You are at your most vulnerable when you consult with a lawyer. It doesn’t really matter what kind of legal advice you are seeking, when you come to a lawyer for any reason, you need help. It’s one of the reasons attorneys or lawyers are also called counselors at law. At our best, we as Attorneys can help folks feel better, and counsel people to help them solve a lot of problems. On the flip-side, Attorneys can make a problem more complicated, especially when the Attorney does not appropriately communicate with the client. Here are some tips to help if you are ever thinking, “my lawyer is not communicating with me.”
Asking important questions when choosing an Attorney.
First and foremost, when you are hiring an Attorney, an important question to ask would be, “How fast do you get back to clients when they call?” and “Can I email you in addition to calling you? If I do, how fast can you return emails?” Once you get this information, you will have a reasonable expectation of what sort of timetable the Attorney has with respect to returning client calls/emails.
One thing I always tell people when I meet with them is that I’m a mother, human being and wife in addition to Attorney. I let folks know that they can contact me any time after 5:00 on weekdays and any time on the weekend, but I will not get back to them until working hours the next day. I also remind people that I’m not perfect. Sometimes I get sick or simply miss a message, so if I don’t respond within 24 hours, they should feel free to check in again to see if I missed the message.
When people know my schedule for calling them back, they are a lot happier and less stressed out. I also have a 24-48 hour email/call back policy on working days, and really try to make sure that folks get answers quickly either from myself or staff members. Remember to give your Attorney a little grace. Please understand that they are human too, and hopefully doing their very best to protect and serve your interests.
I’ve done that but still my lawyer
is not communicating with me.
So, if you have done all of these things, and your Attorney isn’t communicating with you, scheduling some face time (ie: an in person or telephonic meeting) makes sense. Then you can let your lawyer know you are concerned with his or her lack of responsiveness. If you do this, and your Attorney fails to meet your needs, then it may be time for a new Attorney that fits better with your personal needs for communication and/or work product.
If you are in the Central Valley of California: Fresno, Visalia, and Hanford; and need to speak with an Attorney contact us by clicking here.