How Connected Should You Be to Your Client?
The age of technology allows us to be more and more connected to the office and our clients. But the question is how connected should we be? The Greatest American Lawyer gives his answer:
The answer to this debate is simple, not easy, but simple. Ours is a service industry, and as connectedness becomes more and more the norm, those who we serve are going to demand the same from us. If you want your firm to succeed in the 21st century - the age of unparalleled communication - you need to make yourself available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For if you don't you will be left in the dust of the 9 to 5, watching as other attorney's offer full-time availability to their clients and reap the benefits.
For further thoughts regarding this subject, please check out this post titled: "Ball and Chain? Key to Freedom?" by Patrick J. Lamb. Patrick hits the issue right on the head: "Those who put clients in second place are going to find out that they don't have to worry about that problem any more."
I strongly disagree with this. Connectivity is great. On Friday afternoon, my wife who is about to have our second child was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital for testing. After the tests, but before the results were in she was reading a book and I logged in to the office network, checked e-mail, checked messages and answered a few questions. Before the age of technology, I would have had to leave either my wife or the office in the lurch. Wi-fi is a good thing.
I am the first to admit that I don’t have the most balanced life between work and family. I write articles, do research, read business books, do legal research, put together presentations and read and breakdown depositions in the evenings and weekends. I’m finding out with a small child (and soon to be children) that I can do that less and less.
Both GAL and Patrick Lamb argue for responding to your client 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their argument is that if you don’t, someone else will and you’ll lose out in the service economy.
Other than a rare emergency, what purpose does it serve to be available 100% of the time to your client? If you have good communication with your client and their case is up to date, why would they need to call you at 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday evening?
I do injury work. If there is a problem with their medical treatment, getting to a doctor, or a question about the case it can’t be fixed until the next day. I can’t call an insurance adjuster at 8:45 in the evening. I can’t arrange for a doctor’s office to hold the bill pending litigation so the the client can get some desparately needed medical treatment. I can’t hire an expert witness at 9:15 in the evening. I really think a well run office can deal with these issues during business hours.
I think one of the commenters hit the nail on the head by flipping the statement "Those who put clients in second place are going to find out that they don't have to worry about that problem any more." by stating “Using Mr. Lamb's logic, attorneys who put their clients first--and therefore, their family second--may find out that the unreasonable demands of family are something they aren't going to have to worry about anymore.” I agree with this. I think lawyers should be allowed to have a family. I think they should be able to set aside time for their family.
When I travel, I call clients and check in on them. I sometimes call clients on Sunday afternoon to see how their treatment is doing and to make certain all of their questions have been answered. I appreciate my Treo, GoToMyPC and wireless internet. But I also think it’s important to set boundaries to have a personal and family life.
It's not about lawyer's "being allowed to" have a family. It's about lawyer's making sure they make the decision to put family first. Neither income nor professional prestige will be compromised if there is an attitude adjustment on the part of the lawyer. We define our work/life balance, not the client or the profession.
