One of the many ironies of law is that a lawyer can be sued by their client.
Here are some steps you can incorporate throughout the case process that help keep you and your client on the same page and less likely to end your professional relationship with an unfortunate malpractice suit.

Engagement Letter

When taking on a client, a typed-up and well-documented engagement letter is important to start on the right foot. You can tailor the content to your liking, but it NEEDS to include the basic “who” and “what” as well as projected costs. Here is the perfect place to specify exactly who your client is and what your scope includes.

Email Archiving

Anyone involved in law knows how crucial it is to keep a record of everything to really “CYA” and keep everyone on cases up to speed. Keep an organized archive of all emails pertaining to the case so you can easily provide evidence of correspondence should a malpractice suit occur.

24 Hour Answering Service

Time is of the essence whether advising a client or representing them in an active case. Any new information, developments, or emergencies are important to keep on top of, even at four in the morning or during lunch breaks. The reality is that you cannot answer your phone 24/7, but answering services for your business can. The paramount thing that a client wants when calling contact centers is to have their problems resolved ASAP, and this is especially true for law clients. With an answering service, your client won’t feel neglected and you won’t miss a shred of important information.

Termination Letter

Making a smooth transition from “current client” to “former client” includes notifying the client in writing when your representation of them has ended. Issues can easily arise if a former client is under the impression that you are still monitoring closed matters for them. If you don’t want to totally shut the door on a future professional relationship with a client, stipulating that you are available for future help can be written with the clarification that the specific case or scope of representation has ended.

We may not be able to write you a pitch-perfect termination letter, but A Better Answer can absolutely provide top-notch answering services for your business. Need after hours call service, message taking, and other specialty services? ABA has you covered with almost 40 years of service excellence.