LEGAL DOCUMENTS ARE HARD TO READ DUE TO LEGALESE LANGUAGE
Lawyers must learn to communicate with their clients
Communication skills are particularly important for lawyers. On the one hand lawyers have to accurately debate legal issues with like-skilled/trained people and on the other hand they have to explain all this to people without any legal education, many of which are vulnerable. That is not as easy as it sounds: legalese vs plain language.
I know that many people are dissatisfied and frustrated by lawyers’ communication efforts. I asked one of my networking contacts what she could teach a lawyer / attorney. Her response:
“I have worked with lawyers in my capacity as a management consultant / trainer over a number of years. My experience is that most lawyers need support in communicating effectively with clients and occasionally forget that when people come to them, they are often at their most vulnerable. Customer care, listening and questioning skills, establishing rapport and dealing with difficult people are all areas that my clients have identified as development needs. ”
Is communication really a problem? Do lawyers talk your language? Do they really care about you? What can you teach a lawyer? How can we provide better service? There is always room for improvement… Help us discover how we might learn from your experience. I welcome your views on this topic.
Karel Frielink
(Attorney/Lawyer, Partner)
(2 November 2015)
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ps
I am learning to speak like a consultant. A.k.a. how to speak McKinsey… 1st exercise
(17 June 2016)
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