Effective Communication With Your Lawyer
Lawyers Are Not Therapists
Effective communication with your lawyer requires all of us to focus on the facts of the case, and how the law can help. The law has very little room for emotion, and case analysis starts with the perspective of the judge – not you, the other side, or even the lawyers involved.
Our job as your lawyers is to apply the law to your set of facts (not emotions), and help you make the best legal and financial decision possible, with the information we have available in that moment. It’s not that we don’t care about you, it’s that we care too much about you to let your emotions drive.
Time Is Money
Most attorneys charge for time involved in a case, so it is ideal for clients to be aware of the expense of long phone conversations or emails discussing emotions and frustrations repetitively. That bill can add up quickly.
Provide The Facts
Your lawyer needs to know the facts. It is most effective use of your time, however, for your lawyer to have a written recitation of the facts related to the legal issue we are handling for you. To prevent multiple calls or misunderstanding notes from verbal conversations, a written summary of events is perfect.
Journaling is Key
As cases progress, particularly family issues, the litigants should keep a journal of the facts on a daily or weekly basis, or as issues arise. Contested issues (family and civil related matters alike) routinely take months to resolve on a permanent basis, and the number one reason for these cases to cost thousands of dollars is excessive communication with your lawyer during that time.
No case can go before a judge for resolution of every hiccup in the case. This makes journaling the most time and cost-effective way to track details—which are critical at the final trial in the case, but about which nothing can be done immediately.
The exception to this is an emergency issue. Your definition of emergency does not matter. What matters is if the facts are an emergency under the law, meaning something that affects the health, safety and welfare of a child, and will result in irreparable harm to the child or to the litigant if not stopped, and that the litigant filing has a reasonable chance of success on the merits after an evidentiary hearing is held.
At Lion Legal, we communicate primarily via email to address what will happen next, what you should be doing in the interim, and when you’ll hear from your lawyer next.
We Can Help
Our attorneys are experts, and are here for you with straight talk, predictable cost, and superior services. We promise to tell you what the most likely outcome is up front, and to be open and transparent in our communications with you until your case is resolved.
Our approach to practicing law is revolutionizing the way law firms deliver legal services. Case evaluations are completely free. Call Lion Legal today at (501) 227-7627 or Email Us to set up a free consultation.