Welcome.. Atlanta Attorneys 2015. A Reflection on “lawyering”…

“Lawyering” is an amazing thing. It allows for creativity, excitement, ingenuity, and the ability to help others.There is nothing in the world like it. Imagine a job that you go to every day that not only pays the bills, but is also doubles as your hobby and your life’s passion. It’s truly spectacular.

The most important and amazing aspect of the job is the relationship that the attorney has with their client.We often explain to family and friends that the work that we do is so important because the people that we deal with have come to see us soon after the worst day of their life. People do not schedule an appointment with people like us just to say hi. People come to see us because they or a loved one has been arrested for a crime, been injured by the negligence or intentional wrongdoing of someone else, been told that a relationship with a child or spouse is in jeopardy, or is unsure if they are proceeding in a business relationship that they have their hopes and dreams tied up in is proceeding fairly.

These are among the most stressful and important situations that our clients will encounter in their lives,which is why every single one of them is so important to us: every single client that engages our services provides us with an opportunity to excel, be creative, to help, to be ingenious, and to do what we do best.

However, to be at our best, we need the help of each and every client that we represent.

You see, the lawyer-client relationship is NOT of the master and servant, teacher and student, or employer and employee relationship.

It is, in every possible sense of the word, a partnership. And that is because every single client and every single legal issue that the clients bring are as unique as they and their situation are. That is hardly surprising. After all, the law is an institution of people.

So how do our clients help us excel? The answer is both simple and amazingly complex. We need honesty from our clients. Full disclosure of everything good, bad, or indifferent. You see, lawyers are like doctors or clergy. We cannot heal the body as a physician can, nor the spirit like clergy. But like both of these vocations, for our clients we seek only to do good. And we seek to heal something that neither of these vocations often can: the actual day to day life and future of our clients. Which, as discussed above, varies as widely as the snowflakes in any given blizzard.

And like both of these vocations, we need to know exactly what the problem is first. Would you go to a doctor having chest pains and tell them that your foot was hurting and neglect the chest pains? Of course not. They could not help your heart in that situation and you would die. Would you go to a clergyman and ask only superficial questions? Of course not. You would leave being unfulfilled. The same is true with a lawyer. We are experts in our field. And we cannot help you-all of you-unless we know all that is wrong and requires our help. And do not be afraid or embarrassed-I promise we have heard and dealt with worse before. We don’t judge and we CAN’T tell. But by telling us, you give us that opportunity that we want and love so much-the opportunity to excel and give you the opportunity that brought you to see us. You let us craft a solution that is tailor fit to you and your circumstances that addresses your problems.

And that is the most effective part of the partnership.