Sample article. The attorneys quoted are fictional. This story shows how a Legal Authority practice feature will read on the web.
Victor Halloran has heard the same five questions in first meetings for twenty years. He no longer waits for clients to ask them. He answers them on a single page before the meeting starts.
1. What will this cost?
Halloran gives every new business client a written budget range and explains what would move the number up or down. He says clients rarely object to the cost of litigation. They object to surprises.
2. How long will it take?
The honest answer is usually “longer than you hope”, and he says so, with the main stages laid out on a timeline.
3. Who will actually do the work?
Clients want to know whether they will speak to the attorney they met. Halloran names the team in the engagement letter.
4. What are my options besides suing?
Negotiation, mediation and a well-drafted demand letter all come up before a lawsuit does.
5. How will I hear from you?
Every client gets a standing update schedule. “It costs me an hour a month,” Halloran says, “and it saves a dozen worried phone calls.”