How To Work Best With Your Attorney

Working with an attorney is like any other relationship, what you put into it goes a long way towards what you get out of it. These are some of the things that I and my clients have found that can make the relationship and the work go much smoother:

1. Keep your attorney in the loop. In the midst of doing your estate plan and you just inherited a condo in Key Largo from your great aunt? Let your attorney know.  You did your estate plan a few years ago and you are moving now? Send your attorney a change-of-address card/email/letter.  Have you changed your mind about how you want your property distributed? It’s not enough to just make a note on your Will, you’ve got to let your attorney know so they can make the changes legal.

2. Let your attorney know how best to reach you. I have some clients who travel for work, or live in different time zones so they prefer to communicate by email.  I have others who don’t want me to use their home address so they give me a business address or P.O. box to use.  And others who give me their cell phone number since that is where they are most reachable.  Whatever your preferred method of communication, let your attorney know.  And find out from them what their preferred (0r required) methods are. Sometimes they can’t email you certain information, or have to send you things in writing rather than just by telephone.

3. Find an attorney you trust and like. You and your attorney are on the same team. You need to trust her. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing information about your assets or life circumstances with your attorney, consider whether you should be working with her.  Especially if you are working with an attorney on an ongoing basis, you should trust this person enough to give them all the information they need to represent you, and you should like them enough so that you don’t start avoiding their telephone calls and meetings.

4. Be organized. Usually if you are meeting with an attorney, it’s due to something stressful in your life – a death, divorce, financial issue or a very large purchase like a house or a business.  It can be tempting to just grab your paperwork and hand it to the attorney or his assistant to sort through. However, the more organized and complete the paperwork is, the easier it is for the attorney to begin to analyze it, which may also end up saving you money if the attorney isn’t spending a lot of time sorting through things.

5. Seek non-legal support from non-legal sources. A lot of legal situations also call for support from non-legal professionals.  Be open to seeking help from therapists, home care providers, financial advisers, care-giver support groups and other allied professionals as needed.  Your attorney is an important member of your team, but they are probably not the only thing.  Ask your attorney for recommendations if you don’t know where to start.