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How to Rein In Emotional Clients

BY Lisa Shapson
June 02, 2013

As family law attorneys, we must strive to rein in our emotional clients. Not everything is an emergency. In fact, most things that family law attorneys face are not emergencies, but it is hard for our clients to realize this because their situations are very much so for them. Here are a few basic practice rules when dealing with clients:

1. Walk a Day in Their Shoes

A family law matter, and particularly a divorce, is like an atomic bomb exploding in the middle of the client's universe. Different people experience different levels of harm, but in essence, their entire world is shattered. It is important to keep that in mind every time clients panic. Try to empathize with their situation. Be understanding about their concerns, but explain to them the legal pros and cons of whether pursuing that emergency petition is the right thing to do. Patiently explain that filing a petition is not always going to resolve the situation in a favorable way. It may also help to describe the ballpark costs involved in filing the petition so that the client can determine whether the costs justify the likely outcome. The bottom line here, though, is to never undermine the degree of emergency with which a client has labeled his or her situation ' even if you do not think it is a big deal.

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