The quest for most lawyers is to acquire the best possible clients, who always pay in full. I know, right: from your lips to God’s ear.
But, how do you know if a client is a ‘good’ client, before working with them?
Just as you can look for ‘red flags’, indicating that clients would be a poor fit for you law firm, you may be pleasantly surprised by some attributes of your potential clients, which will make their hire by you ‘no-brainers’.
What does that list look like?
-Potential clients who are inquisitive about the legal process, but aren’t bossy about what they want you to do, likely better understand your role as a guide into the legal system, than the sort of client who wants you to just bend to their wishes all the time.
-Potential clients, who are inquisitive about the payment process, and the total cost of representation, aren’t potentially bad clients – they’re just asking the right questions. You can start to worry if they begin to hunt for discounts.
-Potential clients who have reasonable expectations, and don’t rush you, are likely to give you some space to breathe, when you do start to represent them.
-On a related note, potential clients who aren’t asking you to do things before the attorney-client relationship is agreed to, have a good understanding of how the attorney-client relationship works – and have a certain level of respect for your work, even before it’s begun.
-Potential clients who do things for you when you ask for them during the intake process (like scheduling appointments, paying fees and signing things) are likely to become the sorts of clients that get you things when you need them, when you start representing them.
Better to find out in advance, about who your best clients will be. And there are clear markers that will help you to identify them.