Lots of lawyers have a misconception about how their clients feel about them. I’ve even had attorneys tell me they feel like their clients hate them. But, that’s not the case, at all.
If clients appear to be frustrated with their lawyers, it’s probably because their attorneys don’t talk to them enough.
Think about it: law firm clients are stressed; they’re worried; they think about their cases a lot more than you do; and, they just want someone to help them, to hold their hands, to continually assure them.
Most attorneys will take that tenuous situation, get a retainer . . . and, then never contact the client again – unless they need something from the client, including more money.
No wonder law firm clients are frustrated with their attorneys!
Now, this has wider applications related to workflow management and client communications; but, there is a simple trick to solve for general client unrest, when it comes to lack of law firm communication:
Followup with each each client every six weeks, no matter what. Just add the recurring tickler to each client file.
Your clients will be happier, which means you’ll be happier.
And, you might be surprised how helpful those conversations are – not just with respect to improving morale, but also in terms of learning valuable case information.