Difficult Clients and How You Can Deal With Them As a New Lawyer

Being a new lawyer can be scary enough without throwing a problematic client into the mix. They can sometimes make you question whether you want to be a lawyer and push your patience to its limits. Still, as challenging as some clients can be, you can deal with them when you have the right tools. Learn more about different management techniques for challenging clients below:

Dishonest Clients

Whether you’re helping your clients by protecting assets after a lawsuit is filed, representing them in a divorce, or guiding them through a personal injury case, you want them to be completely honest with you. The more honest they are, the fewer surprises there might be as a case proceeds through the courts.

However, that’s not every lawyer’s experience with their clients. Some clients can be notoriously dishonest. They might leave out information or falsify details because they worry that they will not work in their favor. When facing such a client, remind them that lawyers and law firms don’t determine their guilt; judges and juries do. You can also tell them about the consequences of withholding information.

Erratic Clients

Erratic, inconsistent, or volatile clients can be challenging for an experienced lawyer, let alone a new one. The more you understand about them, the easier it might be to manage them from the beginning of your interactions.

Erratic clients tend to have spotty memories and can sometimes forget important details. They can also lose track of crucial information and even change their minds about the actions they want to take.

You can manage erratic clients by documenting everything about them, including their demeanor during important stages of their case. If you are concerned about their competence or stress levels, you may provide referrals for helpful resources.

Emotional Clients

It’s only natural for clients to become emotionally involved in their own cases. Their futures and livelihoods can often rely on positive outcomes. However, overly emotional clients can sometimes be challenging for new lawyers to manage. They can have righteous anger and be overly focused on getting legal experts to be on their side.

When you encounter an overly emotional client, empathy can be your friend. You don’t have to agree with what they’re saying, but you can say that you can understand why they would have specific feelings.

Non-Paying Clients

A client can be a dream to work with throughout legal proceedings, and you manage to secure them a positive outcome. However, when the time comes for them to pay for your services, they’re nowhere to be seen.

Non-paying customers can be disheartening when you’ve spent countless hours providing a quality service. Fortunately, you can protect yourself from encountering such a client. Keep their card on file from the start of your contract or request a deposit for your services.

You can also bill them throughout your services, not just when you’ve finished working with them. You may even consider creating payment plans for anyone who might be non-payers for financial reasons.

You’ll encounter clients from all walks of life and won’t always know how to manage them. When you take on some of these clients above, having some basic management knowledge may make navigating your working relationship easier.