by Traverse Legal, reviewed by Enrico Schaefer - August 16, 2005 - 'The Greatest' Philosophy
The third type of problem client is one that simply has no concept of what the legal system can offer them. This problem client believes they will achieve a certain result within a very short period of time and obtain the ear of the judge who will agree with the fact that they have been put upon. This client has such an unrealistic view of what the legal system has to offer; that there is no way they will ever feel like they achieved a favorable result. The lawyer, of course, will end up taking the blame for the failures of the system as a whole.
The good news is that clients can sometimes be educated about the legal system and have their expectations brought into line. Every lawyer should spend considerable time helping their client understand what the legal system can and cannot achieve for them, and within what time frame those things might occur. A problem client is one who refuses to accept the limitations of the legal system itself, or fails to listen to their lawyer when expectations are defined. A client who keeps coming back to unreasonable expectations, especially in terms of how fast things might occur, is one that should probably be fired. I will call this problem client, “The Pie in the Sky.”
As a founding partner of Traverse Legal, PLC, he has more than thirty years of experience as an attorney for both established companies and emerging start-ups. His extensive experience includes navigating technology law matters and complex litigation throughout the United States.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Enrico Schaefer, who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a practicing Business, IP, and Technology Law litigation attorney.
