Communication is the Key!

Competition happens at the bottom, people at the top are collaborating.

Communication is an art rather than a science, and effective communication skills are essential to law practitioners. Writing letters of advice and emails, attending meetings, representing clients in court or briefing barristers. 

Lawyers should consider the following aspects:

Communicate clearly, and often.

It’s easy for things to get lost in translation, so making a deliberate effort to ensure your client understands what’s going on can go a long way towards avoiding unnecessary back-and-forth or misunderstandings.

Set expectations from the start.

Setting clear expectations with your clients can help to frame their experience and avoid disappointment.

You’ll serve your clients best when you’re at your best, so setting availability expectations up-front is key to ensuring you can care for yourself while meeting your clients’ needs.

Invest in developing your interpersonal skills.

Contrary to popular belief, clients aren’t coming to you solely for your knowledge of the law. A little empathy can go a long way, particularly in high-stress and emotionally volatile matters such as divorce, bankruptcy or criminal.

Your law firm’s service is just as important as the legal results you provide. Your clients have legal needs, but they have emotional needs as well, and this applies to all practice areas.

Listen, listen, listen.

You might think that client communication is about giving legal advice, but often, what clients really need is for you to listen. It happens too often that lawyers jump in and share their thoughts before they’ve truly understood the problem, which can leave clients feeling as if they’re not truly heard.

Empathy

Lawyers often deal with clients who are under a lot of pressure. If a client has never been involved in legal proceedings before, they may have anxiety because they don't know what to expect. By showing empathy, you're likely to provide better service to your clients and give better advice - both of which result in happier, calmer clients. 

Know when to automate communications (and when not to)

In the digital age, automating tedious or repetitive processes can be a big win for law firms. However, when it comes to communication, it’s important to be thoughtful and ensure that automated communication is convenient for both you and your client.

Use leadership language

Do you often find yourself using words such as "maybe", or "I guess so"? Start using definitive language like "yes", "no", or "I will do that". This is called leadership language.

Listening skills

Have you heard the expression “Silence is golden”? One of the biggest steps to becoming a good communicator is becoming a good listener. Practicing active listening helps to build mutual trust as the person you’re listening to feels that you’re seeking to understand them. 

Confidence

Lawyers need to be confident in their interactions with others. Confidence shows that you believe in your views and opinions and these will be more persuasive to others.

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