When clients meet up with their lawyers — for the first time or for the 10th — they’re looking for support and guidance. That requires the human touch.
These days, there’s an increased push for reliance on automation in legal practices. You may think that more automation means less of that crucial human interaction, but the opposite can be true.
By harnessing the power of automating tasks, it can be easier to spend those extra few minutes with clients. Learn more about how automation makes this possible.
The Importance of Human Touchpoints
Interacting with clients offers numerous benefits for them and for you.
Understanding Client Needs
Often, needing a lawyer means something upsetting has occurred in a client’s life. You may see people visibly upset or nervous, and it’s important to put them at ease. An effective way to do that is by interacting with them and listening to what they’re dealing with.
As a lawyer, an important aspect of being able to help your clients is to first get them to trust your advice. Building that trust depends significantly on being able to empathize with them. In our experience, taking the time to interact with your clients in an authentic, compassionate way can help you achieve the necessary level of trust.
Statistics on Client Feedback
Approximately one in five legal clients who participated in a client satisfaction survey by ClearlyRated stated they left the law firm they were with because of their lack of responsiveness to certain issues. Time and again, a lack of responsiveness and communication leads clients to jump ship.
And it’s not only the law firms that are affected. Another study showed that personal injury clients involved in claims had a harder time recovering because of the distress of the legal process and the attitude of legal professionals. They tend to have more trouble with their mental and physical health, making the process of healing significantly longer.
Impact of Loneliness on Clients
One in three Americans feels lonely at least once every week. Loneliness is a serious problem throughout the world, contributing to mental health concerns as well as physical illnesses.
Unfortunately, interactions with legal professionals can worsen those feelings of isolation and loneliness. If a lawyer is insensitive, ignoring their client’s distress and not seeing the situation from their eyes, the very person who is meant to help could actually make things worse by leaving them feeling disconnected and helpless.
Automation: Streamlining Processes for More Personal Interaction
Automation offers significant opportunities to transform a practice and make it work better for clients and lawyers.
Benefits of Automation in Legal Practices
As in most businesses, automation can improve the administrative processes in a legal practice. Being able to automatically schedule appointments and reduce other redundant procedures boosts efficiency.
When used correctly, automation can also improve client management. Reminders can be quickly sent of upcoming appointments or fees that are due. Automation can easily update clients on their cases, too, and let them know when important deadlines are coming up, making them feel less alone.
Freeing Up Time for Meaningful Conversations
Spending less time on repetitive administrative tasks means having more time to do what really matters: talk with clients. You can stop rushing through consultations and instead take time to listen to what your clients are saying and what they may be revealing through body language and other social cues.
Not only can you learn more about the case and what it means to your client, but you might also see a spike in client satisfaction.
Key Touchpoints for Client Interactions During a Case
As you begin a case, there are moments that you can take advantage of to make those crucial client-lawyer connections.
Initial Consultation
Perhaps the most vital moment in the client-attorney relationship is the first consultation. As a lawyer, you get a chance to put your client at ease and start building the trust and rapport necessary to effectively help them. Taking a bit of extra time in this initial meeting could be a great way of starting off on the right foot.
Key Milestones in the Case
Every important moment of every case, from settlement negotiation to pre-trial discovery phase meetings, can benefit from interactions with your client. They will want to know your thoughts and could be in need of additional support, so making a phone call or scheduling a consultation can be exactly what’s needed.
Post-Case Follow-Up
Even after the case is over, your client could benefit from a few thoughtful words. You can help address any questions or worries they may have and even touch on whether there are other legal avenues to pursue.
Implementing a Balanced Approach
As with anything, a balanced approach is what’s needed when it comes to automation and human contact.
Creating an Interaction Strategy
One of the best ways to find that crucial balance is to outline the key moments when you’d like to interact with your client. The touchpoints could be during the consultation and at crucial moments in the case, or you could choose what works best for you and your clients.
Using Technology Appropriately
Automation can be very helpful, but it can also start getting in the way of your clients’ and your staff’s privacy. It’s important to look for automated tools that make daily tasks easier but that don’t become intrusive and that don’t create more work for you. Most importantly, they should not hinder interactions with clients but enhance them.
Offering the Support Clients Deserve
Clients can be worried and anxious when they walk through your doors. By being able to greet them without rushing, you can immediately put them at ease. To manage that, you need to have the time to do so, which can come down to implementing automation tools to trim off some of those repetitive tasks from your to-do list. If you’re concerned about whether you’re offering the support and interaction your clients need, consider any feedback you receive and see if there are ways to improve the way your firm works. Book a discovery call with Woven Legal to learn more about optimizing your practice.
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