Gone are the days when clients don’t have a choice but stick to any lawyer they can find.

Today, they have choices. They have access to information that they can use to determine if they want to do business with a particular lawyer or firm.

To them, an ideal lawyer will not just have a string of impressive credentials or gold lettering on his door. He or she will be caring, concerned, and devoted to their work.

Most clients always take their time to think carefully before laying their trust in a lawyer, after all in some cases their life, future, money or property will be in his/her hands. They want to be sure they can trust and depend on you before they commit to doing business with you.

Whatever you can do to assure them and win their trust will determine if you will be able to get them to engage your services.

Clients, especially corporate clients, do extensive research to short list possible lawyers to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest. They make sure they understand everything the retainer agreement states, and also check the references and details regarding the practice.

To clients, a lawyer who fits the bill is perfect if:

1. He/she makes an effort to spend time to understand their case themselves. He/she will not assign a legal assistant to take facts of the case down.
2. From experience and knowledge he/she will know what is relevant and what is not. He/she will set aside and ignore irrelevant facts, opinions, and personal emotions that cloud the case on hand.
3. He/she will insist that the footwork for the case be done thoroughly. All facts must be checked for accuracy and solid arguments jotted down with backing of earlier rulings.
4. He/she will not just focus on the problem at hand but examine the problem from all sides. This will create a complete picture highlighting all factors of relevance and the different ways one can approach the case.
5. He/she will use his/her foresight and anticipate moves by the opposition or opinions of the jury or judge and plan way ahead. Like a master chess player, he/she will plan the case not by the day but by many hearings ahead.
6. He/she will not waste time beating around the bush or create verbose statements. He/she will insist that the case and its arguments be clearly stated.
7. He/she will be self-disciplined, thorough, and self-confident. Courteous at all times. He/she will respect them as well as all the staff who work for him/her.
8. He/she is recommended by not just his/her friends and relatives but by other professionals of good standing and from his/her field.
9. He/she will not just present to them his/her victories but be happy to tell them why and how he/she lost certain cases.
10. He/she will lay the cards on the table and tell them clearly whether their case stands to win or lose. He/she will not claim that winning is guaranteed. He will be honest and upfront about his/her opinions and advice.

The bottom line is that a lawyer must be worthy of the trust of the client. Clients will definitely not go by appearances or other fancy non essentials. After all it is competence in law and in court that is of essence to them.