Use of a shared law office space can be the deciding factor for building long lasting referral relationships.
Referrals are the name of the game in law. Not only do they help you gain income, but they also help you enhance your practice skills and show what you’re really made of as an attorney.
If you are a new lawyer, you must know the importance of a referral like other experienced attorneys understand.
Why?
Because they are vetted!.
Not all areas of law are complementary to each other, therefore, when an attorney comes across a case that he or she lacks familiarity, it constitutes a referral for another attorney with the right expertise. A referral is never just a random occurrence and the relationship between the attorneys is something that exist beforehand.
Referrals should be of interest to every attorney because it is a certain way to gain consistent revenue and continue to build your practice. For solos, these referrals are especially important.
A shared law office space is special because it can be utilized as a tool to build referral potential in the easiest way possible. All you have to do is walk around the office and introduce yourself to the neighboring attorneys!
Even if you work primarily from home, you still need interaction even if it takes more effort.
Keep in mind that the receiving attorney in a referral relationship is right for your client!
Reputation is everything in the practice of law. Issuing a referral is serious business because not only is your reputation on the line, but it can have an effect in the long run if both ends do not treat it with care.
It is imperative that you remember that the client is the most important person in the relationship.
Make sure you know and have researched the receiving attorney in a referral.
Find out how they relate to clients. Are they no-nonsense, tell-it-like it is counselors or do they take more of an empathetic consultative approach with clients?
Understand how they “lawyer.”
The style of lawyering is critical to how the client feels. Cut-throat lawyering doesn’t work for everyone, especially if someone just wants low key mediation. That just might be a turn off.
Know their billing style and rates.
It doesn’t matter how brilliant a lawyer is in practice. This means nothing if the billing style and rates are not conducive with the client’s needs. Money is what really talks and if a client feels they cannot handle the billing rates, they relationship will immediately go south.
Help the client choose what they want if they are confused.
Legal matters can be colossally confusing, especially if the client doesn’t have experience with lawyers. If the client doesn’t know what they want, let them choose or help them make an educated decision.
Being informed is key and once they have a path of what they want, you bear less responsibility for making a bad recommendation.
