Friedman & Simon - September 2019

‘HowMuch Do I Owe You?’

IS YOUR CHILD BEING BULLIED?

What You Can Do to Help

Contingency Fees Explained

A new school year is a prime opportunity for kids to make new friends among their classmates. Unfortunately, kids also form connections during the school year that aren’t always positive, and many children become the targets of school bullies. If you suspect your child is being bullied, there are a few things you can do to help. KNOW THE SIGNS Kids usually don’t open up about being bullied right away. However, there are some common signs that your child is being harassed. Here are a few of them: • If they’re refusing to go to school or ride the bus, they may be dreading their bully. • If they’re rushing to the bathroom after school, it may indicate that they’re being bullied in the bathroom, which is a common tactic bullies use to avoid teachers. • If their grades suddenly change, it may be the result of constant harassment. • Anxious or depressed moods can be the result of bullying as well. If you spot one or more of these signs, it’s time to talk to your child about what’s happening to them at school. LISTEN When your child does open up, the best thing you can do is listen. It can be tempting to try to give them advice or question the way they handled the situation, but doing this can give your child the impression that it’s their own fault they are being bullied. Let them tell you the whole story, without judgment, and then help them come up with ideas on what to do next. FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION Once you’ve been informed that your child is being bullied, you should inform teachers as soon as possible. Apart from that, there are several ways you can help your child to deal with bullies, so talk to them about what approach they would be most comfortable with, such as de-escalation strategies or a buddy system with their friends. As with most conflicts, the sooner you handle the situation, the better.

One of the major concerns people have when deciding if they need a lawyer is the cost. This is understandable, especially when you might be facing major medical bills after an accident. But, unlike so many other areas of the law, hiring a personal injury attorney won’t break the bank. In fact, firms like ours handle fees so your interests and the

interests of your lawyer are the same. WE DON’T GET PAID IF YOU DON’T

Contingency fees are the standard form of payment between clients and their personal injury lawyers. The amount the lawyer gets paid is contingent on the amount of compensation you receive. On the surface, this makes hiring a personal injury lawyer risk- free — hiring them won’t cost you a cent unless you win. But this arrangement has other advantages as well. YOUR WIN IS OUR WIN Contingency fees can do a lot to put a client’s mind at ease because our payment is directly tied to how good a job we do. When you hire a professional at an hourly rate, it doesn’t matter how hardworking or dedicated they are — you may still have a nagging suspicion they aren’t working as hard or as fast as they could be. By avoiding hourly rates, we sidestep that potential conflict of interest entirely. You can rest assured we are doing everything we possibly can to look after your best interests. After all, they’re our best interests as well. GET HONEST ANSWERS Being fully invested in delivering a successful outcome also means we have every reason to be upfront with you about the strength of your case. In fact, we’ll even give you this assessment for free, with no obligation to hire our firm after the fact. That way, you can make the most informed decision possible about how to move forward with your claim. If you’ve been injured, you have nothing to lose by inquiring. Pick up the phone and call 516-800-8000.

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