SUCCESSFUL CLIENT COUNSELING STRATEGIES



SUCCESSFUL CLIENT COUNSELING STRATEGIES

A chronological explanation of the process

Make the Client Comfortable. Have as many pleasantries as possible to make the client feel comfortable (“were you able to find parking easily?” or “how did you hear about us?” or “may I take your coat?”); you can also tell the client a bit about yourselves.

Overview of Session. Tell the client what to expect from this initial consultation session (“have you ever been to an attorney before?” then “during this session, we’ll ask you all about your problem, we’ll ask you questions as we go to clarify things, and we’ll offer a preliminary legal analysis of your situation and provide some suggestions about potential courses of action”).

Pre-Flight List. Keep it short, but you’ve got to go through some preliminary matters:

1. Client’s full name and address (or “did the secretary give you an information sheet to fill out?”).

2. $50 consultation fee; it’s a bit disingenuous to bring up the fee toward the end; if you forget, you can always catch yourself by asking whether the secretary had explained the fee.

3. Attorney-client privilege; brief explanation to put the client at ease (everything you say will be kept in this room; please be open and honest so we can offer the best advice possible).

4. Urge the client to stop you if you’re not being clear or if you’re using language that the client doesn’t understand.

5. Conflict Check: you need to clear with the secretary at the front desk that you are not precluded from meeting with the client because of a conflict of interest. Simply call (using an imaginary phone or pretending with a cell phone) the secretary and ask if you have a conflict. Your partner can do this after you get the client’s name and while you explain some of the above items.

6. These items should not consume too much of the time allotted.

Client’s Story. Start by asking something like, “tell us what brings you here today” or “our secretary informed us that you have some sort of problem with your neighbor.”

1. You must decide how you will gather all of the facts from the client. While some clients may need help in maneuvering through the issues, be careful to not be overbearing.

2. Other items of note:

a. Whether or not the opposing party is represented by counsel.

b. Names and addresses of other potentially adverse parties.

c. Whether the client has brought with him/her, possesses, or has access to any documents or copies of documents discussed.

3. Be sure to elicit the client’s goals.

4. You may want to “recap” the client’s story to fill in gaps, etc. This demonstrates: (a) your attention to detail; (b) your ability to listen; (c) your desire for clarity and organization; (d) your trustworthiness in absorbing your client’s problems; and (e) your interest in accurately and zealously representing your client’s interests.

Analysis:

1. You DO NOT need to be an expert in any particular field of law for this competition.[1] If you are unsure about something, tell the client that you will research an issue rather than misstating the law.

2. Be frank with the client regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their case.

3. Lay out the possible routes the client can take (do not forget about “non-traditional” alternatives such as: contacting the other party by letter, telephone, or in person; negotiation; mediation; etc.)

Fees. Lay out your fee schedule in open and honest terms:

1. As previously discussed, the initial consultation fee is $50. Further work will be billed at $100 per hour of either lawyer’s time.

2. “We are mindful of the fact that you’d probably like to keep your legal costs down; to that end, we really do want to help you keep fees to a minimum; there are several things we can do to keep those costs down: (a) you should send us copies of all documents as soon as possible; (b) you should send us names and addresses of all parties involved as soon as possible; (c) you might consider preparing for us a diary or folder of all relevant information related to this matter; (d) we’re not averse to pursuing less expensive non-legal options or pre-litigation options.”

3. “If you decide not to retain our services, you are entitled to retrieve all documents prepared for court and any and all research done; they belong to you, personal notes on the case written by attorneys assigned to your case, however, do not”;

Action Items. You must identify very specific actions steps and you cannot let the client leave until he/she knows exactly who will call whom and when to expect that call; “I’ll be the one primarily handling this case, so I’ll give you a call Friday before noon” or “your workplace is right along my daily commute to the office, so why don’t I swing by tomorrow morning to pick up the deed, the lease, and the other documents we discussed”; often, it’s a good idea to give the client a piece of paper and ask them to write down a “to do” list for him/herself (e.g. find contract, copy deed, make diary, get name and address for the landlord, etc.)

Questions. In the time remaining, always be sure to ask whether or not the client has any final questions.

Usher Client Out. Conclude with the requisite pleasantries; be creative (business cards, parking validation, directions back to highway, etc.)

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[1] The ABA regional competition is longer than the time allotment for the interschool rounds and focuses a bit more on legal knowledge. The regional competition will be restricted to one area of law.

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