CHICAGO, IL – October 13, 2017 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – Attorneys Alexandra López and Geraldine Arruela are passionate about serving the Spanish-speaking population in Chicago, as they themselves are immigrants to the United States.
“Being an attorney is my passion. I like to help people, I like being a resource for the Hispanic population in Chicago, and I love that my clients have confidence that I understand them and that I will protect their interests,” said López, who at 32 years of age is the owner a successful law practice of 4 attorneys.
Arruela, originally from Peru, became a US citizen only a few years ago. “In each client I see myself, my family and my friends. I’ve always wanted to be an immigration attorney and now I can live my dream helping others.”
With such enthusiasm for their work, these attorneys have had even more impact on the lives of countless people in the city.
“Many of our customers are customers for life,” explained López, who was born in Madrid.
“We may assist a family with their immigration process and, since we’ve built trust and a relationship with them, they’ll hire us – for example – to draft a will to protect their family and assets, as they want to get all their paperwork in order,” she added.
López and Arruela want to change the perception of lawyers in the Hispanic community.
“It’s true that we have many clients who have had bad experiences working with other attorneys. We want to change the relationship one has with their lawyer,” commented Arruela.
“We are trying to build confidence in our profession. One of the ways we do that is by speaking to our clients directly in their native language,” said Arruela. “I think the fact that we are both native Hispanics helps a lot in building the relationship, because our clients know that we are comprehending everything they say and that we are not missing any detail through interpretation.”
“Moreover, as Hispanics, our clients have an attorney with whom they identify and who understands their history,” she continued.
In addition to the advantage of shared language and culture with its clients, part of the firm’s success can be attributed to the focus on flexibility and understanding of each client’s unique circumstance.
“When I started the firm, I tried to identify things that would facilitate comfort for our clients,” López explained. “One of them was, of course, the extraordinary cost of hiring private lawyers in this country. Traditionally they charge thousands of dollars as a retainer, and fees continue to increase. It’s a huge obstacle for clients.”
López understood that many clients do not have $2,500 to $5,000 to deposit all at once, but they do have the ability to make smaller installment payments, such as $500 every two weeks, when they receive their paychecks.
“Just because something had traditionally been done one way in our profession didn’t mean that we had to do it that way. We were young attorneys and open to new ideas. One of the things that has worked spectacularly is accepting installment payment plans so that clients can reach the required retainer amount,” López said.
Arruela believes that this understanding of the reality that many people live is part of the reason they have grown so much by referrals.
“People respond very well because we respect that each situation is different and no two contracts are the same,” said Arruela. “They mention it to friends and family and we take pride in being able to grow that way.”
“What we want to do is continue to learn how to best serve our clients,” López said. “It’s super important that they have confidence in our profession, because without trust they will not ask for help when they need it,” she continued.
Attorney López wants establish a trusted legal resouce for all civil matters. Currently the firm’s practice areas are immigration, family, personal injury, business and estate planning.
For more information, and to connect with attorneys López y Arruela, call 312-419-9611 or visit their office at 120 W. Madison Ste., Ste. 611, Chicago.
“The consultation is always free,” said López
Young, Hispanic and with enthusiasm, attorneys López and Arruela are changing the attorney-client relationship with their focus on the needs of the Hispanic community in Chicago.
