Justifying the cost of legal services is a constant battle. Many people believe that lawyers charge too much, and even if they don’t, all clients want to feel like that the quality of their legal representation is worth the cost—that they’re getting a good value.
“Value” is a tricky word, though. It’s easy for a client who wins in court to calculate their lawyer’s value, and it’s not hard for a client who gets a large settlement to do the math and conclude that yes, their lawyer made them a lot of money.
But many (if not most) legal services involve helping people navigate transactions, processes, or legal obstacles that aren’t so easily quantified. Proving one’s “value” in such cases is more difficult—and more important—but it can be done:
“Value” From a Client’s Perspective
However valuable you think your services and expertise are, the truth is that it doesn’t matter what you think: it only matters what your client thinks. Clients define value in many different ways, however, and money is only one of them. When clients hire a lawyer, they are investing their trust in the lawyer’s skill, knowledge, and competence, yes, but also their creativity, persistence, toughness, compassion, understanding, loyalty, honesty, wisdom, responsiveness, and dozens of other personal and professional qualities. Clients value the sum of these qualities, not just the bottom line.
The Psychology of a Lawyer’s Value
People hire lawyers when they have a problem. Lawyers are paid to provide a solution. But that’s not all they’re paid for: Lawyers are also paid for listening to the problem, understanding the problem, empathizing with the client about how much this problem troubles them, reassuring them that the problem can be solved, and that you, their lawyer, are the one to solve it. To the client, a legal problem is a fight—one they can’t win on their own—and their lawyer is the warrior they have chosen to go into battle on their behalf. Fight as if your client’s fate and future are in your hands—because they often are.
The Lawyer/Client Relationship
Like all good relationships, a functional lawyer/client relationship is based on trust. Clients want to feel secure in the knowledge (to trust) that their lawyer understands their problem, has a solution (or at least a strategy), and is working hard on their behalf. In the beginning especially, clients are looking for signs that they can trust their lawyer to be on top of things, so give them the signs they’re looking for: frequent progress reports, information to help them understand their case, referrals to other specialists who might be helpful, advice, counsel, reassurance—whatever it takes to build that all-important foundation of trust.
Manage Expectations
Clients expect a great deal from their lawyers, which if fine, but it is the lawyer’s responsibility to keep those expectations grounded in reality. Unhappy surprises are the biggest value-killer in the business, so be crystal clear up front about what you can and cannot do, what the likely outcome is going to be, what their options are, how long it will take, and what it is likely to cost.
When in doubt, follow the maxim: Don’t promise more than you can deliver, and always deliver more than you promise.
Quality vs. Quantity vs. Efficiency
No matter what you charge, clients want it all: quality, quantity, and efficiency. But they also want your judgment and expertise, and in order to get that, they need to understand that your legal brilliance is not instantaneous. It takes time. How much time? Experience is the best judge, but in order for clients to feel they got their money’s worth, they need to know that you provided quality representation in a reasonable amount of time.
Tip: Streamline and automate your matter management activities with Firm Central practice management so you have more time to focus on practicing law and delivering client satisfaction.
Communicate, Often
Clients don’t always know what their lawyer is actually doing, so open, transparent, frequent communication is important. Frequent client contact reassures clients that you are working hard on their behalf (delivering value, that is), and helps them understand what you are doing for them and why. That contact can be as brief as an email or as personal as a phone call or meeting. Clients don’t like weeks of radio silence from their lawyers, so reach out and say something, if only to let clients know that you are still there for them.
Tip: Communicate easily with clients through the Firm Central practice management client portal. Share messages, documents and forms and other matter details with clients in a secure encrypted environment.
Value Their Time, Not Just Yours
If you want clients to value your time, return the favor and value theirs. Be punctual. Be organized. Be prepared. Be professional. If you are all of these things when you meet with a client in person, they will assume that you operate that way all the time.
Be Honest
One of the things clients value most in a lawyer is honesty. Even if you have nothing but bad news for them, clients will value the fact that you were straight with them and didn’t try to sugarcoat the truth. Honesty builds trust, which is key, especially if things don’t go quite as planned.
Ask, Early and Often
Your value to clients isn’t based on what you charge, it’s based on who you are, the relationship you have developed, and the quality of the services you deliver. The only sure way to know if clients think you are worth the money is to ask them. In order to get client buy-in, start asking about your value from the very beginning. What will success look like to you? Does this sound like an effective strategy? Are you comfortable with the steps we’ve outlined? Is this (or that) worth doing? Feeler questions like these can be used throughout the legal process to help gauge a client’s satisfaction. When it’s all over, don’t be afraid to ask clients directly if you or your firm were worth it. Solo practitioners and small law firms should also make a point to query their clients about what they could have done better, or could do better in the future—and, of course, to encourage referrals.
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Amy Larson is a Director in Small Law Firm Customer Marketing and Firm Central at Thomson Reuters. She has over 17 years of experience in technology marketing with extensive focus on learning how technology can meet the needs of attorneys. Amy has been involved in numerous product launches throughout her tenure, public relations efforts, interviewing customers and telling their stories, and often writes and distributes information on legal practice management.