If you’ve been looking to grow your firm, then you’ve almost certainly considered the quality of your attorney-client relationships. Chances are that there are ways you can improve those relationships so that – as you scale up your legal practice – you are able to better manage your time and firm resources. A major part of developing efficient client engagements, however, is in strengthening the attorney-client relationship more fundamentally.

Let’s take a closer look at attorney-client relationships in general and what you can do to position you and your firm more favorably.

What do clients value the most in their relationship with their law firm for client satisfaction?

Generally speaking, clients value respect. It can be difficult — if not impossible — for an untrained member of the public to judge the “quality” of a legal professional. In truth, they can’t possibly know how skilled you are and whether you’re going to be able to effectively litigate their claims to their maximum potential.

As such, you should avoid making the mistake that many other attorneys do when attempting to engage their clients — many attorneys think the solution is to “sell” their skillset and experience so that the client is wowed by their overwhelming, authoritative competence. In truth, however, clients want to feel as though their concerns and hopes are being addressed and that they are being treated with respect. Encouraging an open exchange of client feedback is crucial in managing expectations and fostering trust. Ultimately, they want to feel as though you work for them — not as though you’re frustrated and dismissive about having to engage their claims on their behalf.

Work on your “bedside manner” as an attorney. Connect to your client’s issues on an emotional and interpersonal level without losing your professional cadence. Make sure that they know you understand — but also that they know you have the tools and experience necessary to help them overcome the issue at-hand. Clients place significant trust in their attorneys, and this trust is essential for a strong rapport. This trust is fundamental as clients often share sensitive information and depend on their attorneys for guidance in critical situations.

Above all, keep them in the loop and treat them with respect. If you were a first-time claimant whose life had been turned upside down by a life-altering accident, then you might need to talk to your attorney once in awhile to feel like you have clarity as to the litigation strategy and the status of the case.

An essential aspect of all of this is the attorney-client privilege, which is crucial for establishing and maintaining trust within the attorney-client relationship. This privilege ensures that most communications between you and your clients remain confidential, fostering a sense of security and openness.

Additionally, adhering to the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct is essential for maintaining ethical behavior in managing client cases. This fosters trust and comfort for clients regarding how their cases are managed. Finally, law firms can benefit from ensuring client confidentiality and security amidst the risk of data breaches. Taking steps like this – and communicating them to your client – makes them feel heard and respected.

Managing expectations in the lawyer-client relationship is crucial to fostering a more realistic understanding of the legal process.

Strengthening the attorney client relationship: some tips!

Strengthening the attorney-client relationship is rather straightforward. Here are seven quick tips to keep in mind as you make moves to grow your client base and enhance your firm’s industry reputation:

• Communicate clearly and concisely.
• Maintain frequent and open lines of communication.
• Be timely in meetings and in handling aspects of the client’s case.
• Demonstrate an attention to detail regarding their case.
• Show a genuine interest in their life, issues, and success.
• Don’t talk over the client all the time. Give them space to speak and be heard.
• Manage the client’s expectations to keep them in check.
• Maintain strong client relationships by being honest, acting in the client’s best interests, and setting clear expectations.

How do you manage relationships with difficult clients?

First things first: you don’t have to continue to represent a client who has become altogether too difficult to justify further efforts.  Whether you’re willing to drop a client is a genuine strategic issue worth contemplating — don’t just assume that you have to push ahead at all costs, even if you’re a newcomer to litigation and are still in an early growth phase.

If your client is difficult, you can take certain steps to limit how much of your time they impinge on and how much of your decision making they undermine, which could disrupt your work and demand extra resources. Managing expectations in lawyer-client relationships is crucial to fostering a more realistic understanding of the legal process. A strong lawyer-client relationship is crucial for creating a more effective legal system and minimizing feelings of neglect for clients. Some options include:

• Moving communication over to a different colleague who is not directly involved in their case, thus minimizing interference
• Giving the client a limited set of times per week or per month during which they can access you to talk about their case
• Speaking openly to the client about the need for smoothing out the relationship
• And more

What does it mean to “work up” a case, and how can I make my clients understand that I’m working hard to maximize the likelihood of success?

Litigators know the difference between a “churn firm” and a young and hungry solo or small firm attorney. Churn firms have a notably poor reputation, even among other industry professionals — and their work dynamic has left an indelible mark on the public’s perception of lawyers and legal advocacy in general.

So, to better understand how to improve your ability to serve your clients’ legal representation needs, you have to be clear on how a churn firm operates, and how it harms the client. Let’s address this in brief.

Churn firms have extremely efficient, high-volume funnels for leads — in-person, and (increasingly more often) online. By processing leads at this scale, they’re able to strategize around cases in a way that “normal” firms can’t. Put simply, they can fill their lawyers’ dockets with straightforward, easily-resolved claims.

It doesn’t matter that the prospective client’s claim could be worth $100,000 if they “worked up” the claim to its maximum extent. They know that it would be better for them to resolve the case at $20,000, and move onto the next one — the time, resources, and effort spent on working up the case to $100,000 would not be justified from their perspective.

Of course, for the client, working with a “churn firm” has just resulted in lost potential compensation worth roughly $80,000. That could have had an enormous impact on their ability to properly recover from their injury-related losses.

Dealing with a churn firm is an exercise in frustration for those clients whose claims turn out to be even slightly more complicated than baseline. They may find that their lawyer isn’t accessible for case updates, or basic questions. All of this behavior sours the client on seeking legal representation in general — and this experience is communicated to others, thus perpetuating this belief that the churn firm dynamic is to be expected.

To counteract this preconceived notion about legal representation, you should make sure that you keep the client apprised of all the ways in which you’re “working up” the client’s case — and make sure to include the challenges, too, so that they understand the contours of the dispute and how you are navigating it in their best interest. Highlight the diversity and complexity of legal issues faced by clients and the importance of understanding these nuances. You’ll also want to make yourself available throughout litigation so that you can set their mind at-ease and make them feel like they’re not just another cog.

Contact Walker Advertising for Help Growing Your Firm’s Client Base

Whether you’re a solo lawyer, or are part of a larger firm with plans for expansion, it’s important focus on strengthening the attorney client relationship and on growing your client base. Here at Walker Advertising, we can help. We operate a number of popular attorney networks — including our Los Defensores and 1-800-THE-LAW2 brands — through which firms are able to access leads for various legal claims.

The leads we acquire through our various online marketing efforts — from social media marketing to targeted web ads — have been pre-qualified by our team so that you aren’t hassled by a flood of leads that are simply not relevant or actionable for your purposes. By accessing these quality leads, you’ll be well-equipped to select the best ones to grow your firm business. Just remember: clear expectations surrounding legal services are crucial for attracting and retaining clients.

Contact Walker Advertising today to connect to a member of our team who can explain how our legal networks can help your firm business thrive in this ever-changing digital marketing landscape. That way, you can focus on strengthening the attorney client relationship and developing your firm’s reputation.

We look forward to assisting you.