When it comes to having the best experience with a lawyer, effective communication is typically one factor that makes or breaks the deal. However, many people haven’t needed the assistance of a criminal attorney in the past, so they may not know the best ways to open the lines of communication. If you are looking to getting into the law industry, but know that your communication skills are not the strongest, it may be in your best interest to check out companies such as Ginger Public Speaking and maybe look into the courses they offer. As you want to do all you can to get to your career goal, there’s no harm in at least doing some research into this side of things. On the flip side, lawyers can be so detail and process orientated that they almost become robotic in how they handle the case, forgetting that they are dealing with real people with real emotions.
So how can we improve communication between defense lawyers and clients? There are some things lawyers can do, some these clients can do, and some things both parties can do to improve communication. We explore those factors in today’s blog.
Improving Communication For Lawyers
Let’s first start with lawyers. As we alluded to in the intro paragraph, lawyers can sometimes forget that they are dealing with real people and not just a summary of facts about an incident. When delivering bad news, lawyers need to take off their lawyer hat and empathize with the individual who is receiving bad news. Lawyers need to support their clients in both a professional and personal sense in order to be effective communicators.
Secondly, they also need to set expectations as far as updating the client about their case. Some clients like to know every change or detail in the case, while others only want to hear from their lawyer if something is needed from them. Most clients won’t tell you how they want to be communicated with unless their lawyer explains their options, so ask your clients how often they’d like to hear from you (and remind them how it may effect their retainer and billing).
Improving Communication For Clients
When it comes to improving communication on the client’s end, it really starts with being an open book. The worst thing a client can do is keep secrets from their lawyer that could blow up their case if they come to light. Explain in great detail everything you can about the incident, even if you don’t believe it casts you in the best light, because oftentimes your lawyer can help spin a positive narrative to the situation.
Next, a client can help foster communication between parties by voicing any concerns they have during the case. Lawyers can’t fix something if they don’t know that there’s a problem, so if you are concerned about court dates or filing fees, speak to your lawyer because odds are they can do something to help change the situation.
Improving Communication For Both Parties
Finally, one thing both parties should do in order to best communicate with one another during a criminal case is to do your best to respond to one another in a timely manner. If your lawyer reaches out about a form you need to sign, call them back and sign the paper because there are deadlines to meet. On the flip side, if a client reaches out, lawyers need to adjust their schedule and get back to their client within 24 hours at a minimum, because at the end of the day the lawyer is hired by the client and should respect that relationship.
