Benefits of One Lawyer for Multiple Defendants
Oftentimes when a plaintiff files a lawsuit, they will name more than one defendant. In many instances, plaintiffs have claims against multiple defendants since several parties may be allegedly responsible for the harm at the center of litigation. Each defendant has the right to retain its own counsel, but in many instances, one lawyer can represent multiple defendants. There are many benefits of one lawyer for multiple defendants that parties should keep in mind when deciding if they should share counsel with another party.
Cost Savings
One of the primary benefits of one lawyer for multiple defendants is that this could save money on legal fees and expenses. When each party hires their own lawyer, each attorney needs to complete certain tasks on behalf of each client. For instance, each defendant files an answer after a lawsuit is filed, and it can be a substantial amount of work for attorneys to prepare a single answer for each defendant. However, one attorney can represent multiple defendants and they can prepare one answer that is satisfactory for multiple defendants. There are economies of scale with having one lawyer perform work for multiple defendants, and this can impact the bottom lines of clients.
Parties can save on other litigation expenses if they share counsel. For instance, parties oftentimes need to spend money on experts during the course of litigation, and it is easier to share experts if only one lawyer is representing multiple defendants. In addition, parties can save money on filing fees if an attorney only needs to file one document on behalf of multiple parties. Parties who are cost conscious should consider sharing one lawyer since this will help keep costs low during litigation.
Burden-Sharing
Another one of the benefits of one lawyer for multiple defendants is that this can help ease the burden of litigation on multiple parties. Parties who are represented by the same lawyer are kind of on the same team as one another. As a result, it is easier for such parties to split up tasks and ensure that no one party is doing too much work to prepare for the litigation and that individuals are sharing burdens equally.
During the course of litigation, parties may need to compile documents relevant to the lawsuit, communicate with people who might have information relevant to the lawsuit, and complete other steps. It can be burdensome for one person to complete all of these steps, and this makes it less likely that a complete job is being done on all of the tasks that need to be performed. However, the burden-sharing of having one lawyer and one team in litigation can ensure that no one is overwhelmed with too many responsibilities involved with preparing for and participating in litigation.
Better Communication
A further one of the important benefits of one lawyer for multiple defendants is that this can make it easier for clients to communicate with their counsel. When multiple clients have multiple lawyers, it is more difficult for attorneys to have all of the relevant information needed to defend a case. This is because multiple attorneys are receiving information from multiple clients and important information can get lost in translation. However, having one attorney represent multiple clients means that one lawyer can obtain the most information possible about a matter. This can be helpful when the lawyer devises strategies and makes other decisions that are relevant to the representation. Information is oftentimes the key to success in litigation since this can inform strategies that can be used during a lawsuit. And having close lines of communication between counsel and clients means that legal professionals have the most relevant information possible upon which to base legal decisions.
Efficiency
A critical one of the benefits of one lawyer for multiple defendants is that this is helpful to clients and the judicial system more generally and this is usually more efficient than multiple lawyers representing multiple clients. For instance, counsel on a case oftentimes need to attend court conferences and hearings over the course of a lawsuit. It can be difficult for all of the parties to gather and express their opinions if a large number of lawyers are appearing in a case. Moreover, at the trial of an action, there can be a lot of inefficiency if each of the parties has their own lawyer ask questions and make other statements during the proceedings. While questioning witnesses during pre-trial examinations under oath, it can also be burdensome for all of the lawyers to prepare for the deposition and take up everyone’s time asking questions when one lawyer can be more efficient in the process. If a party is more efficient at conveying their position, it is possible that a court or factfinder will be able to digest information that is being conveyed more easily. For this reason, clients should consider efficiency when deciding whether defendants should be represented by one lawyer or if each of the parties should hire their own counsel to handle a matter.
The Rothman Law Firm is experienced handling lawsuits and other matters for multiple clients or a single client depending on the circumstances. If you are looking for an experienced New York and New Jersey attorney to handle your legal issue, please feel free to contact The Rothman Law Firm to request a free legal consultation.