What Clients Want from Law Firms

I can tell you what clients want. They want cheap, if not free, legal advice they can understand, the advice has got to sort problems out and be provided by a mixture of faith healer and magician! Ok, I am being cynical, but experience suggests there is at least some truth in this. Commercial clients want quick answers which make business sense and lawyers that get this.

This short book is a collection of chapters on various topics relevant to these issues. It is written for lawyers working in the business and commercial world and is primarily about dealing with in-house lawyers and company boards of directors.

Many of the points made are relevant to any solicitor, whether you have some business clients or none. It is all about building reliable professional relationships that produce work and fees over many years. Number one on the agenda is to know your client’s business; what they do and how they do it. All enterprises are different and individual and it is essential to understand this if you only do professional work in one sector or across a range of businesses. You only get to know the client by spending time with them, possibly at their premises or even seconding staff if the business justifies it. It is that empathy and intelligent curiosity that is essential, that makes a lawyer a trusted advisor - not hired gun.

It is also about listening to the client in a constructive, interactive way and may include 'beauty parades': pitching for work or being a member of a panel of lawyers that are available. Billing and customer service are essential to this. How we charge should be transparent and fare. Feedback is essential throughout the case. There are nuances here. Some firms are strong on individuals and others see a team approach with a strong ethos. As a business leader said, and is quoted in this book: 'Being a strong technician no longer cuts it… I expect my advisors to have a deep grasp of my business…'.

David Pickup is a partner at Pickup & Scott Solicitors, Aylesbury