There are plenty of reasons why clients leave a law firm, and very few of them have anything to do with performance. In most cases, it comes down to the experience. While legal outcomes are the most influential factor, they’re far from the only one.
The good news is that many of the causes of client churn are preventable with a little understanding of what they are and a strategy for fixing them. We’ll run through both below.
Poor Communication
Clients don’t expect that their lawyers will be within reach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but they do expect to be kept in the loop. Busy law firms often make the mistake of believing that so long as a client’s case is progressing, then everything is fine. In reality, every time the client is ignored, they begin to wonder whether they’re as important as they should be.
Most law firms struggle with client communication because they’re simply stretched too thin. Hiring additional support staff on a flexible or virtual basis can ensure that your clients can receive the responses they deserve more quickly.
They Found a Law Firm That Speaks Their Language
In the United States, Spanish-speaking clients can be thought of as a niche market, but the stats say otherwise. They account for 20% of the US population, and have a spending power of more than $4 trillion. With nearly ¾ of adults preferring to buy from companies that speak their language, it makes sense for law firms to increase their number of bilingual legal staff. This doesn’t just make it more likely that you’ll attract and retain clients, but also opens up the possibility of earning referrals from within a tight-knit community.
They Received An Unexpected Bill
Sending a bill that is more than what your client expected is a surefire way to make sure they never come back. Not only that, but they’ll be more likely to do the one thing that’s worse than failing to recommend your firm; they’ll tell others not to work with you. In many cases, it’s not even the cost of the bill that they don’t like, but the sense that they’ve been cheated. Outlining your billing process during intake is the simplest way to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
A Trusted Staff Member Leaves
Clients like to have good relationships with the professionals they work with. If that professional leaves, then there’s a risk that the client will follow too, especially if the replacement doesn’t have an in-depth understanding of the case. Working to improve the employee retention rate will decrease the chance of employees leaving. When it does happen, having robust transition processes will ensure nothing gets lost between the cracks.
