Please refer to Part-1 of this 2-part article to read about the role of your lawyer and why it is important to have a strong lawyer-client working relationship with your attorney.
The following points will add to developing a strong work relationship with your lawyer and lead you to more successful results in your lawsuit.
First and Foremost, Give Your Lawyer the Whole Story - As soon as you hire your lawyer, tell him or her everything that is related to your case and provide him or her with every relevant document, even those facts and details that you think are damaging to your case. Lawyers have been trained to sift and sort through the information you provide and determine what information is useful for your case and what isn't. Every fact and detail could be crucial to your case. Facts which may not seem important to you may have serious legal consequences. Your lawyer might be able to use a fact or a document you thought was unimportant as the basis for a creative legal argument. And if something might harm your case, your lawyer will have plenty of time to prepare defensive maneuvers.
Respond Promptly - This factor alone will certainly damage the relationship between you and your lawyer and almost always hurt your case - that is if your response is of an irresponsible nature. Lawyers often have to work under very tight deadlines. Your prompt response to your lawyer's requests will insure those deadlines are met and your case is flowing smoothly. Your prompt response will also give your lawyer enough time to go over your information and better prepare his or her next step. If you are not able to respond quickly for one reason or another, let your lawyer know immediately. Your lawyer might be able to get an extension of time from your opponent or the court, or rearrange other matters to accommodate the delay.
Cooperation - During the course of your case, your lawyer will ask you for particular documents or certain facts relevant to your lawsuit. Instead of making your lawyer hunt down those details, remember that you're the one who is undertaking this legal action. In most instances you have much easier access to the information relevant to your case than any one else. By cooperating with your lawyer in gathering the important details for winning your case, you will not only help your situation, but have your lawyer spend less time, which will reduce your legal cost.
At a beginning of a lawsuit, your lawyer may ask you to write down a summary of events leading up to the lawsuit. Make sure that what you write is extremely accurate – only known facts. Your lawyer will base your claims and defenses on this information.
Preparedness - Always remember that your attorney's time is your money. Better prepared you are, less money your legal matter will cost you. When you meet with your lawyer, have with you already prepared written summary or detailed notes outlining your problem or questions; bring copies of all documents, letters and other correspondence relating to your case. Also, provide your lawyer with a list of all names, addresses, and telephone numbers of persons involved in the case. This will avoid unnecessary delays. Be as brief as possible in all interviews with your lawyer, and stick to business. At the rate that you are charged for calls and conferences, socializing gets very expensive.
Keep Your Lawyer Informed - Your lawyer can work only with the information that you provide him or her with. Failure to keep your lawyer updated with information about any new developments relevant to your case can be disastrous to your final outcome. Tell your lawyer immediately of changes or new information that might affect your case. On the same note, holding back information can as well prevent your lawyer from obtaining your desired results. That's why it is very important for you to be truthful and complete about the facts of your situation.
Keep Your Schedule Flexible - There are certain legal events in which you must participate. Very often these events are scheduled weeks or even months in advance. Most of these events can be rescheduled to accommodate your schedule only if your lawyer knows in advance. But, be prepared to change your plans if you must because sometimes a judge may insist on holding the scheduled meeting whether your schedule permits or not.
Various Other Points
- Take your lawyer's legal advice seriously. When an attorney gives legal advice, the attorney may be liable for malpractice if the advice is wrong. For that reason attorneys are hesitant to give legal advice and expose themselves to liability without first checking the most current legal facts. And that takes time. That's why they charge a fee for legal advice because they give you facts and not an opinion. So when your lawyer gives you legal advice relevant to your legal issue, you better follow up on it because it's a real deal.
- Many legal problems cannot be explained simply. We live in a complex society with an extremely complex legal system. So if you don't understand something that your lawyer says, don't just take it as is - ask for an explanation. Maybe you need to ask your lawyer to explain it with a non-legal jargon.
- Respect your attorney's time. Avoid phoning repeatedly about every single question that comes on your mind. First of all you will pay for the time spent on the phone. Second, your lawyer has other clients who require attention too. So, it would be in your best interest and is usually more cost-effective to ask several questions at a time, rather than calling each time a question arises. By all means, do not wait to call your lawyer if your question is so important that it will affect your case significantly.
- Avoid legal debate. If you sometimes feel that your lawyer is not quite handling your legal issue the way you think he or she is suppose to, try to first gain an understanding by asking your lawyer questions about his or her course of action instead of directly engaging into a debate. But if you really must engage into a debate because you're certain that you know it better, check the facts before you start the discussion. You don't want to embarrass yourself when your lawyer proves you wrong. Lawyers have extensive legal training. Their actions sometimes may seem weird to you but they may be just the right move for obtaining positive results for your legal issue.
- Respect your lawyer's pride. One common characteristic amongst all lawyers is their strong pride. That comes with their profession. Sometimes it may feel that this pride borders on arrogance or egotism. Maybe so. But, so what? Actually, this feature may win your case. It gives lawyers more confidence even if they lack the experience. So, treat your lawyer with respect and he or she will do more than their very best to get you your desired results.
- Your lawyer is a professional. As such, address your lawyer in a professional way in your communication, whether written or oral. You'll get much better results. For an example, which of these two sentences do you think would get you better response by your lawyer? "We need to talk right now because my case is not moving the way I want and I want to see what you're doing wrong" – or – "I would appreciate if we could schedule 30 minutes of your time to discuss the current developments of my case." You get the point.
- Communicate your goals very clearly. Tell your lawyer exactly what your expectations are from your legal matter. If you deliver unclear picture to your lawyer, he or she wouldn't know how to set the "Theory of the Case." This is the first and most important step that will support every step of the trial. Your lawyer needs to know exactly what your case is truly about and establish your final objective accordingly.
- Be on time for appointments, whether in court or for anything related to your case.
- Be patient and understand that legal problems require time and research.
- Respond promptly to your lawyer's requests and phone calls.
- And of course, pay your legal fees promptly as agreed in the fee arrangement you made.
Disclaimer: The author and publisher of this article have done their best to give you useful, informative and accurate information. This article does not represent nor replace the legal advice you need to get from a lawyer, or other professional if the content of the article involves an issue you are facing. Laws vary from state-to-state and change from time-to-time. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions about the issues described in this article. Thank you.
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