abuse, what should I do?
This is a broad question, however, there are several important steps that should be taken in every case: [1] Retain a competent and affordable lawyer with specific training and experience in the area of allegations of child sexual abuse; [2] Educate yourself about false allegations; and [3] Have your situation assessed by Nichols Consulting, the national consulting firm founded by the author of this book, Edward Nichols.
Does it make any difference if I’m innocent? Can’t a good defense team help anyone?
Everyone is entitled to an effective defense. Everyone is not entitled to the services of Nichols Consulting. Nichols Consulting is a proven effective consulting firm, founded by a social worker, that can effectively assist those who are falsely accused. We therefore restrict our services to those who maintain their factual innocence.
How do I find a competent and affordable lawyer with specific training and experience in the area of allegations of child sexual abuse?
This is a critically important step in defending false allegations. That is why Nichols Consulting assists those falsely accused to find the right attorney, as a public service, with no charge.
By simply calling Nichols Consulting you can access the most sophisticated and comprehensive referral service of its kind. We have no “list” of referral attorneys. Each case is assessed individually and each attorney is assessed in the context of your case. Understanding the exhaustive process that we undertake on your behalf will help you to understand the importance of using our referral service.
Each request for an attorney referral gets the individual attention of our chief consulting expert, Edward Nichols. He will interview you by phone and assess your individual needs within the context of your case. When indicated, Mr. Nichols will consult with our panel of attorneys. Nichols Consulting employs consulting attorneys who stand ready to provide services and share their national expertise in the area of false allegations of child sexual abuse.
Once a profile of your needs is developed, our administrative staff begins the process of contacting qualified attorneys in your area. Each attorney is then interviewed by Mr. Nichols. Following the interviews and consultation among the Nichols Consulting staff, a referral is made to you.
What criteria does Nichols Consulting use in making an attorney referral?
We assess the level of an attorney’s experience in the context of our assessment of your case. This not only includes years of practice, but also, the number of false abuse cases, the number of trials, the number of favorable outcomes achieved, the number of pleas entered, and the number of guilty verdicts. Additionally, we assess previous experience such as public defender experience and/or experience as a prosecutor.
In order for an attorney to be appropriate for your case, he or she must be able to work within the parameters of the funds available. After making this determination, we will also assess the attorney’s billing practices including: his retainer agreement, hourly rate, flatrate, how fees are payable, and his estimated cost for representation.
Regardless of an attorney’s abilities and affordability, he will not be appropriate if his caseload does not permit him to dedicate the time that your case requires. Moreover, he must be available to you, to answer your questions and address your concerns. We assess the attorney’s availability to insure his appropriateness.
In order for us to make a legal referral we must be sure that an attorney has an appropriate background in the use of experts and consultants. False allegation cases routinely require the cross-examination of adverse experts, and sometimes, the employment of a defense expert. We insure that your attorney is appropriately versed in these critical areas.
Having assessed your situation and personality style, we will refer you to an attorney with a history of successful client relations. We believe that attorneys assisting those falsely accused need to be sensitive to the difficult emotional needs of their clients.
In order to properly represent you an attorney must be well versed in the winning strategies generally employed in false allegation cases. We will assess how your attorney will approach your case. We will insure that he is proactive by nature, structured, and well versed in the procedural matters that are common to false allegation cases.
In interviewing prospective attorneys we assess their work habits to insure that they operate within an organized, efficient, and structured professional practice.
Our exhaustive process insures that your attorney will be a competent, experienced, and hardworking advocate for you. What is more, we will insure that he or she is able to work within the context of your reasonable budget.
How are you able to do all this work for me without charging a fee?
Our national referral program brings us in contact with excellent attorneys from coast to coast. Since many attorneys are aware of our national work and reputation, they are eager to work on cases we recommend and will often retain us to assist in your case, often with no additional fee to you. It is always to our advantage to be part of the process that allows a falsely accused person to regain their life and reputation. That’s how and why we offer our national referral program to you with no charge.
How long will it take you to locate an attorney?
Typically we are able to locate an appropriate attorney within a week, often within days. By calling our New York office we can start the process [607] 5638707.
I have a lawyer but I’m not sure about him. How do I know if he will represent me properly?
The best thing to do is review the criteria that we use to select attorneys [above] and ask yourself if your attorney meets these criteria. In summary these criteria include: Proper experience, Ability to work within your reasonable budget; Appropriate caseload and availability; Proper use of experts and consultants; Good rapport with the client; Understands the proper strategies; and Good work habits.
Generally, if you have any question as to your current attorney, you should have him evaluated, i.e., seek a second opinion. You may do this by calling Nichols Consulting. We will explore your concerns and help you to resolve any questions that you may have about your current representation.
Are there “danger signs” that I should look out for that would signal that I may have a problem with my attorney?
Yes, if you are experiencing any of the following call Nichols Consulting for an evaluation:
Legal Fees The inappropriate attorney will not present you with a written retainer agreement. He will sometimes present a retainer “letter” that does not spell out the particulars of how you will be billed. Often such an attorney will say, “I’ve got to do [this and that]. Let’s see what happens after that.”
An inappropriate attorney will either not send you regular statements of your account, or if he does, the statements will not be itemized. Sometimes these attorneys will only send a statement when they are seeking additional money.
An inappropriate attorney many extract a retainer fee “to get started” and suggest that you have to “see what happens” in the case to determine fees. Be careful of this!
Office Management An inappropriate attorney’s office looks like it was hit by a bomb! Often he carries around little pieces of paper to remind
