What Lawyers Appreciate

Posted on December 31, 2006 by J. Benjamin Stevens

Andrew Flusche of LegalAndrew.com tagged me to participate in the "lawyers appreciate" countdown.  Here goes my contribution...

Lawyers appreciate and need the following three things to be successful:

  1. Excellent Clients:  The best clients are the ones who cooperate with their attorney, have realistic expectations, and pay their bills in a timely manner.  If you've ever had a client without these characteristics, you will appreciate your "good" clients that much more.  If a client does not have at least two of these characteristics, ask yourself why they are your client.
  2. Excellent Staff:  It is imperative to have an experienced and responsive staff who can complete tasks, respond to client concerns, and work well with others (both their attorney and their co-workers).  Your staff can make or break your practice, and when you find a good worker you shoud do what you can to hang onto him/her.
  3. Excellent Ideas:  Of course, attorneys must have legal knowledge in the areas that they practice.  However, what makes an attorney exceptional is the ability to think creatively and innovatively.  Not only can fresh thinking result in new ways to solve clients' problems, but it also looks for new ways to incorporate technology to improve your practice.
I strive to maintain these three elements in my practice.  I am very selective about which cases I take, and if I probably pass on as many cases as I take these days.  I am very fortunate to have an excellent staff who has been together for several years now.  One thing that differentiates me from other attorneys is the way that I think through cases from all sides, and I strive to "out-think" my opposing counsel in every case.

Thanks to Andrew for tagging me to participate.  The "lawyers appreciate" countdown asks that its participants tag three more people to participate, so I'm tagging Michael Sherman of the Alabama Family Law Blog, Jeffrey Lalloway of the California Divorce and Family Law, and my good buddy, Dave Swanner of the South Carolina Trial Law Blog.

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Comments (2) Read through and enter the discussion with the form at the end
tara - January 15, 2007 09:33 AM

My son is 11 years old. He is supposed to have regular visitation with his father. His father is almost never present at these visitations. My son cries to come home everytime he is there. At what age,if any, can he decide for himself if wants to go to his dads and how do we do this?

Shelly Martin - April 20, 2007 09:27 PM

Does a father file for child custody in Florida where he curretly resides with the child OR South Carolia wherein the child was born, the child's mother resides, however is currently elisted in the service/National Guard?

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