Being involved in any type of legal dispute is generally nerve-racking enough without the added stress of trying to manage an unfavorable relationship with your lawyer. In addition, the level of trust and comfort you have while working with one another can strongly impact the outcome of the case. It will be difficult to achieve positive results if you’re spending most of your time butting heads. A solid working relationship hinges on the actions of both you and your lawyer, but here are a few steps you can take on your end to ensure you’re headed in the right direction.
Be Forthcoming and Informative
Honesty is always the best possibility, especially in situations like this. If you want your lawyer to do everything they can to help you, they must know all the details of a case to formulate the best plan of action. Leaving out certain things that you deem irrelevant may not seem like a big deal to you, but that should be up to your lawyer to decide. The other party may come up with information that you failed to disclose, leaving your lawyer surprised and potentially in the tough spot of damage control.
Be Prepared
Any documents, paperwork, or evidence that you’ve gathered about your case should be prepared and on hand, in case your lawyer asks for them. These will play a big part in how your lawyer puts together your case and having them readily available can help to move things along in a quicker manner. It may also be necessary for you to request additional records, which should be done promptly when asked by your lawyer so that all deadlines are met and your case is filed on time.
Be Available
Unfortunately, legal proceedings can take up quite a bit of time, and there will probably be some instances when you are required to show up for meetings, depositions, or court dates. Oftentimes, your lawyer can organize for these to take place during days and times that work best for you as long as they are aware of your schedule.
However, you should know that sometimes things come up unexpectedly and your case will go a lot smoother if you’re flexible with your time. It’s also imperative that you are available or at least able to respond quickly when your lawyer needs to contact you regarding paperwork requests, due dates, etc.
Don’t Have Unrealistic Expectations
Understandably, your case is very important to you, but that doesn’t mean your lawyer should drop everything else on their plate and attend only to you. Many people force their relationships with their lawyers to become tense because they have unrealistic expectations of how things should proceed. Before hiring a lawyer, make sure it’s the right fit and go over everything you can expect regarding communication, fees, and anything else that needs to be made clear.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
You won’t be expected to understand everything about the legal aspects of your case, but you have a right to ask questions if you feel like you’re being left in the dark. Some lawyers get wrapped up in doing their job and forget to explain what’s happening in layman’s terms to their clients. Getting a little clarity may help you feel more comfortable with the situation. Remember that there are several different types of lawyers that specialize in numerous cases. A long-term disability attorney will help you out with any issues related to obtaining long-term insurance. For a situation where one would need to obtain disability insurance, it is crucial to find the right lawyer. Once the right lawyer is procured, do your best to trust their decisions. Many of these lawyers have won multi-million dollar disability claims in the past. As long as you have a valid case and it matches up with the lawyer you hire, everything should go smoothly.
It definitely takes both parties to build the foundation for a good lawyer-client relationship, but following these tips should lead you towards success.
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