what do clients want in a lawyer

by Stefan Lindgren Sr. 3 min read

What Do Clients Want From Their Lawyers

  • Trustworthiness. First and foremost, your client needs to trust you. ...
  • Understanding and Empathy. People don’t typically seek legal services because something good happened to them. ...
  • Consistent and Clear Communication. ...
  • Their Legal Problem to be Solved. ...

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Full Answer

What do clients really want from law firms?

Sep 28, 2010 · Clients want to know that the lawyer they hire and entrust their freedom and fortunes to are loyal to them. All indicators seem primed and flashing prior to …

What is it like to be a lawyer?

what clients want most from their lawyers is an aspect of legal services given too little attention both in legal education and professional development: effective lawyer-client communication. After reviewing extensive social science research on causes of client dissatisfaction, this article will conclude by suggesting a varie-

What should I look for when hiring a lawyer?

Jun 14, 2019 · Clients want you to put them at ease and reassure them about the experience they are about to have with you. Nobody wants to look silly or feel stupid, and sadly, lawyers have a way of doing that to clients. Instead, respond to your clients by answering the questions discussed in the book, Outside In by Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine. Their book focuses on …

What is the most important skill a lawyer should have?

Jun 12, 2019 ¡ Client Service Award winners. Top ten firms for client service. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. Goodman Derrick. Harbottle & Lewis. Kennedys. Kirkland & Ellis. Michelmores. Global Elite firms. Major US firms in London. UK top 25 firms. UK large firms.

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What do lawyers do for clients?

As advocates, they represent one of the parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support their client. As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients about their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular courses of action in business and personal matters.

What qualities do lawyers have to have?

Five Traits of Great LawyersCompassion: One of the Many Qualities of a Lawyer. Compassion is an emotional response whereby one perceives another's problem and authentically, genuinely wants to help resolve the problem. ... Ability to Listen. ... Assertiveness, Not Aggressiveness. ... Creativity. ... Perseverance.

What is the most important thing for a lawyer?

7 qualities every good lawyer should have1) Good communication skills. Lawyers must be orally articulate, have good written communication skills and also be good listeners. ... 2) Judgement. ... 3) Analytical skills. ... 4) Research skills. ... 5) People skills. ... 6) Perseverance. ... 7) Creativity.Mar 16, 2022

What makes a lawyer a good lawyer?

Here are the top 5 qualities of a good lawyer: responsiveness, analytical skills, good research skills, speaking skills, and listening skills. and understand it on the spot. When a case is in session, curveballs will likely be thrown and they have to be able to interpret and respond to them appropriately.

What personality type is a lawyer?

According to a 1993 study conducted by Larry Richard, the most prevalent personality types for lawyers are: ISTJ (17.8 per cent) INTJ (13.1 per cent) ESTJ (10.3 per cent)Jan 21, 2019

How do you know if you'd make a good lawyer?

You work well with others. That's right—being a lawyer means working with people! ... You can persuade others. The ability to persuade=the practice of law. ... You are independent and self-disciplined. ... You can endure the grind. ... You don't take things at face value. ... You must be able to network.Sep 9, 2019

What are the four responsibilities of lawyers?

DutiesAdvise and represent clients in courts, before government agencies, and in private legal matters.Communicate with their clients, colleagues, judges, and others involved in the case.Conduct research and analysis of legal problems.Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses.More items...•Sep 8, 2021

What qualities does a lawyer of the future need?

What skills does the future lawyer need to succeed in practice?Digital literacy. The ability to use digital tools and technology to drive efficiencies in the workplace. ... Business acumen. ... Organisation and planning. ... Communication. ... Accuracy and attention to detail. ... Collaboration. ... Creativity. ... Resilience.More items...•Oct 5, 2021

What grades do you need to be a lawyer?

What GCSEs should I take to become a lawyer? To study law, you'll need at least five GCSEs (or equivalent Level 2 qualifications) at grade 4/C or above, including Maths, English Language and Science. Courses are competitive, so you should aim for the highest grades possible.

Who is the most famous lawyer?

Famous Lawyers You Should KnowRobert Shapiro. Robert Shapiro is one of the best-known lawyers in American history. ... Thurgood Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was one of the most famous lawyers in American history. ... Woodrow Wilson. ... Johnnie Cochran. ... William Howard Taft. ... Andrew Jackson. ... Abraham Lincoln. ... Robert Kardashian.More items...

What are lawyers passionate about?

They may like to argue and feel they want to be a litigator. Some may feel passionate about arguing a point. These are attorneys who love participating in the trial experience and have a strong desire to win.Oct 11, 2018

What are the pros and cons of being a lawyer?

Top 10 Being a Lawyer Pros & Cons – Summary ListBeing a Lawyer ProsBeing a Lawyer ConsLawyers can earn really good moneyLawyers often work long hoursBeing a lawyer implies excellent career optionsStress can be enormousLawyers can work in many different jobsBeing a lawyer may affect your family life7 more rows

Attracting new clients

New business is still a priority in the legal sector at the moment so our research starts by asking what’s important when selecting a law firm. The good news is that recommendations from professionals (83%) and from family and friends (78%) remain crucially important to clients.

Communications

Working from home and Zoom calls are likely to become part of a firm’s life going forward and both have proved successful. Furthermore, the research showed that fewer than 20% of clients said they expect lawyers to work from the office.

Service

Service was the second most important factor highlighted in the research. Once again, we asked an open question to respondents: “When dealing with a law firm, which three words best describe your most recent experience?” The two words that stood out were: professional and expensive.

Pricing transparency

91% of clients now expect websites to give an indication of pricing. In practice, this should be a straightforward exercise. You know your charging rates so why not outline these on your website?

Action points for firms

When digesting this research, consider for a moment how you personally have changed your expectations and journey with regard to the providers of other providers of goods and services.

What do clients want from a lawyer?

Perhaps what clients want most from their lawyer is connection. That’s a scary word, I know. Simply put, clients want to be in a relationship with you. Connection is part of our survival instinct.

Why do clients need a calming system?

They need you to deal productively with their frustration over not being able to solve the problem without help, and feeling out of control. Creating a system helps them and you.

Is meeting with a lawyer intimidating?

Meeting with a lawyer is intimidating. You can be the nicest person in the world, but clients still often feel unsure of what to do or say in an unfamiliar situation.

How to share key information with clients?

Use newsletters, webinars, or other knowledge hubs to share key information with your clients. With legislation, regulations, and industry landscapes shifting, clients are looking for the most up-to-date information. And be proactive. Waiting for a phone call or email is a surefire way to lose a top spot.

Is industry expertise correlated with brand affinity?

Notably, industry expertise is correlated with a significantly greater portion of client spend than brand affinity. With so much upheaval across industries, it’s clear that clients rely heavily on outside counsel to help them stay up to speed with legal and regulatory changes. In the face of rapid changes and immediate needs, long-standing relationships are being tested.

Why do clients need lawyers?

Clients require their lawyers to be a business partner, to move away from simple black-letter law advice and towards providing advice that is accurate and also demonstrates a commercial understanding of the world the client operates in. They also value a focus on efficiency, be it by using technology or other means.

What do you think clients value most from their law firms?

What do you think clients value most from their law firms?#N#Clients value consistent high-quality service and advice , which is based on a deep understanding of their business and market. They also look for insights that draw on that understanding and bring value to their organisation.

What is more important, clients or advisers?

What is more important is that clients believe they are receiving value for money – and indeed added value – from their advisers and that firms are being as efficient as possible, whether that is by using new technology, alternative delivery centres or through other forms of innovation.

What does client want?

Clients want commerciality — a real understanding of their market and their business concerns adds real value. They want a diverse team, but with diversity in all its facets; not just gender or race but diversity of thought, which can come from business services professionals working as part of the client team.

What does it mean to be a lawyer?

It means you have to be constantly changing your game. You need to think like a client to give them what they want. Lawyers have always been better at talking than listening but you have to become good at listening. Lawyers have had to get better at selling what clients want to buy and not what they want to sell.

What have been the biggest changes in the way your firm delivers service to clients over the last few years?

That said, innovation can mean different things to different clients. For some, innovation is primarily about leveraging technology. For others, it is about finding alternative resource to manage different types and volumes of work, or using project management techniques to deliver a transaction or case efficiently.

Why do lawyers not disappear?

They also want dialogue in between matters. Lawyers must not disappear because their transaction has ended. ‘They also want lawyers who understand the context in which they’re delivering their advice – the things you’re not taught in law school are really important,’ he adds.

How much does an attorney charge per hour?

Attorneys charge anywhere from $50 to $1,000 or more per hour, depending on the location, size and prestige of the firm as well as the lawyer's reputation and experience. Shop around to get quotes from several firms before making a decision. However, beware of comparing one attorney with another on the basis of fees alone.

What to do if you think one method will work better?

If you think one method will work better for you than another, don't hesitate to bring it up with the attorney; many will offer flexible arrangements to meet your needs . Have the attorney estimate the cost of each matter in writing, so you can decide whether it's worth pursuing.

Why are hourly fees not the best value?

The lowest hourly fees may not indicate the best value in legal work because an inexperienced attorney may take twice as long to complete a project as an experienced one will. While there's no denying that lawyers are expensive, the good news is, there are more ways than ever to keep a lid on costs.

What is the skill of a lawyer?

Being able to work with different types of clients is a vital skill for all lawyers. While developing a complete skillset for client management takes many years, all lawyers can take one step to better understand their clients. The step is figuring out where the client fits into one of the four broad client types.

What is client type spotting?

Client-type spotting is the same idea. A lawyer who can recognize his or her client as fitting into a certain type will be better prepared to deal with the client and to serve the client’s needs. The first type of client all lawyers need to be familiar with is the first-time client. This is the client who has either never used a lawyer, ...

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Attracting New Clients

  • New business is still a priority in the legal sector at the moment so our research starts by asking what’s important when selecting a law firm. The good news is that recommendations from professionals (83%) and from family and friends (78%) remain crucially important to clients. While clientswill still seek the advice of friends or other profession...
See more on lawyer-monthly.com

Communications

  • Work From Home Working from homeand Zoom calls are likely to become part of a firm’s life going forward and both have proved successful. Furthermore, the research showed that fewer than 20% of clients said they expect lawyers to work from the office. But while clients don’t mind where you work 84% still want to be able to meet their lawyer in person, they also want the conv…
See more on lawyer-monthly.com

Service

  • Service was the second most important factor highlighted in the research. Once again, we asked an open question to respondents: “When dealing with a law firm, which three words best describe your most recent experience?” The two words that stood out were: professional and expensive. But also words helpful, good, easy and efficient featured prominently. For most firms, improving …
See more on lawyer-monthly.com

Pricing Transparency

  • It will of course present a challenge to firms that have a more traditional hourly rate only approach with varying rates depending on the lawyer involved, which is not untypical for many firms, but you need to have a cohesive pricing strategy for the purposes of what you put on your website. It also needs to be clear and understandable. This is an area that requires some thought to meet the ne…
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Action Points For Firms

  • When digesting this research, consider for a moment how you personally have changed your expectations and journey with regard to the providers of other providers of goods and services. Many of the solutions to the problems already exist within your firm. Ask yourself if you are using your technology to the best advantage. Update your website and social media profiles on the lik…
See more on lawyer-monthly.com