Top Five Tips for Selecting a Lemon Law Attorney

Lemon Laws vary from state to state, and case settlements vary among vehicle owners and their particular situation. Selecting the right California lemon law attorney is crucial when facing issues with a defective vehicle. Basically, a defective vehicle is one that does not meet safety standards due to a problem that originated at the factory during the production process.

It’s essential to choose a lawyer who not only specializes in California lemon law but also has a proven track record of successful cases. To date, we have had a 100% success rate. In some cases, our clients received thousands more than they had thought possible. In all cases, they received more in compensation — and a lot less stress — than if they had taken on the automobile dealerships and manufacturers on their own.

As a general rule of thumb, when selecting a California lemon law attorney, use the below 5 tips as a guideline. By following this guideline, you can make a well-informed decision when selecting a lemon law attorney.

1. Make sure they are NOT charging you ANYTHING to represent you.

If you find a lemon law attorney that you think you like, make sure they are NOT charging you anything to represent you. Under the California Lemon Law, the automobile manufacturer is required to pay all reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to Plaintiff’s attorney if that attorney wins the case. Some unscrupulous lemon law attorneys will charge you up front for their services.

In addition, some dishonest lemon law attorneys, will take a percentage of what they win for you on top of their attorney’s fees and costs.

Our office does not charge anything up front and we do not take a percentage of what you are entitled to under the law.

2. Evaluate their communication style and availability.

If you find a lemon law attorney who is not available to speak to you on the telephone, cannot give you an update on your case, or does not return your e-mails, this is not the attorney for you. Clear and prompt communication is crucial in legal matters. Our firm prides itself on being accessible to our clients. We would not be here without our clients and we pay them the respect that they deserve. 

3. They should be able to provide you with a reasonable estimate

If you find a lemon law attorney who cannot give you a reasonable estimate of how much your repurchase refund will be and they cannot give you a rough estimate of what an alternative “cash and keep” settlement will be, they may not be very experienced or knowledgeable regarding the lemon law. Before any of our clients retain our services, we calculate their potential refunds for them so they know what to expect in a settlement.

If we do not believe that a potential client has a repurchase case, we still give them a rough idea of how much we can obtain for them in a “cash and keep” type of settlement so they can plan accordingly. 

4. You need a lemon law attorney located in California.

If you find a lemon law attorney who is not located in California, this is probably not the attorney for you. Many lemon law cases require an attorney to appear at a Case Management Conference, Legal Inspection, Deposition, Mediation, Settlement Conference, and even in rare cases, for trial. If your attorney is out of state, either they will appear by telephone at these events, or worse yet, they will send someone who is unfamiliar with you or your case.

The California Lemon Law Group, Inc. represents consumers statewide. 

5. Does the attorney know who will be representing the defendant in your case?

If you find a lemon law attorney who cannot tell you up front who will be representing the defendant in your case, they probably do not have that much experience in handling lemon law cases.

Automobile manufacturers rarely change law firms so most of the automobile manufacturers have used the same attorneys for many years. Of course, if the manufacturer undergoes a major merger or acquisition, they might switch to a firm that better aligns with the new company structure. If your lemon law attorney does not know who will represent the automobile manufacturer, or have a longstanding relationship with the other side’s law firm, you may be in trouble.

Our firm has been specializing solely in lemon law cases for over 20 years and we have excellent working relationships with all of the attorneys who represent the automobile manufacturers. These relationships help us to ensure the best settlements for our clients.

Contact us for a FREE case review.

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Year restrictions apply: Model years 2021 – 2025 Only