Client education is one of the biggest challenges lawyers face. It helps to have clients with a general idea of what they can expect from you, but all too often, people show up at your office with expectations based on what they’ve seen on TV and in movies.
What are some of the most common misconceptions clients have about attorneys?
Too many clients assume their cases take a back seat to higher priority clients because lawyers are so busy.
Many lawyers are indeed in demand and their days are filled from beginning to end with issues to deal with. But that doesn’t mean clients are neglected. Make sure your clients understand they’re a priority for you and that you’ll keep them posted on the various developments in their cases.
Discuss in advance the way you’ll communicate and how often they can expect to hear from you about their cases. Legal issues sometimes take a long time to resolve, so make sure your clients don’t panic if things move slower than they expect.
Money can be a major motivating factor, but it’s never the only issue when resolving a legal matter. Make sure your clients know what to expect when it comes to money. You need to not only review what they should expect in terms of a financial settlement (when possible), but also discuss their financial obligation to you.
It’s also a good idea to review the contract with your client so they understand what they’re committing to before hiring you.
A lot of people form their expectations of attorneys from what they’ve seen in entertainment.
In most cases, this is based on the most exciting parts of the job. Many clients won’t understand the amount of effort that goes on behind the scenes to deal with a case.
The best thing you can do as an attorney is to give a brief overview of your process based on the types of cases you handle. You can also explain that even though you’re an experienced attorney and you might be able to help them with a variety of basic legal issues, their best bet is to choose an attorney with expertise in their specific legal issue.
As you already know, most cases are settled outside of the courtroom. However, your clients likely don’t know this unless they’ve dealt with a lot of legal matters in their lifetime.
Take time to review with your client how likely it is their case will end up in a courtroom. This helps them temper their expectations and not feel slighted if their case is settled out of court.
Educating your clients is one of the best ways to build a healthy lawyer-client relationship. Your website is one of the greatest tools you have for helping clients learn more about what you do and how you can help them.
To learn more about how you can turn your website into an educational tool or speak to someone about website updates, contact Legal Web Design.
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