TYPES OF CLIENTS A LAWYER SHOULD AVOID

Introduction

There is a different type of clients, and some clients must be avoided, and each and everyone in your office needs to be aware that what type of clients to avoid. And it is very important to discuss with your Junior counsel and the associates that what types of clients you guys must have to avoid as they are also associated with the work to bring clients in the chamber or firm.

There is a different type of clients, and some clients must be avoided, and each and everyone in your office needs to be aware that what type of clients to avoid. And it is very important to discuss with your Junior counsel and the associates that what types of clients you guys must have to avoid as they are also associated with the work to bring clients in the chamber or firm.

As we all are aware of the fact that the Law field in today’s time is one of the most respected, reputed and always a field of much demanding. Becoming a lawyer is not an easy task. Choosing law as a career means we are ready to continue our studies even after graduation. The whole process takes a lot of time, lots of effort, and intelligent choices to begin a career in law. So it also becomes a very important part to choose a client wisely because law professionals are already putting so much effort to excel in this field. Becoming a lawyer is no cakewalk, but it is a comprehensive education that will ensure a sweet career for an individual.

So one of the best ways to maintain the nobility of this particular profession is to manage a good relationship with clients and is to avoid the clients who fall under the ambit of bad clients in the first place. There are various types of a lawyer who is considered that smart lawyer because they have mastered learning how to avoid representing bad clients. This actually doesn’t essentially mean that turning down cases where the advocates disapprove of what the client did.?

1.??? The Angry Client

There are a lot of incidents that arise in which it is found out that the advocates have been physically assaulted by angry clients as initially, the lawyers did not take this anger problem seriously. And even if that particular client is not physically violent, but this type of client has the capability to make a lawyer’s life miserable. These kinds of a client may come under the ambit of “Revenge Seekers” so, beware of that specific type of client who is basically looking for a pound of flesh. And the reality is they may not be happy again until they have some of yours.

How to handle them:

i.?????????????? Listen: One of the greatest compliments is to listen. This means stopping what we are doing, focusing on them and listening with the sole purpose of listening. Do not listen with the intent to understand; listen with the intent to reply.

ii.???????????? Listen some more: Often people want to feel they have been heard. Listening, reflecting back, and empathizing while asking open questions such as "what else is going on right now?" can help a client empty themselves of all the anger and poisonous feelings they have at that If that point is reached, there are real opportunities to help them.

iii.?????????? Reflect: Reflecting does not have to take hours, just a pause to reflect on what you have heard before responding can help. It helps us process our thoughts and respond appropriately. It also demonstrates the care we are taking to help the client. Sometimes the speed of thought and response that we may be valued for can be a disadvantage to a distressed or angry client.

iv.?????????? Be solutions focused: What does your client really want to achieve? Do they simply wish to perpetuate a painful conflict and increase their bills? Or do they want a resolution and be able to move on knowing they have been heard? As you are no doubt aware, the solution the client is asking for in their moment of distress is not always really what they want.

v.???????????? Be aware of your personal and professional boundaries: You will attract the odd client who is a bully, plain and simple. They will have got themselves where they are by bullying and will see no good reason to give up now. Whether you wish to put up with their abuse and take the fees is up to you. An emotionally resilient lawyer knows that their resilience and emotional wellbeing is essential to all of their clients, and that by putting up with the abuse of one toxic client could be a long term way of letting down a lot of other people that deserve your help. Sometimes letting a client go is the best thing we can do.?

2.?The Cheapskate

These type of clients are so cheap that they won’t even pay you. They focus more on bargaining rather than the status of a?case. We all are aware of the fact that Lawyers are expensive, as it’s smart business to focus on reducing costs for clients. But a client who keeps spending time more on complaining about fees than discussing legal issues is one of the types which must be avoided unless you are willingly involved in arguing over unpaid invoices. It does not matter if your price is fair or not, these clients will want to a lower price.

How to handle them:

The Cheapskate just wants the product to work. Talk to them about quality and durability all you want, they just want the job complete with the lowest total cost?to them. If you want to make them happy,?let them know you saved them some money.

These clients can actually be great to work for if you are looking for a quick payday. The trick is to make sure the product reflects the price.

i.????????????? Do the work quickly: Time is your most valuable asset as a freelancer. This client just wants the job done, so that’s exactly what you need to do.

ii.??????????? Get it in writing:? Some Cheapskates are so cheap that they won’t even pay you. Be sure to sign a contract with them before beginning any work.

iii.????????? Start the estimates high:?It doesn’t matter if your prices are fair or not, this client will want a lower price. By beginning your estimates with a higher-end price, you can?haggle with a Cheapskate?and come to a win-win compromise.

3.?Dreamers

These are the type of clients who have their own expectations about the cases or unrealistic expectations about the value or result of their case. It is Attorney’s work to explain in detail what the law can do and what cannot. And If they still have unrealistic expectations, start to avoid such types of clients. Some clients have unrealistic expectations about service, time, costs, about results, so it's best that before entering into a lawyer-client relationship with a new person an advocate must try to assure the client has a realistic understanding.

How to handle them:

Dreamers want their dreams to come true. This can be difficult if you are unable to live up their high expectations. However, if you impress a dreamers, they will absolutely adore you.

Without discouraging their passion, you must?bring the Dreamer back into reality. Letting them visualize and interact with your work can help them:

i.?????????????? Ask them to show you examples: You may be hit with the line, "it is so awesome it doesn’t exist yet!" but be persistent until they are able to think rationally.

ii.???????????? Be straightforward with prices and timeframes:?Sometimes what the Dreamer wants isn’t impossible, it’s just difficult. If this is the case, give them a solid price and timeframe to do the work in.

iii.?????????? Ask them about the details:?Dreamers rarely fill in the blanks. While their end goals are usually incredible, sitting down with them and discussing the details can help both you and them get a good grasp on the scope of the project.

4. Inappropriate client

Simply, if any person who was in an advocate -lawyers relationship done something against the natural action or something which comes under the ambit of the term “inappropriate,” then a lawyer should avoid that type of client too. For example, if the client persists in trying to seduce the advocates or if the advocate is in strong believes that he or she will yield to temptation over time,?so it is best to terminate the lawyer-client relationship immediately. The simple reason is that no lawyer should risk his or her legal career over a person who is only pretending to like the lawyer to get out of paying a bill.

i.?????????????? Consider the Core Ethical Obligations: You have to provide competent representation, to abide by client decisions, and to exercise diligence within the bounds of the law. Pursuant to an obligation to provide competent representation to clients, you are required to apply the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation reasonably necessary for the representation.

However, you are not permitted to advise clients to engage in conduct that lawyers know is also a violation of any law, nor can assist clients in violating the law. When clients present issues or ideas that are potentially contrary to law, you are permitted to provide advice regarding the application or validity of the law at issue. This advice can include an analysis of the risks of potentially violating the law and any punishments that could attach. Thus, you do not have to shut down any conversations that involve a client’s consideration of criminal activity.

ii.???????????? Know Where to Draw the Line: The Rules for Professional Conduct provide you with some leeway when it comes to advising clients as to the risks of noncompliance with the law. When providing advice, however, you may evaluate whether they are going beyond merely presenting objective information about the legal ramification of a particular course of action.

The rule further distinguishes between attorneys counseling and assisting clients in criminal or fraudulent conduct, which is prohibited, and attorneys who merely discuss the legal consequences of an act or otherwise assist clients in making a good faith effort to determine the scope or meaning of the law, which is permitted.

iii.?????????? Remember Attorney-Client Privilege and Confidentiality: The importance of attorney-client privilege and the confidentiality inherent in the attorney-client relationship cannot be overstated: those protections encourage clients to speak forthrightly and truthfully to lawyers, thereby promoting the disclosure of all relevant information. The creation of the “zone of privacy” stimulates candor and honesty that allows lawyers to provide sound legal advice and effective advocacy.

In particular, the ethical rules provide that even when you are aware that a client is about to commit a serious crime, you are not required to disclose that confidential information.

That rule provides that you may reveal confidential information only “to the extent that the you reasonably believes the disclosure is necessary to prevent a criminal act that you reasonably believes is likely to result in death of, or substantial bodily harm to, an individual.

Recognizing that such circumstances may not always be present even where the client is breaking the law, instead of disclosing confidential information, in some cases your options include only their “right and, where appropriate, duty to resign or withdraw” from the representation. Failure to recognize that confidentiality obligations remain intact even where the client is actively breaking the law may face their own punishment.

iv.?????????? Get an Outside Opinion: You are required to seeking the advice of their firm’s in-house counsel or of outside counsel specializing in liability issues to help clarify their role and obligations to your client. You can also be careful to ensure that they are not assisting your client with any criminal conduct.

5. The Sprinter

Some clients are born Sprinters, and some are just?forced to run to meet a deadline. The Sprinter always has time on their minds. They are serious when it comes to deadlines, and are often very busy people.

They frequently think?if a project can get done in one month; you should be able to get it done in three weeks.

How to handle them:

For a Sprinter, time is of the essence. Their goal is to get projects done fast. This type of client is?generally hardworking, so they expect the people around them to be the same way. When dealing with a Sprinter:

i.?????????????? Proceed with caution: Sometimes it only takes an hour to negotiate your workload for the next month. Don’t get caught in a deal that leaves you stuck with an over-demanding assignment.

ii.???????????? Guard your deadlines:?You will be held accountable to the timeframes mentioned in your contract, so be realistic and flexible with them. The Sprinter may want you to complete work ahead of schedule, but don’t move from those deadlines unless you are comfortable doing so.

iii.?????????? Pace yourself:?When working for a Sprinter, follow the basic rules of productivity: stay focused, cut out distractions, take breaks, and stay organized.

6. The Underling

The Underling?is not allowed to make any decisions. They are clients who work?under a strict chain of command, meaning they need approval before making most decisions. They usually have no clue what is going on and are rarely prepared for the questions you have to ask.

How to handle them:

What the Underling wants doesn’t really matter – what matters is what their superiors want. Ultimately, if the work you give the Underling?pleases the ‘guys upstairs’, you will have a very happy client.

They key to dealing with an Underling is?to think like an employee. Strategically plan ahead for the "let me get back to you" mentality. When working for an Underling:

i.????????????? Ask questions in bulk:?Individual questions get lost in emails and sticky notes. The best way to save yourself time and stress is to compile a sizeable list of questions you will need answered and submit them all at once.

ii.??????????? Prepare for the lag:?Do you know how news reporters always take a minute to respond to questions? This is exactly what you will have with an Underling. Ask questions ahead of time so you are properly equipped for the next phase of your work.

iii.????????? Don’t bother explaining:?If you are working for an Underling there is a good chance their boss is the next type of client on our list. This means that the Underling just needs to know the highlights of the work you’ve done because that’s all their boss wants to hear.

7. The Delegator

The Delegator?is personally my favorite client. The Delegator hired you because they know what you’re doing, and expect you do complete your work with skill and professionalism. They won’t want to be bothered with the details or bogged down by long meetings; their credo is: "you do it".

How to handle them:

They simply want a?solid finished product completed within a reasonable amount of time. The work you are doing for them is usually just a small piece in a much bigger plan.?Your work will have to speak on your behalf because the Delegator isn’t available to meet?for the next two months. When working with a Delegator:

i.????????????? Respect their time:?Delegators guard their time like they guard their very lives. When interacting with them, come prepared and keep it short.

ii.??????????? Be direct and honest:?Delegators loathe excuses. They are not interested in what tools are used on a project, how long it took you, or what went wrong along the way; they want to know if the job is done and if the product works.

iii.????????? Give them a document:?This type of client can handle paperwork much better than they can handle human interaction (unless of course, they have delegated the paperwork to someone else). By giving them a written report, you are able to keep them informed without taking up too much of their time.