Any opinions?
The farther I go and the more experiences I have the more I believe that it’s most critical that I nudge and persuade clients to face tough times and hard decisions. Because the issues or decisions that must be faced may be fairly simple but not easy.
This fact has been magnified over the last year or so that I’ve been part of the Domestic Relations Lawyer Referral Program run through Judge Jacobius’ office. I get appointed a client or two every 6 weeks or so often dealing with a failure to pay child support. But what’s most infuriating for me is that some 75% of the time there are substantive things and defenses that can be raised but the clients refuse to face the situation and deal with the tough times. They won’t pull together simple financial documents (tax returns, pay stubs, ect.) for me to review and help mount a defense. And even worse they won’t bring that stuff to court when there’s a hearing where if it goes the wrong way they might be exiting the courtroom out the back door in handcuffs. It’s classic with a guy I’m representing right now, he doesn’t communicate with our office until at the earliest the day before court and often the morning of a court date. And with many of these cases all that the judges want to see is some effort being made…compliance need not be perfect.
What to do?
I’m planning on more required in-person meetings with clients. It seems the letters and constant phone calls haven’t done. I’m going to require these people to look me in the eye and face facts.
John Assam
May 28, 2009
I think my most difficult job as an attorney is telling clients exactly where they stand. In other words, being blunt about their case and not being a “yes-man.” Sometimes the truth hurts, and I think I owe my clients my real opinion about their case.