Jeffery Willis Trial

I am not sure why the Muskegon County Prosecutor wanted to try him on all issues at once. It would obviously prejudice him in the minds of the juries. They might think he is guilty one murder and not the other and convict of both because he is a "murderer." I am not personally involved the case, but I have a feeling that the case against him, especially against Jessica Herringa. They don't have a body and there is no real proof that she is dead.

http://woodtv.com/2017/04/27/judge-to-decide-on-fate-of-jeffrey-willis-trials/

Results baby results

  I see a lot of my competition marketing their experience or former experience as prosecutors, law enforcement officers, etc. I also see a lot of them talking about their reviews and their rankings on one of the online attorney ranking systems. What I don't see much is their talk about results. Actual results. By that I mean actually winning cases in front of juries and getting dismissals and extraordinary plea deals. If all an attorney is doing is holding your hand to keep you out of jail, he or she really isn't adding much value. You should be paying for some one who has proven he or she can actually get results. So few attorneys do.

  There used to be a saying that "if most high profile criminal defense attorneys ran into their reputation on the street, they wouldn't recognize each other." I couldn't agree more. One's self created reputation on the internet is a poor substitute for actually winning.

  Pay for what an attorney can do, not what he says he can do.

Ryan Maesen
www.maesenlaw.com

Sometimes you have to say no

Sometimes you have to say No.

I was meeting a new divorce client today and the gentlemen she brought with her made the comment that in his business, it is often best to turn down clients that seem to be more bother than they are worth. I couldn't agree more. When I was new and desperate for money, I took on many clients that I really didn't want because I needed to money. I have been fortunate that I can now be a bit more selective in the cases I take.

I don't need or want any more narcissistic people who don't understand that they can't pay me a small amount of money and expect me to drop everything and make their case my highest priority. If I have one pet peeve, it is people who wait until the last minute, have very little money and then expect me to make them number one. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

Sometimes, the best thing any lawyer or other professional can do is say "no thanks." As much as you may want to help everybody, you just can't.


Ryan Maesen
www.maesenlaw.com

Working Referrals

  This blog is not about the typical legal subject matter. I am writing because I wanted to point something out that I have learned after practicing law for nearly a decade; namely that the best way to find clients, and presumably an attorney also, is by word of mouth. I know that many of my competitors have large marketing budgets and spend a lot of time trying to convince you that they are best. They may post awards and plagues throughout their website, and may pay a small fortune for Ad Words and other marketing devices. But I have found that the best way to get clients is to simply provide the best service possible and hope they will return the favor by repeated business and referrals. As time goes on, more and more of my practice consists of repeat business and referrals. It is a win-win for everyone. The people coming through the front door are able to feel confident in meeting me and I can feel confident that a quality former client was able to vouch for them.

Ryan Maesen
Attorney, Grand Rapids, MI
www.maesenlaw.com

It's been awhile

  It has been far too long since I have last blogged here. Much has happened to me in my practice of law. I have continued to win trials and fight for what I believe is justice. I think going forward, I will be posting my thoughts and telling about my cases rather than trying to educated people on the law. I think that will actually make it easier to learn the law and learn how the legal process really works.

Ryan Maesen
www.maesenlaw.com