The Drive-thru law firm - gimmick or new trend?

The Kocian Law Group has opened a drive-through office in an old Kenny Rogers Roasters.

The Kocian lawyers are keeping the drive-thru window to use it as an easy and efficient way to exchange documents and to give clients quick advice. A paralegal working at the window hands out documents and answers questions. Consultations and meetings with lawyers are scheduled for the office.

According to attorney Nick Kocian, it's convenient for his clients. He explained: “We represent a lot of injured people. If you have somebody who's in a wheelchair or somebody who's hurt, it's convenient." He also has several clients who visit the firm once a week to pick up workers compensation checks.

“We have drive-thrus for ATMs and we have that customer convenience. Why not a law firm?” he added. Kocian wanted to make things convenient for customers to easily drop off and pick up documents. “They really love it. It’s convenient for them,” said Rosa Castillo, one of the firm’s paralegals.

This is the first drive-thru legal service in Connecticut and possibly the country. Besides the drive-thru, the firm is also open during nights and weekends. "It's really something that law firms should have done a long time ago," said Kocian.

Most lawyers quite like the idea. Lawyers, Tigers, and Bears (a legal blog) wrote: “You know, this is a pretty good idea. I know when I practiced, there were many times when I had to have someone come by to pick up a check or sign something. And I had free surface parking--with a lot of downtown firms, parking and traffic is a total pain in the ass. Having a paralegal available is very good, and you can have extended hours. Hmmm. Now, for corporate law firms, this isn't needed--but if you have a lot of regular clients, this might be a pretty effective option for a firm.”

But Elie Mystal lamented: “If it makes sense to turn law firms into fast food joints, then it would make sense to turn law school into a six week correspondence course.”

In my opinion, it’s a great idea for various reasons:

• It makes clever use of the drive-thru feature of the building

• It makes optimal us of paralegals

• It is client-friendly

• It is a great marketing & PR tool

I wonder how many law firms will follow…….

(Image courtesy of NBC Connecticut)

The Case of the Desperate Would-Be Lawyer

As every lawyer can tell you, finding a job is not easy. Clever would-be lawyers try to stay ahead of the competition in innovative ways. One of the more creative efforts is this YouTube clip:



Personally, I like to see him rap in front of a bookcase and would have covered Pinocchio with a picture of the Supreme Court justices. The rapper seems to be Tommy Severo, winner of a "Beauty and the Geek" season. He is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School.

Personality, I quite like it. As one commenter pointed out: "Why not? You're clearly not going to big law firms or even mid-sized law firms if you're not there upon graduation, so maybe some quirky criminal defense firm sees this and emails the guy."

Indeed, hiring a young, eager lawyer with savvy marketing sense is not a bad idea.....

Landmark Supreme Court ruling on pre-nups

The Supreme Court ruled for the first time that prenuptial agreements should have "decisive weight" in English divorce courts. They are binding providing they are fair.

The pre-nup in question was signed by Nicolas Granatino in Germany when he married German heiress Katrin Radmacher in 1998 after meeting her in the Tramps nightclub. The couple got married in Westminster and had two daughters, now age ten and seven.

French-born Granatino was an investment banker at JP Morgan until 2003, when he quit his banking career and is annual earnings of £330,000 to become a £30,000-a-year researcher at Oxford University. He kept on enjoying the good life at the expense of his wife. The couple parted ways in 2006.

Granatino was seeking £6million in a divorce settlement. Although he had agreed not to make any claims on her fortune if they split up, he was awarded £5.85m for his own use by a high court judge in 2009.

But due to the current Supreme Court ruling, he has to settle for “only” £1m and the use of a £2.5m home until his younger daughter is 22. Radmacher’s wealth is estimated at more than £100m, largely inherited from her family’s paper firm.

The Supreme Court ruled that the prenuptial agreement that Radmacher signed with her ex-husband to protect her fortune should be binding in England, even though it was signed in Germany.

Both parties were well represented. Radmacher's legal team included Ayesha Vardag, one of London’s famous divorce solicitors, and the eminent QC Richard Todd. Granatino’s legal team included Fiona Shackleton and Nicholas Mostyn, QC, who represented Sir Paul McCartney against Heather Mills.

Unlike the US and the rest of Europe, prenuptial contracts had little force in divorce settlements in England. Marital assets are normally divided equally between the former spouses.

Interest in prenuptial agreements is at an all-time high, also due to the rise in second marriages. Spouses have children and assets to protect from their previous marriages.

Before tying the knot, get a pre-nup. If everything goes well, you never need it. In case you and your spouse do break up, it is one thing less to fret about…..

(Image courtesy of www.funfacts.com.au)