Probate & Trust Law Section Conference Manual ... - Minnesota CLE

clients what you are doing for them. This helps them to understand the various parts of the process of the
engagement.
I often write a personal note on the bill. This provides an opportunity for me to reach out to my
clients and include a personal touch.
Be sure to bill regularly. Nothing is worse than a client receiving a large bill at the end of an
hourly engagement for a significant sum. The client is sure to call and complain or silently grumble their
dissatisfaction. Lay out the billing terms in your engagement letter and stick to them. If you say you will
bill monthly, bill monthly. It sounds simple but I am always surprised by the number of attorneys who do
not send out monthly bills even though that is what their standard engagement letter states.
b. Follow-up
Be sure to keep your clients in the loop. We know that legal work takes time – time to draft, time
spent waiting for a response from the court, a county property records office, a taxing authority, a
financial institution, or another attorney. Clients, however, are not aware of the steps we need to
undertake to accomplish various parts of the process. Keep your clients informed. Inform then at the
beginning of the process about the steps involved and the time expected to complete the project. This,
however is not enough. Clients will forget and they will get anxious when the process starts to take a
while. Keep them apprised through the process. Follow-up regularly so they know that you are working
on their matter even when they have not heard from you.
Be sure to inquire about what method of communication your clients prefer – email, phone, mail.
I always ask clients how they would like to be contacted if I need to obtain additional information, have
drafts for their review, or want to schedule a meeting. I am often surprised as to which method clients
prefer and therefore I never assume.
After an engagement is complete be sure to follow-up. Send a thank you note or a closing letter.
Send an engagement survey or questionnaire. This will serve many purposes. First, it shows the client
that you appreciated their business and the opportunity to work with them. It gives the client an
opportunity to voice their opinion – good or bad. If the feedback is positive that is a good sign that you
are satisfactorily dealing with your clients. If the feedback is negative don’t despair. Now you know
there is room for improvement and you can make the necessary adjustments in your practice.
Acknowledge the feedback and learn from it. Feedback provides an opportunity for growth and process
improvement. Do not take it personally or pout as a result. Remember, this is a business. A client
service business. Where the client is always right! (Well, not always.)
The second reason for post-engagement follow-up is to put you in the clients mind again. If the
client is thinking of you they are more likely to share your name with someone else who needs your
assistance and could become a client. The more often that a client thinks about you and the experience
with your law firm, the better the chance that they will pass along your name to others.
If you encounter a way to stay in contact with your clients going forward after completion of an
engagement, do. Again, it’s about getting your name in front of your clients and maintaining the
relationship so that they think or you and their past experience. There are many different ways to stay in
touch with clients:
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