Hello and Happy Spring (for those of you who know what spring looks like and haven't forgotten as we have in Chiberia)! I am coming to you with news you can use about ongoing attorney-client relationships, and in fact, any kind of professional relationship where people have to understand one another. Hey... most people these days rely on their devices to keep them mobile and on the go, in any environment. That's great! However, sometimes in the world of "getting it done like the Big Boys" it makes sense that we old-school it and have meetings. Nothing is truer than true than that in the world of lawyers having effective relationships with their clients.
What? Did I say "relationships with clients?" Yes. But hold on. Nothing improper! What I mean is, that since lawyers are people too (yes we are... really), that when we are hired by clients to do certain jobs, often times the job is done and it doesn't matter if lawyer and client ever actually meet. In fact, when I started practicing law and did almost exclusively real estate transactions, often I would talk to the client for months via phone or email and wouldn't meet them until the closing at a title company. Now that I am heading my own firm at Levin Law, Ltd., often it is the case that I am hired by out of state people or companies, and never have we met. Now, maybe I have taken for granted that we could Skype, or FaceTime or whatever, but I know we can do it if we want to. I would never deny a client an opportunity to meet me. But, I must say that while I do not always require out of state clients or corporate clients to send someone over to my office, more often than not, when I represent individuals or Chicago-based clients, I nearly always have a meeting first before we begin. Sometimes I might do everything remotely in the beginning. However, if I smell any issue, confusion, irritation, delay or other problem - I am usually going to ask for a meet and greet. It not only helps to air out any issues, it helps me know whether the client is serious about an ongoing business relationship.
So then... what should I make of a client who doesn't want to meet me, or who, after me saying that I believe it is necessary to continue our relationship for the betterment of our mutual understandings of one another, refuses to do so? Strange, isn't it? I thought so. Here's the thing: we never think it strange when we meet our dentists, architects, mail carriers or checkout people. Those professionals are all "serving their customers" the same way that an attorney does. Patients never think it strange that they have to make in-person appointments to see their doctor, despite the fact that often times the doctor may not need to physically touch them to conduct their consultation. In the area of law, while it is true that the attorney and client likely don't need to "touch" one another, one of the main reasons for the meeting is for each side to get an "eye" on the other, for the purposes of establishing and building mutual trust, respect, information exchange, and for establishing good communicative styles.
Doesn't sound so bad does it? Nah... I didn't think so. While in many cases there may be reluctance for one reason or another, or for the main worry that it will cost too much, what clients hardly ever understand is that the development of a trusting relationship founded in mutual business for one another, REQUIRES the investment of time, energy and trust and communication. Sometimes, and I think we should all be agreeing here, communication is better live than it is via Tweet, Facebook, SnapChat or e-mail. Sometimes we get more done by meeting than we do via texting or letter writing. Sometimes still, it's necessary to be old-school while still being new-school-cool.
Back to my problem. When I had a client that didn't want to meet with me, I tried to corral helpers, in the form of other lawyers who were working with me on the issues for that client. I figured simply, that if more than one person was asking for the same thing, it wouldn't be viewed as suspect, but rather a very simple thing that would be considered effective for the stated purpose. Or so I thought. Apparently it was not simple at all. Anyway, since I can't tell you more, what I will say is that it created a huge situation and one that forced me to quit. Wait.... QUIT? Why? Because. I had to.
When I as the lawyer determine that I need something, it doesn't matter what it is, my client needs to get that for me. Whether it is payment as agreed, a witness that will make the case, or a document that is the "smoking gun" or a face-to-face meeting, when I or any other lawyer in fact, determines that we need the client to do something and there is a refusal, the options suddenly decrease dramatically. Why? Because the pillars or foundations of the relationship crumble rather quickly when there is a refusal on a basic, or a key thing. I am hired because of my professional judgment. So that means, when I exercise my judgement, it's sort of like I am exercising my "executive decision making capability" and I am the leader. The leader leads and rules and the client has to do what they say. That is how it must work if the lawyer is to lead the client to the promised land.
What do I mean? Well.... as I mentioned, lawyers and clients need trust, communication, a problem to solve of sorts (or rather, the "reason" for their relationship) and the respect that is required for the relationship to work. So. When a client refuses to communicate in the way that the lawyer has decided is necessary for moving forward, or doesn't deliver something that is needed to do the job, even where multiple attorneys make that request, the import of the message is that something must be very important to those darn lawyers, and not that they are trying to waste time or money. In fact, usually the exact opposite is true (i.e. that we feel we are wasting time so we want to get to the nitty-gritty of the thing). While most people probably view lawyers are time-killers, in fact, we are usually the opposite. We want to be efficient. It's the client that often times prevents that from happening.
How? Well, when I ask for something and give a deadline, I just need it by the deadline. Stop delaying, asking me, telling me and writing me. Just deliver. When I say I want a meeting, it's because I want to look you in the eye - and get to the heart of what you want and whether I can get it for you. I need what I need, in order to get you what you need. When I say something like "I'm just trying to do my job" the client must understand that they are the ones in the way. IN the way? Yes! In the way. The lawyer is efficiently trying to say that they must stop, listen and DO something. So we are clear: Stop. Listen. Do.
Nuff said? Maybe. Possibly, Probably. Definitely. Hopefully. So what is our main lesson for the day? Come and see me when I ask. I usually have my reasons, and they are hardly bogus if you want the job done right.
Signing off.... enjoy the Springtime... wherever you can be found!
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