General Law

Five Tips for Building a Successful Relationship With Your Lawyer

Lawyer Client Listen

If you have to go to court for any reason, it’s always a good idea to look into hiring an attorney. If you do, it’s important to find an experienced lawyer you trust.

You want to look for someone with experience with your type of case, as well as someone who fits your budget, but there are other things you should look for too. For example, in Houston, Texas, Brian White gets many of his cases as referrals from other attorneys. “This is because those attorneys know that Brian will provide excellent representation of the client and will work tirelessly to properly prove up each case and obtain a maximum recovery.”

However, just because you hire a knowledgeable attorney doesn’t mean everything will go smoothly. The relationship you develop with your attorney can have a big impact on the outcome of your case.

Do Your Homework and Come to Meetings Prepared

Your attorney can only work with the information you give them. Coming to your meeting with the intention to answer their questions is a good start, but you’ve got a lot of work to do if you want your meeting to be as productive as possible.

Only you know the details of your case. Don’t make your lawyer do more work than they have to, especially since it will cost you a lot of money.

Round up every scrap of information on your case, whether it seems relevant or not, and hand it over to your attorney. It’s their job to determine what’s useful and what isn’t, but they can’t do that if they don’t have the information, to begin with.

Do Exactly What Your Attorney Asks

There are going to be plenty of things your attorney asks you to do. No matter how confusing or irritating, it’s important that you do exactly what they ask.

Just a few things your attorney may tell you to do include things like:

  • Dress appropriately for court.
  • Write down everything that has happened up until you hired your attorney.
  • Gather certain types of records, like medical histories and reports.
  • Document important information and answer their questions.

Get Back to Your Lawyer as Quickly as Possible

There are a lot of steps in the legal process, and there are important deadlines associated with every step, as well as deadlines associated with providing documentation and other information.

Knowing this is important because your attorney isn’t calling or emailing you just for kicks. If they’re asking you questions or requesting that you do something, you should do it as soon as possible. Chances are, what they are requesting comes with a deadline. The faster you get back to your attorney, the better.

Responding to your attorney quickly is also important because it helps you establish a better relationship. You’ll be a lot less annoyed with each other if you comply with your attorney’s requests in a timely manner.

Be Honest and Transparent

Meeting with an attorney can be difficult. There may be certain things you aren’t proud of, and you may shy away from telling your attorney about them. In addition, there may be some instances where your attorney may not want you to be entirely truthful.

Although you may be tempted not to tell your attorney certain things, you should offer up information that is as honest as you can. If you’re starting a story that will clash with ethical constraints, your attorney will tell you, and you can simply stop your story.

Being honest and transparent also means telling your attorney about your schedule, so they can reschedule certain meetings and procedures if needed.

Take an Active Interest in Your Case

There are important questions you should ask your attorney when interviewing them to take on your case, but the questions shouldn’t stop as soon as you decide which lawyer to hire.

You should maintain an active interest in your case by asking questions throughout the process. Ask your attorney for their advice and how confident they feel. Ask if there’s anything else you can do to make the process go more smoothly. It also makes following the other tips on this list easier.

If you hire an attorney to represent you in court, chances are, you’ll be spending quite a lot of time meeting with and talking to your lawyer. Focus on making those meetings as pleasant as possible and you can make sure the time you spend together is effective, which can increase the likelihood of a positive outcome in your case.

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Susan Melony is an entrepreneur and writer based in Kansas City, MO. She is also a blogger, foodie, editor, and digital nomad passionate about health and life. You can follow her on LinkedIn.

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