Transparency is the foundation of trust with new and existing clients. For law firms that are hoping to increase the level of trust with their clients or repair a damaged reputation, increasing transparency is a good start. Let’s explore a few tips on how to increase law firm transparency.

Detailed Billing

Vague invoices are one of the flashpoints of distrust between clients and lawyers. Many clients already come to the table with distrust for the attorneys they hire, especially around billing, so that distrust heightens when the client is faced with a vague or confusing bill. Use an invoicing system that will make it easy for you to offer clarity and consistency in billing.

Clear Policies

Help your clients understand your law firm policies around everything from face-to-face meetings to how you handle late payments.  Having clear policies that are communicated upfront and in language that any layman can understand will help build trust and transparency.  Speaking of language, you should also include translations of your policy sheets when appropriate. For example, if you have a large Spanish speaking clientele, include Spanish language translations.

Admit Mistakes

Every attorney makes mistakes, no matter how skilled and competent they are but they may be too proud to admit it.  However, most clients will respect you more if you’re willing to admit when you’ve made an error.  Your willingness to admit when you’ve made a mistake and take action to correct it will go a long way in creating transparency and trust.

Announce Changes

If you’re making changes to how you do business in any way, announce it to your clients beforehand. Most people don’t like surprises, and even small changes like where they should send payments can be annoying when it has not been announced beforehand.  Letting clients know about changes you plan to make will help them feel assured that you are looking out for their comfort and best interests.

Be Generous

You’re an attorney, be generous with your knowledge. Write informative blogs about your practice area and contribute to civil discourse in the legal industry. Your willingness to share your knowledge with clients will increase their trust in your skill and competency.  Remember, while your clients hire you for your knowledge they also hire you for your expertise.  Sharing knowledge doesn’t mean that they will no longer need or want your expertise.

Keep Promises

If you make a promise to a client make sure you don’t break it. Broken promises can destroy trust but the more you show clients that you deliver on the things you promise the more they will trust your word.  That said, make sure that any promise you make is doable. If you’re not sure if you can keep a promise, don’t make it—always under-promise and over-deliver.

Take Feedback

It often misses the notice of some attorneys but asking clients for feedback helps to build transparency and trust because it allows the client an opportunity to point weak points in your service. This is also an opportunity for them to witness you make changes based on their feedback.

The more clients understand you and your business, the more they will trust you to deliver the legal services they need.

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Jane Oxley is President of Smokeball, a productivity and case management software provider that increases efficiency and profitability for solo attorneys and small law firms. Jane’s worked in the legal field for her entire career, spending over 20 years engaged with small law firms. She has a strong affinity with small law firms and the crucial role they play in the communities they serve and is passionate about helping them work towards more productive and less stressful practices.