask the court to issue a writ of fieri facias. That’s a big term that means the court will place a lien on the defendant’s personal property. This gives you a legal ability to collect your money from those assets.

Levy – To actually collect your debt from the debtor’s personal property, you must ask the sheriff to seize and sell his assets. The sheriff will go out and “levy on” the defendant’s property. Once the sheriff’s sale has taken place, you will be able to collect your money.

Garnishment – You can also collect your debt by garnishing the debtor’s wages or bank accounts. To do so, you will need to file a Suggestion For Summons in Garnishment. The court will then issue the Garnishment Summons. You will have to pay to have the Summons and a Notice and Claim for Exemption served upon the debtor and the garnishee.

Need help?

Debt collection can be easy, when you know the ropes and all the proper forms to fill out. There is a lot of great information available online and at your local library.

If you need help with the debt collection process, just give me a call.

Photo by wallyg

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. Debt Collection Made Easy

The number of lawyers that have not embraced technology continually surprises me. Does your lawyer use technology?

I’m not saying lawyers have to be on the bleeding edge of technology, but we should use technology that can help our clients. Productivity experts routinely agree that technology can make us more productive. That benefits you, the client.

One prime example is email. A startling number of lawyers, especially those in small firms, refuse to use email for client business.

Why? I think a primary argument against email is that it’s not 100% secure. That is true. But for most legal matters, email is secure enough. For that matter, faxes are and phones are not completely secure either, but every lawyer uses those.

The cost savings and productivity increase certainly make email worthwhile for client business. Instead of typing a letter, putting a stamp on it, mailing it, and waiting for it to arrive, lawyers can just send an email. Every other sector of society has figured out that email is great for business, and lawyers should too.

If your lawyer doesn’t embrace technology, ask why. Perhaps clients like you can encourage him to update his work methods.

Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2008 Andrew Flusche. Does Your Lawyer Use Technology?