by Tim Lemieux

Capture
Lawyers understand the need to ensure that clients have a good experience at their office, in terms of finding a welcoming environment and being able to understand how their matter is being handled.

However older clients or clients with physical disabilities may require that more care be taken to identify and assist with their particular needs. In her Attorney at Work article Accommodating Clients With Special Needs, Mary Lokensgard suggests making the following adjustments when dealing with these clients (click on the article for her full explanation of each):

  • First, adjust your expectations
  • Learn to ask respectfully about limitations
  • Remove trip hazards where you can
  • Investigate personal hearing devices, and invest in one if it makes sense for your practice
  • Plan for house calls
  • Memorialize all meetings in writing and use legible fonts
  • Use words along with numerals

practicePRO also has a page dedicated to issues of “elder law” and eldery clients.