Some people are comfortable working with lawyers, whether
because of their phlegmatic natures, their vast and positive
experience with lawyers or some other reason. We are aware,
however,
that for many others, the prospect of hiring a lawyer, or the
actual experience of using one once hired, is frightening. We
believe
that these feelings of fear have several bases.
For some, this fear is based on a lack of
familiarity with what lawyers do and how they charge for their
services. In addition, lawyers' work can sometimes seem
mysterious or
invisible to a client. And many, though not all,
situations requiring the use of a lawyer are difficult, stressful
ones for the client to be in, and may put the attorney under
pressure as well. This makes almost any
interaction at such times itself difficult and stressful.
For all of these reasons, wherever warranted, we try to
implement:
- Holistic handling of clients' legal matters: We attempt to
consider the legal ramifications and requirements involved in
clients' business plans generally, and to be aware of social or
cultural concerns which the client may have disclosed to us.
- Considerate billing practices: We explain, generally in
writing, at the
outset of our working relationship with a client, the terms of
our
billing for work on legal matters. We also attempt, where
possible, to give clients an idea how much to expect to pay in
legal costs, and the factors which will affect legal costs. Many
matters have fairly predictable legal costs; the pace of work
demanded by other matters does not always make it possible to
prevent "billing surprise." In any event, mindful of tight
budgetary constraints in the current economy worldwide, we strive
to minimize such surprise wherever possible.
- Clarity of communication: We attempt, where possible, to
inform
clients what we are doing or are likely to do, generally, in
handling a matter. Where warranted or desired by a client, we
will describe in detail foreseeable work to be done in handling
that client's legal matters. We also attempt to apprise clients,
where warranted, of the risks or
prospects for success involved in a course of action being
considered. Some of these dynamics of communication are no more
than what every lawyer ought to provide to clients, and many
lawyers do provide it. It is our level of commitment to good
communication generally which we believe is somewhat unusual in
the practice
of law.
The foregoing dynamics of our practice have generally
contributed to making our working relationships with our clients
good ones.