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How to protect your practice from difficult clients 

By: Dustin A. Cole
Published: April 11, 2012

Tags: client relations

Keeping control of clients who become difficult to manage and making sure you filter out the not-so-good clients in the first place are essential to maintaining a successful law practice and holding on to your sanity. This can be especially important in family law matters, where emotions tend to run high, this also applies in other practice areas. Here are five “rules of engagement” to help you protect your practice and yourself from difficult clients.

Let clients book their own legal appointment online 

Published: March 12, 2012

Tags: client relations, online booking

Last year, busy solo lawyer Mike Young discovered that he and his staff were wasting about 10 hours per week fielding calls from consumers looking for free legal advice.

Effective client exit surveys 

By: Sylvia Hsieh
Published: October 7, 2011

Tags: client relations, client surveys

If you’ve ever wondered what your clients really think of you, try asking them.

Client exit surveys are a useful management tool for small firm and solo attorneys, and they double as an effective marketing tool.

How to get hired: Tips for a great first client meeting 

Published: June 15, 2011

Tags: client meetings, client relations, practice management

The first meeting with a client can be a make-it or break-it scenario for attorneys.

Ethics: What to do when a client balks 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: February 11, 2011

Tags: client communication, client relations, ethics, independent medical exam, legal malpractice

It’s no surprise that some clients are more cooperative than others in litigation.

But what can a lawyer do when a client refuses to undergo an independent medical exam, participate in a deposition or testify at trial?

The conversion process: From potential client to paying client 

By: Mark Powers and Shawn McNalis
Published: December 30, 2010

Tags: client intake system, client relations, practice management, referral sources

If you’re marketing well and generating a lot of inquiries, but only converting 50percent of your qualified inquiries into clients, something is wrong with your intake system. A high conversion is the result of an intake system that mixes hospitality, professionalism and the ability to inspire confidence. If you find that potential clients are visiting your firm and not converting to paying clients at least 75-90 percent of the time, there’s a problem.

One key question to tackle early on: How do you identify the right referral sources?

Five ways to reconnect with disgruntled clients 

By: Nancy Byerly Jones
Published: November 5, 2010

Tags: client relations, practice management

Some attorneys tend to forget one or more of these simple basics of excellent client service, causing many of their clients to become frustrated, confused and often beyond angry. Here are a few suggestions on how to regain your disgruntled clients’ confidence.

Should your firm accept walk-in clients? 

By: Justin Rebello
Published: February 17, 2010

Tags: client relations, practice management

Some lawyers are even acting contrary to the old credo that the client shouldn’t pick the lawyer; the lawyer should pick the client, and taking clients that simply walk in the door.

But is it a good idea to take on walk-in clients?

When a client has special needs 

By: Kimberly Atkins
Published: January 26, 2010

Tags: client relations, practice management

Guiding a client through the confusing and sometimes scary process of a legal proceeding can be tricky. But when a client has a mental illness, there are a host of new considerations attorneys must be mindful of.

New economy requires revising business strategies

By: Susan Cartier Liebel
Published: December 18, 2009

Tags: client relations, practice management, solo attorneys

I recently learned that after 22 1/2 years at a major corporation my neighbor was being laid off. He was two and a half years away from his pension, but he was given one year’s salary as severance because of his longevity.