I rarely get to see other attorneys do initial client intakes because of course, I’m not privy to that sort of communications.  However, I can extrapolate how other people do it but observing how they talk to their clients in court when I’m negotiating with them.  What I’ve seen and found is astonishing.

Next time you’re in court and you’re negotiating with the other side, really pay attention to opposing counsel and how they talk to their clients.  Many times I see attorneys talk at their clients and then when their clients talk back, they start to write on their yellow legal notepad.  The whole time the client is talking to them, it’s just a lot of writing.  Even when they look up at their client, they’re still writing.  Now, writing down notes is important but there’s a time and place for it.  When your client is talking to you, your full attention should be on your client and NOT on taking notes or your notebook.  You can jot down notes later.

Keeping eye contact and reflecting the facial expressions of your client back at them is important in fostering a good attorney-client relationship because it shows the client you care about their case and you also care about them.  Don’t forget that attorneys are in the business of customer service above all else – we just happen to practice law.