Communication Errors
Failure to communicate barriers to enforcement of terms of preferred lending practice
In his article “Manage Malpractice Risk by Recognizing Cultural Diversity“, Lorne Shelson (Litigation Director & Counsel in the Specialty Claims Department at LAWPRO) gives five ‘culturally-based’ claims scenarios loosely based on real LAWPRO claims. Here is one scenario: A woman needed to refinance her home to raise funds for her business. Due to her religious… Read More »
Categories: Communication ErrorsThe need to respect a client’s cultural traditions
In his article “Manage Malpractice Risk by Recognizing Cultural Diversity“, Lorne Shelson (Litigation Director & Counsel in the Specialty Claims Department at LAWPRO) gives five ‘culturally-based’ claims scenarios loosely based on real LAWPRO claims. Here is one scenario: A lawyer appeared on behalf of a client on a criminal matter. During a break in the… Read More »
Categories: Communication ErrorsFraudster in the U.S. using LAWPRO job title as part of impersonation
A home renovation payments escrow company in Texas brought to our attention that a person purporting to be Laura Borovich of Orlando, Florida contacted them claiming to be “Director, practicePRO / Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO)”. The purpose of the contact was to release money held in escrow. No employee by that name has ever… Read More »
Categories: Communication ErrorsFive good reasons to avoid “legalese”
The funny thing about legalese – unnecessarily complex or archaic legal language – is that the closer you get to it, the less visible it is. Most lawyers find that they occasionally use words that can confuse or alienate non-lawyers. The arguments for replacing archaic legal terms with plain language are familiar to most of… Read More »
Categories: Communication ErrorsLAWPRO Magazine: Avoiding the Unintentional Expansion of Retainers
Here’s the scenario: A lawyer is retained to assist a client with a tort claim and an accident benefits claim. The client, meanwhile, has been informed that the long-term disability (LTD) benefits provided by her employer’s group plan are about to be terminated. In an effort to forestall the termination of benefits, she asks the… Read More »
Categories: Civil Litigation, Communication Errors, Family LawpracticePRO Resource: Voicemail tips
Although not everyone likes it, voice mail is an essential tool. Used properly, it can help you better communicate with and serve your clients. To avoid frustrating clients, consider the following points for handling incoming calls from our Managing a Better Professional Services firm booklet,: Give callers the option to leave a traditional message: If… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors, Law Practice ManagementLAWPRO Magazine archives: Let’s get talking – A look at communications breakdowns
Humans communicate from the time they are infants until the day they die. At its heart, communication is all about the same thing – whether we speak, write, gesture, sign, listen, or tweet. It’s a way of telling someone something. So why, if lawyers have been communicating for as long as they have, are the… Read More »
Categories: Communication ErrorsBe the messenger (and don’t get shot)
As our readers know, the #1 cause of claims against Ontario lawyers practising in most areas of law is problems with lawyer-client communication. Considering lawyers’ reputation for verbosity, this statistic seems counterintuitive, at least until you consider that some things are easier and more fun to talk about than others. Fun to communicate with clients… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors