Does Communication Really Matter?
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How important is communication really in the delivery of legal services?
After all, doesn’t an incorporation just result in a company with a client ready to start their business? And when a conveyance is completed, doesn’t a client simply own a new house with good title?
This is a very commoditized way of looking at legal services.
Isn’t it important that the whole experience is positive and that questions are answered in a timely fashion? I believe that a client is more likely to refer your firm to others when you have good lines of communication, than if you are simply delivering on time correct advice.
By lawyers probing to determine what is important for clients, they are able to listen, learn and recalibrate their advice to be tailored to the situation. For example, after an incorporation there might be a need to consider a shareholders agreement, or regulatory restrictions on shareholding, or disclosure requirements relating to how legal and beneficial title will be held.
Communication is done at the listener’s end; not at the teller’s end.
When you take into account that every client starts with a different level of understanding and experience, communication can be challenging. The law is often a very new subject for clients; it is a little bit different than shopping for a dozen eggs.
This takes me back to my passion of helping lead the legal industry away from the hourly billing model. It seems self-evident that if one is not paying for every six minutes, they are more likely to open up to their lawyer when they have information or a question. Listening and learning is done best in bite size pieces. If you spend time on scope and price (when there is no guarantee of an engagement), you build trust, and you build a relationship founded on the principles of trust and collaboration.
No matter where you sit on the importance of communication, you would almost certainly conclude that it is an important part of giving legal advice. To be clear, I am not saying that the hourly model can never result in a trusting and collaborative relationship, but agreed upon pricing up front dramatically increases the odds.
Give it a shot!
Until next time,
