Beware of the Fine Print

I am always peeved by the way some advertising is worded.  More and more, you have to look at the fine print.  What are the strings attached to the deal?  Dont pay anything for a year does not mean that you will not be charged interest during that year - it could mean that you have to pay all the accrued interest at the end of the year.

The same problem exists in the legal community.  Fortunately, lawyers have regulations restricting the way they advertise.  We cannot advertise that a certain service is $X and up. 

However, that does not mean that all advertising in the legal community is crystal clear.  The rules do not apply to non-lawyers, including paralegals.

Some paralegals that practice in the highway traffic courts advertise that you do not pay unless they win.  Sounds great.  Is it?

It all depends on how you define win.  Does win mean that you walk out of court without a conviction for anything?  I doubt it.  The more likely definition is that you are not convicted of the offence charged.  I imagine that pleading guilty to a lesser offence is also counted as a win.  So, is it a good deal?

In my observations, deals on lesser charges are almost there for the asking, even on speeding tickets.  There are a few reasons for this.

First, it is impossible to have trials on every charge.  The courts would be backlogged for years.

Second, what is the disadvantage to the Crown to have you plead guilty to driving 15 km over the speed limit, as opposed to 25 km over the limit?  The amount of the fine is negligible when compared to the cost to the system of processing the offender and the ticket.

Third, the Crown wants a conviction.  In most cases, a conviction on a lesser charge is fine with them.  You have little chance of going to court and getting off, unless the police officer does not show up.

When you look at the advertising, think about it from the advertisers perspective.  Can the paralegal afford to be representing a lot of people for free?  Obviously not.  Clearly, they anticipate and intend on winning the majority of their cases.

I also find it interesting that some paralegals boast a winning percentage rate as part of their advertising.  What does 95% successful (for example) mean?  95% of their clients walked out with nothing?  Not likely.  95% of their clients either pleaded guilty to a lesser charge or got off?  More likely.  So how many got off and how many pleaded guilty? 

I hope that the people who advertise no fees if they dont win dont also advertise a high success rate.  How would that be for advertising?   We are 96% successful, so you have a 96% chance that you will have to pay.  That makes no fees if we dont win a little less attractive doesnt it?

The bottom line is this: even legal advertising has a lot of gimmicks.  Read the fine print and, if there is no fine print, ask about the advertising and the limits or qualifications on the deal.