Communication is Key

One of the most important aspects of an attorney-client relationship is communication. Any legal endeavor, from complex litigation to negotiation of a business agreement, relies on the attorney and client communicating to work properly. The communication need not be long phone calls, but something as simple as a text message when something important happens.

Both the attorney and the client have an equal responsibility to communicate with each other. Initially, the client has to make sure they communicate all the facts and nuances of the case. I stated above, that when something important occurs, let the attorney know. The question becomes – what is an important piece of information? The simple answer is: everything. No matter how trivial, pass the information along to the attorney. If you have emails, documents, or text messages you believe might be important to the case, send it to the attorney. And there is never a bad time to provide information. At numerous times a client has passed along a key piece of information half-way through a case, and that information has been the key to winning the case.

The client isn’t the only party that needs to communicate. The attorney knows what is needed to win a lawsuit, complete an agreement, or finalize a contract. They need to illicit information from the client. The quicker the proper information is used at the beginning of a case, the quicker that case can be resolved. Finally, the attorney must keep the client up to date on the case. Something as simple as a quick email from the attorney that states, ‘no change in the case,’ allows the client to know the attorney hasn’t forgotten about them.

I always try to provide the client with regular updates and provide copies of all relevant documents. And I will always take a client call and respond to an email. My belief is that to result in a positive outcome, communication with the client will provide an avenue to success.