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Per Diem Attorneys can be an invaluable part of your law firm practice and are especially helpful to small and mid-sized law firms.
The benefits of a per diem attorney are incredible:
Per Diem Lawyers are an incredible tool for small and mid sized law firms to have in their arsenal. Preparing your Per Diem Attorney is the key to successful coverage. Here are the best ways to utilize a Per Diem Lawyer:
- Provide Case Name and Docket Number. This may sound obvious, but many times attorneys do not provide this information or many times the information is not forthcoming until the day of the appearance.
- Provide the Per Diem Lawyer with Case Background. The Per Diem should know what type of matter he/she is handling. Handling a personal injury case, a contractual dispute, a medical malpractice case are all very different. Forwarding a Complaint or items such as a Bill of Particulars or Interrogatories is usually sufficient since it will have information regarding the case.
- Provide Your Objectives & Goals. Advise the per diem attorney if you would like an adjournment, oppose an adjournment request, enter into a stipulation, not enter into a stipulation, attempt to settle the matter, argue one issue in earnest, etc. To achieve the outcome you desire, your per diem needs to know what your objectives & goals are.
- Is your Per Diem a Superhero? Per Diem Lawyers can many times seem like superheros in court, because of their ability to think quick on their feet and get the job done professionally and competently. However, they do not possess superpowers. If you receive an outcome you are less than satisfied with, often times it not because of any action your per diem attorney did or did not take. For example, if a motion was rejected because it was defective, or an adjournment request was denied because the matter was marked final at the last appearance, etc. - this is beyond the per diem attorney's control. Or maybe like you, the attorney did argue vociferously in support of a motion and still lost. Per Diems are great, amazing and practical and can even overcome what may seem impossible, but they do not have superpowers.
Effective August 1, 2016, the following new rule will take effect in Queens Centralized Motion Part CMP:
For motions on the calendar that are adjourned, deadlines will be given for the submission of opposition papers. Failure to abide by the deadline will lead to the late papers being rejected outright and the motion be marked submitted without opposition.
Please take note and inform your office of this development to avoid any unfavorable outcomes.
Staten Island is the southernmost part of the City and State of New York and is separated from Manhattan by the New York Bay. Also known as Richmond County, Staten Island, is home to several courts, including the following:
- Richmond County Supreme Court located at 26 Central Avenue
- Richmond County Surrogate's Court located at 18 Richmond Terrace
- Richmond County Civil Court located at 927 Castelton Avenue
- Richmond Family Court located at 100 Richmond Terrace
- Richmond County Criminal Court located at 26 Central Avenue
Because of its separation from Manhattan and the other boroughs, attorneys from other parts of the City usually have to take the Staten Island Ferry or drive through Brooklyn or New Jersey to appear in the Staten Island courthouses.
In addition to expending valuable time and money on commuting to Richmond, attorneys appearing in the southern borough are usually "stuck" in court for at least 1-2 hours. As such, many lawyers rather have a per diem attorney appear and handle his or her Richmond County court matters.
A Per Diem Attorney can handle another law firm's Staten Island court appearances and depositions at a rate that is economically advantageous. The Per Diem Attorney will appear in court or for a deposition based on a flat rate and provide a report following the handling of the matter.
We were pleased to attend the 2016 Queens County Bar Association Dinner. Meeting with our colleagues and friends every year is special. The Queens County Bar Association is an excellent institution and we are a supporter of the institution and its members.
We are already looking forward to 2017!