The Lawyer's Lawyer
6 Clients to Avoid ... if you recognize them
Q. After two other lawyers let her down, a sexual harassment victim approached me to fight for fair compensation. I haven't done these cases before, but she thinks the case is worth millions in light of the #MeToo movement. Should I take the case?
A. In a word that we don't use often enough, "no."
As lawyers, we certainly want to help as many people as we can. But certain types of people may drain our energy and resources, affect our own job satisfaction and impair our ability to help others.
At the risk of embracing stereotypes, there are six types of clients to avoid:
1. The Critic
2. The Vengeful
3. The Dreamer
4. The Shopper
5. The Cheater
6. The Evader
Just as lawyers come in all shapes, sizes and personalities,
prospective clients do not fit into perfect categories. You must determine whether a particular client's personality, character and case fit your own temperament. But, as this article in the Maryland Bar Journal emphasizes, when you see too many of these traits, slam the brakes!
