Working with Your Cleveland Personal Injury Lawyer to Maintain the Client-Attorney Relationship May 1, 2012.
The client-attorney relationship is at the core of the judicial process. The duty to take care of that relationship is shared by both you and your attorney. Working with your lawyer in a productive and congenial fashion should be at the very top of your priority list when it comes to dealing with all facets of your case.
Treating your relationship with your attorney as an important, if not absolutely vital, component of your case will expedite the process of getting to your settlement.
For instance, once you retain the services of a Cleveland personal injury lawyer or any another attorney, you should immediately inform him or her of all facts that pertain to your case.
Keeping your attorney fully abreast of all considerations is vital to ensuring that your case will be covered on all sides. Even a small fact left unsaid or a single missing document can impact a case, particularly one as sensitive as a serious injury claim.
You are entitled to certain rights as a client, such as the rights to:
- make important decisions about your case;
- have your questions answered; and
- have your confidentiality respected.
By the same turn, you also have certain duties as a client, such as:
- maintaining open lines of communication;
- full disclosure; and
- honoring all payment arrangements.
Working with Your Lawyer Doesn’t Have to be Difficult
If you have been injured in Ohio, speak with a Cleveland personal injury lawyer who makes a personal commitment to upholding their end of this fundamental working partnership.
Remember that in order for an attorney to do the best job for your injury claim, you should be as honest and open as possible in regards to all facts of your case.
In order to maximize the benefit of your client-attorney relationship, there are several things that you can do when working with your lawyer on your personal injury or accident case.
First, prepare a timeline, a detailed summary, or general notes about the case. In an accident claim or case, this will be helpful to your Cleveland personal injury lawyer because it will advise him or her of how to approach your case.
Your attorney will more than likely use this information to construct your case strategy, so it is imperative that you be as comprehensive and truthful as possible.
Make sure that you adhere to any deadlines your Cleveland personal injury lawyer advises you of. Particularly in an injury case or lawsuit, you may be subject to some very close deadlines, so when your attorney requests documents or information from you, it is imperative that you provide that information as promptly as you can.
When you are unavailable or have to re-schedule something, let your lawyer know as soon as possible.
Be prepared when you are meeting and working with your lawyer. You can leverage the most out of your time with your attorney by consulting on several issues or questions at once, so write down any questions that occur to you when you’re not with your lawyer.
Do this so that you can address them all in a single meeting or consultation. This streamlines the process and prevents either side from being bogged down by single one-off question and answer communiqués.
Keep the lines of communication open. Don’t go weeks without calling your attorney. Yes, your lawyer will likely keep you updated on your case progress, but the client-attorney relationship is a two-way street and you should avail yourself whenever possible to different ways that you can help facilitate the case process.
