Most firms don’t survey their clients and, if they finally do, are shocked to find out that their clients aren’t happy. We latch on to the opinions of the few happy clients and hope the others don’t speak up.
As a lawyer, effective client communication is essential for building strong client relationships and achieving successful outcomes in legal matters. Communication plays a vital role in ensuring that clients are informed about their cases, their concerns are addressed promptly, and they are confident that their legal needs are being met.
Here are some effective client communication strategies that can help attorneys improve their communication with clients:
Active Listening:
A good listener is appreciated everywhere attorneys must practice active listening to understand their client’s needs, concerns, and objectives. Active listening means giving complete attention to the client without interrupting them and asking clarifying questions ensuring that you have understood their perspective. This helps lawyers develop a better understanding of their client’s situations and work together to achieve their goals.
Establish Expectations:
From the outset, attorneys should establish clear and effective communication expectations with their clients. This includes the preferred mode of communication (email, phone, in-person), how often they will communicate, and what kind of updates to expect from the attorney. This helps to ensure that clients are kept informed about their case progress and helps to build trust between the attorney and client.
Use Plain Language:
Legal jargons can be confusing and overwhelming for clients, making it difficult for them to understand their legal situation. Attorneys are suggested to use plain language when communicating with clients to help them understand their legal issues and options.
This also helps build trust between the attorney and client by demonstrating that the lawyer is focused on helping the client understand their legal situation.
Be Responsive:
Attorneys should be responsive to their client’s communications and concerns. Clients want to feel that their lawyer is accessible and responsive to their needs.
Attorneys should respond to clients’ emails, phone calls, and other communication promptly to help them feel that their concerns are being heard and addressed.
Provide Regular Updates:
Regular updates help clients to stay informed about the progress of their cases and help to alleviate their concerns. Attorneys should provide regular updates to their clients, including the case progress, upcoming deadlines, and changes in the legal situation.
Avoid Surprises:
Surprises can be stressful and unsettling for clients. Lawyers should avoid surprises by communicating potential issues or risks in advance and discussing strategies to mitigate these risks.
This helps to build trust between the attorney and client by demonstrating that the lawyer is focused on helping the client achieve their goals and is proactive in addressing potential issues.
Empathize:
Attorneys should empathize with their clients and understand the emotional toll that legal matters can take on them. By showing empathy, lawyers can build trust and establish a strong rapport with their clients.
Empathy also helps attorneys to understand their client’s concerns and motivations, which can help to inform legal strategies and decision-making.
Effective client communication is essential for building strong attorney- clients relationships. Lawyers who practice active listening are likely to have higher chances to establish clear communication expectations with their clients. They may use plain language, response proactively, provide regular case updates, avoid surprises, and empathize with their clients when required. By implementing these effective client communication strategies, lawyers can improve their communication with clients, enhance their client relationships, and achieve successful outcomes in legal matters.