Your Attorney, Your Confidant, Your Friend
I started this firm with the inspiration of being more to my clients than the typical attorney and to change the relationships that many feel, rightfully, that they have with their attorney (or many times, attorneys). So what better topic for my first post than ways to build an attorney-client relationship to grow beyond that which is typically developed in today’s practice leaving clients feeling as if they didn’t receive the service that they sought and were warranted.
I’ve broken this post into two sections: tips for the client and tips for the attorney. It is always helpful to ponder the view point of the other person in the relationship in order to get the most out of it. Although not an exclusive list, I hope that the readers will find some value that they can bring into any interactions with their attorney and clients no matter what side of the relationship they happen to be on.
MY TOP 5 TIPS FOR THE CLIENT
- Go in with an open mind. I urge any potential client to lower any walls that have been built based on preconceived notions of any specific attorney. In today’s world, the way that the attorney is portrayed in media, whether it be social media, print, mainstream media, or advertisements, will influence how you view the attorney prior to initial contact. You may have built a wall even you are unaware of based on rumors, internet reviews, and what you may have heard through the grapevine. Still something draws you to contact this specific attorney for consultation (ie perceived as an expert in whatever field you are in need of). If you don’t let your wall down and go in with an open mind, your relationship with the attorney may be doomed from the start.
- Allow yourself to trust your attorney. An attorney is there to advise and guide you through the legal world in whatever situation you are dealing with. The attorney is supposed to give you direction and advice to best suit your needs. In every case there will come a critical point of when you need to decide on whether or not to take your attorney’s advice on a specific matter. If your relationship with your attorney is built on trust and you are trusting in your communications with your attorney, your attorney will better be equipped to advise you on the matter most fitting to your wants and needs.
- Try not to compare your situation with your neighbors. Although people often go through the same types of struggles or believe that they have the same goals as their neighbors, every situation is different. If you go in expecting the path or outcome of your case to be the same as someone else, you may be disappointed. If you constantly compare your situation to that of another, you aren’t listening to the advice that your attorney is giving you and the relationship between the two of you will likely be strained.
- Give your attorney time to respond. Attorneys are people too. Although your case is the most important to you, every client’s case is important to the attorney and they cannot possibly respond to every call or email within minutes. Give a reasonable time for the attorney to respond before letting the feelings of anger take over and allowing the relationship to be strained in the future.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You are likely in a situation that you’ve never been in before. If you hesitate to ask questions, you will likely be surprised at some point in your case and that may be detrimental at the conclusion. Don’t seek answers to your questions on the internet or through some other means. If your attorney doesn’t know the answer (again they are human) give them time to find and interpret the answers for you. If you aren’t asking questions, the attorney may think that you understand everything going on or you are just going through the motions and don’t really care all that much. Sometimes, if you don’t care your attorney may not care.
MY TOP 5 TIPS FOR THE ATTORNEY
- Treat every client as your most important. You may have a tendency to unconsciously rank your clients importance by fees, interest of engagement, or some other subconscious means and that can spill over into your interactions with those clients. Remember that the client has approached you for a solution to some problem in their life. It is likely one of the most important things going on at that specific moment in their life. If they feel that you aren’t taking their situation seriously or that you are putting other clients on a higher pedestal, your attorney-client relationship can be doomed.
- Take the time necessary. You can’t build a client’s trust in 10 minutes. You need to take the time to understand where the client has been, where they are now, and where they want to be. Spend as much time as it takes to really get to know the client and not just the events surrounding the reason why they are there. You may come across some information that will be beneficial in coming to the outcome that the client really wants and not just the words they are communicating to you.
- Listen and don’t sugarcoat. Listen to what your client is saying. Not just the actual words but the meaning behind them. Everyone wants someone that will actually listen to their problems. You are there to listen and to give advice. Don’t try to sugarcoat that advice. You will find clients in a lot of tough situations and you need to give it to them straight. Part of building the attorney-client relationship is being honest in the possible outcomes that the client is facing.
- Keep your client informed. One of the biggest complaints that I hear when people talk about their lawyers is the lack of communication. Your client is possibly going through the toughest situation they have ever encountered. They want to stay informed throughout the entire process. Don’t ever assume that the client doesn’t need or want to know of a development in their case. Keep the communication lines open and document in writing if possible.
- Emphasize transparency with your clients. Be sure to stress to the client that in order for you to do your best, you need to know everything about the case no matter how big or small they think it may be. At the same time, you need to be transparent with your client as their case develops no matter how big or small you think the development may be. Transparency will build trust and trust will strengthen the attorney-client privilege.
I encourage both client and practitioner to take these tips into consideration in their next dealings. My hope is that through the development of stronger relationships the common ill feelings that people have when needing to consult the profession will disappear and satisfaction with those in the profession will rise.