KEEPING YOUR LAW FIRM GOING DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS (5): DEALING WITH CLIENTS

April 13, 2020 · by · in Access to justice, Coronavirus

Dealing with clients is a central part of the lawyer’s job.   Here we look at guidance on helping and communicating with clients throughout the coronavirus outbreak.

GUIDANCE FOR LAWYERS

An article from the Legal Executive Institute, ‘COVID-19 Challenges: Keeping Law Firms Going Amid Uncertain Times’ explains that big firms have created cross-disciplinary taskforces and also produced free guidance for clients on their websites. Small and medium-sized firms are also making information available proactively and quickly.

JD Supra’s article similarly discusses the importance of educating your clients on the outbreak.

In another article ‘How to Talk to Your Clients about COVID-19: Client Feedback During Pandemic Response’, the Legal Executive Institute explains that ‘ignoring clients’ perceptions of your performance during these critical moments can have both short- and long-term effects on your relationships’ and emphasises the importance of client feedback.

In ‘Crisis Management: 6 Actions to Get You Through the Next 6 Months’ the Legal Executive Institute explains that you should schedule virtual client meetings with your clients to talk through new priorities as a result of the outbreak.

A post from JD Supra, ‘Client Service Continuity Strategies for Law Firms Responding to Coronavirus Pandemic’ explains that ‘one of the primary risks for law firms in a quarantine situation are missed deadlines’. This article gives guidance on how to avoid this from happening.

A blog post from Law 360, ‘4 Ethics Tips For Lawyers As Coronavirus Spreads’ highlights that you should consider your client’s health concerns during the outbreak and keep the lines of communication open.

GENERAL GUIDANCE

Bain & Company’s article ‘Put Your Customers and Employees First during the Coronavirus Crisis’ explains that the companies which demonstrate genuine empathy are more likely to emerge in a stronger position after the outbreak. The article gives a short set of principles to help companies achieve this.

Teapot Creative have an article which gives ’10 Great Ways To Connect With Clients During Coronavirus Lockdown’. This advice includes stating that you should be honest about expectations, use different channels of communication and share your coronavirus strategy.

Tags: