Preliminary Interview
It is our policy to meet and personally interview prospective clients before we take on a case to make sure the professional relationship is a good fit for all parties.

Usually, the interview takes place at our office, the client’s home, and/or in a hospital setting. We work hard to make travel arrangements to bring out-of-town clients to our office as quickly as possible.

Getting Started
As a client of Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer and Harris, you will meet with one of the partners and their assistants who will talk to you about your case. If we don’t have the information already, we’ll sit down and cover preliminary questions, and ask you to provide documents regarding employment history, income history and medical care. If you are in need of medical care, we’ll assist you in making an appointment with a doctor.

Determining What’s Ahead
After we go over the details of your legal matters, we can usually tell you how we are going to handle your case and approximately how long the case may take to get to trial and/or settle. Rest assured, we will endeavor to investigate each claim and file suit, if necessary, as soon as possible. Based on our experience, it is not necessary to “reinvent the wheel” in terms of selection of a proper venue or location for suit, expert witness or of a proper venue. We’ll also discuss providing you with any emergency living expenses.

Emergency Living Expenses
Because many of our clients cannot work due to their injuries, the firm stands ready to devote substantial resources to our cases. Where allowed by law, we may assist with living expenses during the litigation process.

Preparing for Trial
Though a majority of our cases reach a pre-trial settlement, the lawyers of Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer and Harris prepare each case as if it is going to trial. This preparation may include thorough investigation of facts and documentation of the accident scene, development of appropriate courtroom exhibits, hiring of experts and more. As your case progresses, you will be apprised of developments through phone calls, e-mails or by mail.

After a Settlement
While the firm’s philosophy is to take all appropriate measures to develop a strong case for you, we also pride ourselves on being good stewards of funds.

With Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer and Harris, you can expect a full accounting of expenses relating to your case, including outlays for living expenses, court costs, preparation of exhibits, hiring expert witnesses, obtaining medical records and any other items of business.