One common question before hiring a professional is, "do I need you?"
Does anyone really need a doctor, a lawyer, or a CPA (tax professional)?
Does anyone need a plumber, electrician, contractor, or carpenter?
The D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) Mentality
I love to go to Home Depot, and Lowes. They didn't exist years ago. The local hardware store wasn't on that level or scale. I have attempted plumbing, painting, scraping, fixing, and repairing my home. It has not always worked out as well as I would have liked or imagined. Sometimes (really often) it was messy and as my wife would say, I made it worse.
Plumbers, Electricians, and Carpenters
You can DIY (do it yourself) but should you? Is it really a smart way to go? Do you always save time and money? I tried scraping off old wall paper, I couldn't move my arm for a week.
I admit I am not handy. Hanging a picture can be challenging for me. Maybe other people are handy. Maybe they enjoy learning new things. I'm at a point in my life where I would rather support other professions, and let the professionals do their job. Besides the thought of going up a ladder, playing with electricity, or opening a pipe is scary to me.
With an Ithaca, NY home in Fall Creek that is 123 years old having professionals to do upkeep, maintenance, and repair is not an option for us, it is a necessity. I say thank G-d for these professionals, I would be cold, knee deep in crap, and in the dark without them.
OF Doctors, Lawyers, and Accountants
You can be your own doctor, lawyer, or CPA. There is no law against it. But what a professional brings to the table is their experience, their knowledge, and their assessment of your particular (unique/specific) situation.
This level of assurance or insurance that the decisions you make will be made with a full understanding. That you understand the direct and indirect consequences of any action is always of paramount importance. Fools make uniformed decisions. Especially when the government is involved you should not take these things lightly.
Professional Representation comes in different shades, colors, and sizes. Not all professional representation is the same. Doctors are not all the same. CPAs are not all the same. And lawyers are most definitely not all the same. They can do the same things (with their licenses) but they are not all equally knowledgeable, experienced, or skilled.
Some professionals are into what they do, they are passionate about their field, they are contributors, they stay involved, they remain learners, while others do the very least to remain as licensed professionals, they can't wait to retire and play golf, they hate what they do, they live for the weekend.
I guess it all comes down to this, who would you choose to represent you and your interests? I can tell you that the cheapest professionals are those barely interested in their fields. They seem bothered and annoyed.
If you see a "I'd rather be ... ing" bumper sticker on their cars you better go find another professional.
Lawrence (Larry) Newman, D.C., J.D.
Doctor or Chiropractic
Attorney and Counselor at Law
504 North Aurora Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-229-5184
http://www.ithacainjurylawyer.com
http://www.ithacadwi.com
No comments:
Post a Comment