The Gazette 1993

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUST 1993

P RAe TIC E MANAGEMENT

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A letter to my Solicitor

OUT

This month 'a client' outlines the -_._-- --- -- - -_._----- -- - -- --_.- level of communication he would like - and ~xpe~ts :- from his soli~itor.

understanding of the service you are giving to me.

phone calls from me or having to make demands of me for more detailed information. I would like to suggest the following listening/ questioning/ advising formula.

I know that every solicitor' nightmare is the "time con uming" (and normally, .slow paying) client that expects him to be a soc ial worker as well as everything el e. But there are a number of rea ons why communicating with me hould be regarded as a good investment rather than a necessary evil :- (a) It might save you wasting time later on my continuous telephone (b) My story may reveal that there are other areas where you might be able to offer me legal services in addition to the matter at hand. This is particularly important for you, given the increased competit– ion within the profession and the prospect that people who are not solicitors will be able to offer some legal service in the future . (c) I am more likely to bring similar issues and other legal business to calls because of your lack of understanding of my anxieties. you in the future. It costs five times as much in promotion to generate new clients than it doe to retain old one. I am more likely to choose you a my solicitor on the basi of a recommendation from one of your ati fied clients'rather than by reading or hearing any promotion. Remember, no matter how small my transaction is, I am a possible passport to many more client .

Dear Solicitor,

Listening

I am no fool ... I am your client and your livelihood.

( I) Greet, seat and introduce yourself to me.

As a solicitor the first step I would like you to take towards communicating well with me is to realise that I am not a "file" but a person ... with anxieties and a certain trepidation of things legal. The second important point to note is that as the client I am gaining the upper hand. This is the age of consumerism; if I consumer friendly, I can also do it to the providers of legal services. I no longer doff the cap or defer to my local doctor or solicitor; I treat them as business people and expect to be treated as a paying customer. So, I want you to give me a better service ... to communicate with me effectively and regularly. Poor communication on simple matter can have repercussion out of all proportion to the matter at hand and waste time and energy for both of us. If I do not know what is going on I will become mistrustful and might even assume bad practice. I will certainly complain about you to my friend (potential clients) and might even complain to the Law Society. You could avoid all of this by a can force the mighty banks and insurance companies to become telephone caJl which explains to me what is happening and makes me feel free to ask you questions. I know legal matters are becoming much more complex and thus more difficult to explain to me. However, I am also becoming much more demanding and I want to be given a full picture and to have a complete i frie ndly and thorough initial consultation or a simple letter or

(2) Elicit my story with opening questions etc.

(3) Listen carefully to my basic

outline of personalities and case from my own unhindered words.

Questioning

(4) Question me on facts for gaps, depth, background, ambiguities and relevance. (5) Sum up and recount your view of facts, and check for my agreement or amendments. Minimise jargon. (6) State advice and inform me of the plan of action and deal with question of likely outcome, timescale and cost. (7) Repeat advice/plan of action and check for my agreement or amend.

Advising

(8) Recount follow-up work to be done by me.

So what would I like you to do?

(9) Recount follow-up work to be done by you.

(a) Initial Consultation

If you communicate properly during the initial consultation most of the communication gaps and errors can be bridged. If you listen effectively you will build up my confidence thereby saving time later by not having to answer

I (10) State next contact between us.

(II) Ask if there is "any other business" and deal with it.

( 12) Terminate and good-bye.

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