{"id":296,"date":"2026-04-18T14:26:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T18:26:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.mswhost.com\/hslawky.com\/attorney-referrals\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T15:40:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T19:40:49","slug":"attorney-referrals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/staging.mswhost.com\/hslawky.com\/attorney-referrals\/","title":{"rendered":"Attorney Referrals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>HANCE &amp; SRINIVASAN, PLLC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Trusted for Truth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Lawyers who send us their injury cases, and for the lawyers considering it for the first time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly one hundred percent of the cases this firm handles arrive through referral. Not from billboards. Not from television. Not from a marketing agency optimizing our name for search results. From other lawyers. From former clients. From judges who have seen how we try a case. The referral channel is not a line item in our business plan. It is the business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are an attorney considering whether to refer a personal injury, medical malpractice, or wrongful death matter to Hance &amp; Srinivasan, PLLC, this page explains how the relationship works. What we take. What we decline. How the fee is divided. How your client is treated. And what your obligations, and ours, are under the Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are outside Kentucky and your client was injured inside Kentucky, keep reading. That is where the rules change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WHO WE ARE AS A REFERRAL DESTINATION<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hance &amp; Srinivasan, PLLC is a Louisville trial firm focused on catastrophic personal injury, medical negligence, pharmaceutical and medical device claims, and wrongful death. Michael R. Hance has been practicing in Kentucky since 1980 and is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. He is a past president of the Kentucky Justice Association and received the Peter Perlman Service Award in 2011. Chandrika Srinivasan joined the firm as a partner in 2002 and brings something unusual to the table, a J.D. alongside a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, which matters enormously in drug injury and medical negligence cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are deliberately small. Two lawyers whose names are on the door, a support team that has been with us for years, and a caseload capped by what we can personally handle rather than what we can theoretically process. We answer our own phones. We try our own cases. We know the details of every matter we accept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>If you want a firm that will send your client a monthly newsletter, we are not that firm. If you want a firm that will show up in court, we are.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our strongest fits are cases that demand preparation, substantive expertise, and a credible willingness to try the matter rather than settle it on the defense carrier&#8217;s timeline. Our weakest fits are high volume, low value cases where speed and automation produce the best economic outcome. We are comfortable saying that out loud because we are comfortable referring those cases out to firms better suited to handle them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>CASES WE ACCEPT AND CASES WE DECLINE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cases we actively accept<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Serious motor vehicle collisions involving significant injury, commercial trucking, rideshare coverage disputes, or contested liability. Medical malpractice, including surgical error, birth injury, misdiagnosis, and long term care facility neglect. Pharmaceutical injury and defective medical device cases. Product liability cases involving catastrophic injury. Aviation and aquatic accidents. Workplace injuries involving a viable third party claim in addition to the workers compensation matter. Serious injury and wrongful death claims arising from any of the above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>HOW THE REFERRAL WORKS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the case is engaged, we handle it. Depositions, discovery, expert retention, mediation, trial. The referring attorney receives regular updates on case status and is consulted on strategic decisions, but the day to day burden of the litigation is ours.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>FEE DIVISION UNDER KENTUCKY LAW<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kentucky lawyers sharing a fee with other Kentucky lawyers, and Kentucky lawyers sharing a fee with out of state counsel, operate under the same ethical framework. Supreme Court Rule 3.130(1.5)(e) governs fee division between lawyers who are not in the same firm. Under the rule, a division of a fee is permitted only if three conditions are satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Proportional services or joint responsibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The division must be in proportion to the services each lawyer performs, or each lawyer must assume joint responsibility for the representation. Comment 7 to Rule 1.5 defines joint responsibility as financial and ethical responsibility for the representation as if the lawyers were associated in a partnership. Kentucky Bar Association Ethics Opinion KBA E-366 clarifies that assumption of responsibility does not require the referring lawyer to perform substantial services, but does require responsibility comparable to that of a partner in a law firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a meaningful commitment, not a formality. An attorney who refers under a joint responsibility arrangement shares ethical accountability for the conduct of the case. We take that seriously, and we expect our referral partners to take it seriously as well. Most do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasonableness of the total fee<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The total fee charged to the client must be reasonable under the factors listed in Rule 1.5(a). Fee division between firms is an allocation question, not a fee inflation mechanism. The client does not pay more because two firms are involved. The total fee is evaluated the same way it would be if one firm had done the entire matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A referral fee that requires the client to pay more than the case would otherwise cost is not a referral fee. It is a problem.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We divide fees with referring attorneys consistent with the above rules. The specific percentage is negotiated case by case. We do not use a standard formula because cases are not standard. A referral involving a complex medical negligence investigation and multiple expert witnesses looks different from a referral involving a clear liability trucking case, and the fee division reflects that reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>WHAT WE EXPECT FROM REFERRING COUNSEL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The better the information that travels with the referral, the faster and more usefully we can evaluate the matter. At intake, we appreciate whatever the referring attorney can share about the injury, the medical treatment to date, the liability theory, the insurance coverage, any statute of limitations pressure, and the client&#8217;s expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We also appreciate a warning when there are complications. Prior representation by another firm. Public statements the client has made on social media. Pre-existing conditions that overlap with the injury. A cousin who works for the defendant. None of these facts automatically end a case. All of them are easier to handle when we learn about them at intake than when we learn about them in a deposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, we expect the referring attorney to remain available to the client as a trusted counselor throughout the matter. We are not asking for case management. We are asking for the relationship that caused the client to trust the referring attorney in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WHAT REFERRING COUNSEL CAN EXPECT FROM US<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honest case evaluation, even when the honest answer is no. Prompt communication on case developments, without the referring attorney having to ask. Regular status updates at the intervals most useful to the referring firm, whether that is monthly, at each major procedural milestone, or both. Direct notice of any settlement offer, with our recommendation and reasoning, before any response is made to the defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On resolution, prompt distribution of fees consistent with the written agreement, accompanied by a full accounting of costs, attorney time where relevant, and the basis for the final division. No surprises. No reconciliation arguments. No invoices for items that were never discussed in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If there is a problem during the case, the referring attorney hears about it from us before hearing about it from the client. That is the baseline standard, and it applies without exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>THE CLIENT RELATIONSHIP DURING THE CASE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A client who is referred to this firm becomes our client for purposes of the Kentucky matter. That carries full ethical weight. We owe the client the duty of competent representation, the duty of loyalty, the duty of confidentiality, and every other obligation that runs from attorney to client under the Rules of Professional Conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The referring attorney&#8217;s relationship with the client continues in whatever form the two of them choose. Some clients continue to work closely with the referring firm on matters outside the scope of the Kentucky case. Others rely on this firm as primary counsel during the pendency of the case and return to the referring firm when the matter closes. Both arrangements are common. Neither creates any ambiguity about which firm is responsible for the litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the case concludes, the file is closed cleanly. Documents are archived in accordance with Kentucky records retention requirements. The client receives final accounting. The referring attorney receives a thank you that is sincere rather than automated, because we actually remember which cases came from where.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>HOW TO REFER A CASE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Call the office at (502) 426-4301 and ask for Michael Hance or Chandrika Srinivasan. Attorney to attorney calls are returned the same business day whenever possible, and often faster. If the client is in active medical crisis or the statute of limitations is imminent, say so when you call, and the call moves to the top of the queue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Email is also effective for less time sensitive matters. Include a brief summary of the case, the injury, the apparent liability theory, and the status of any insurance communications. Confidentiality is preserved through the referring attorney&#8217;s existing relationship with the client, and we follow up in writing once the referral is accepted and the written engagement is in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The consultation with the client is free. There is no obligation on the client or on the referring attorney if the matter is ultimately declined. If the matter is accepted, the written fee agreement memorializes the arrangement in the form Kentucky law requires, and the case begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A NOTE ON ETHICS AND RISK MANAGEMENT<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Referral relationships are governed by rules that exist because prior generations of lawyers found creative ways to mishandle them. The Kentucky Supreme Court has disciplined attorneys for dividing fees without proper client disclosure, for accepting referral fees without assuming the joint responsibility the rule requires, and for structuring arrangements that put the attorney&#8217;s financial interest ahead of the client&#8217;s. The rules are not technicalities. They are the framework that keeps the referral system credible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we accept a referral, we document it properly. We confirm the fee division in writing. We obtain the client&#8217;s informed consent on the record. We preserve the referring attorney&#8217;s role consistent with whatever the case requires. And we stand by those commitments through the life of the matter, because our reputation in the referral community is worth more than any single case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A referral is a trust. It is not a transaction that ends when the check clears.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>CONTACT<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hance &amp; Srinivasan, PLLC<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">8700 Westport Road<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Louisville, Kentucky 40242<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Office: (502) 426-4301<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michael R. Hance and Chandrika Srinivasan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Office hours Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Friday 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Our attorneys are also available on weekends.&nbsp; We provide every client with our home phone numbers as well. Referral calls outside of business hours are returned the next business day. If the statute of limitations on a prospective matter is running in a matter of days, say so on the voicemail, and we will call back before morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hance &amp; Srinivasan, PLLC&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 8700 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40242&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; (502) 426-4301&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; hslawky.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HANCE &amp; SRINIVASAN, PLLC Trusted for Truth. Lawyers who send us their injury cases, and for the lawyers considering it&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-296","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Attorney Referrals - Hance &amp; Srinivasan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.mswhost.com\/hslawky.com\/attorney-referrals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Attorney Referrals - Hance &amp; Srinivasan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"HANCE &amp; SRINIVASAN, PLLC Trusted for Truth. 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