INTRODUCTION
Just like any relationship, the relationship between a lawyer and his/her client depends on trust and understanding. The moment a client enters the chamber of a lawyer, certain expectations arise from both sides. The client’s needs and requirements are the lawyer’s prime concern, but this relationship works on both sides. A client should make sure that he is honest with his/her lawyer. Certain tips would go a long way in ensuring a stable working relationship with your lawyer. Just like a legal proceeding, a legal relationship is based on norms which can constantly strengthen it.
HOW CAN A CLIENT HELP HIS/HER LAWYER?
Being on time
- In a legal environment, time is money. If as a client, you fix a certain meeting at noon; you should make sure to reach the office of your lawyer at that time.
- If you understand you’re going to be overdue, permit your legal professional to recognize as quickly as you discover.
- In the legal industry, time is cash, and attorneys regularly have a complete day of meetings. If you display up 20 mins overdue for a 30-minute meeting, that both push a completely great legal professional’s complete day returned with the aid of using 20 mins, or method that you’ll simplest have 10 mins together along with your legal professional that day.
- Don’t be the client who thinks it’s ok to expose up at 3 pm for a noon appointment without calling in advance, after which you are amazed to be greeted with the aid of using a fuming legal professional or certainly grew to become away on the reception. You don’t need to be that person.
Write concisely and in chronological order
- When writing to a legal professional to give an explanation for your scenario or provide commands, maintain it short. Lawyers are busy and don’t have time to examine via to discover what you need.
- Use punctuation and entire sentences. It is mostly a right concept to put in writing in bullet points, one bullet factor for every concept.
- If you’re telling a story, begin at the start and gift every truth in chronological order. Don’t leap across the timeline.
Having a clear agenda
- Clarity is of utmost importance while explaining any issue to your lawyer. You should be clear about what you want from him/her and what is important to you.
- You must exchange full information which doesn’t lead to confusion and chaos.
Gathering useful information
- Don’t watch for your legal professional to suppose of records that could be applicable on your matter. Start compiling it yourself first. Even in case, the legal professional makes a decision it’s vain later, no damage has been achieved.
- Take a dispute wherein you’re alleging positive facts, for example. Think strategically approximately how you could show each truth you’re announcing is true.
- For example, did you get concerned in a visitor's accident? Go returned to the scene and took images of it from diverse angles earlier than the format of the vicinity changes.
- Start wondering out of doors the box approximately what data exists that could show a truth that is applicable to your case. If you could arm your legal professional with that, you’re empowering him/her.
Organizing and keeping copies
- If you’ve got a big stack of files which you hate the concept of sifting via, your legal professional likely feels the identical way.
- Your legal professional will do it in case you don’t, but you may be charged accordingly, and also you honestly won’t endear yourself to him/her. Save yourself the fee and make your legal professional glad withinside the process.
- Before handing your files on your legal professional, kind via and categorize them in a few logical ways, whether chronologically, alphabetically or thematically, store them neatly, whether or not in labelled bodily folders or smooth replicas in labelled virtual folders. Add an index naming every report in order.
Less is more
- If your legal professional is kind enough to offer a smartphone number, don’t abuse that privilege. Only call while you want to, and on weekends simplest if it really can’t wait.
- If your legal professional can’t answer, don’t take it personally. He/she can be busy seeking to get your paintings or every other purchaser’s paintings achieved, particularly if the paintings can simply be achieved without interruption.
- Send a quick message explaining what you need and the way pressing its miles, and your legal professional ought to get returned to you. Don’t be the purchaser who interrupts a legal professional’s well-earned Saturday night time out or Sunday morning lie-in, anticipating speaking about something quite trivial that would without problems be treated in a 2-line electronic mail on Monday.
Trust your lawyer
- You have engaged a legal professional to offer you with the legal recommendation and constitute your interests. Therefore when your legal professional offers you the legal recommendation, recognize that that is an expert opinion coming from a person who has specialized expertise in the law. Since it’s also precisely what you’re paying for, give it due consideration.
- That said, whether or not you, in the end, be given or reject the recommendation is as much as you alone, primarily based totally on your – and not your legal professional’s – non-public or business interests. Once you have conveyed your choice to the legal professional, it is his/her task to take your commands and constitute your interests as you have deemed fit. This is likewise what you’re paying for.
- If the legal professional disagrees so strongly together along with your choice that he/she refuses to perform your commands (assuming they’re prison and ethical), discover another legal professional who will.
CONCLUSION
If you’re making your legal professional’s activity easier, it is more likely to show out the way you want. If your legal professional doesn’t have to struggle to deal with you or your work, the route to fulfilment is clearer and greater predictable.
Plus, in case you endear yourself to an appropriate legal professional, the legal professional will become invested to your fulfilment. He/she is much more likely to name in private favours and leverage his/her community to improve your interests.
Even if none of this happens, being smooth to paintings with the will at least assist your legal professional do your paintings quicker and greater accurately, and depart you with a smaller legal bill on the cease of it.
