Beyond the Status Quo: Status Reports

By Ed Poll, Esq.
Principal, LawBiz® Management

Beyond the Status Quo: Status Reports

Despite all the technological paraphernalia at our fingertips that makes it easy to correspond with others, communication is still a key problem in our society. This is no less so in the world of law. Failure to communicate is the most common cause of clients’ complaints about attorneys. I continue to harp on this obvious—and what should be easily correctable—problem, yet failing to respond to telephone calls, faxes, e-mails, texts, and letters is still the major attorney discipline challenge.

It should be obvious that attorneys must communicate regularly with their clients. One way is by sending copies of all documents received in and sent from the law office. This is called “papering the client,” and it’s a good general remedy. But another twist on keeping your clients informed is a method that I learned years ago from Wes Hackett, an attorney in Michigan: sending clients monthly “status reports.”