Setting boundaries with clients

At the beginning of your career you’ll be grateful for every client your clerk sends your way. That doesn’t mean your client has free licence to your time.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything”.  Warren Buffett.

Managing clients who want more

Whether you’re charging by the hour or working on a fixed-price matter, eventually you’ll encounter a client who asks more of you than you are contracted to deliver.

Being clear about your boundaries will help you manage your relationship with clients who keep asking for more.

1. Communicate your boundaries

Your professional behaviour is regulated by the Code of Conduct. Unfortunately, your clients’ behaviour isn’t.

If you want your clients to behave towards you in a way which is appropriate and acceptable, you’ll need to explain what appropriate and acceptable looks like for you.

If a client has worked with a barrister in the past who was happy to take phone calls at 10pm at the weekend, she might expect you to do the same.

Your client can’t guess what your boundaries are. So you need to state them clearly at the start of the relationship.

2. The same rules for everyone

It’s likely that you’re involved with several clients at once. You’ll make life easy if you establish one set of rules for everyone.

Having standard ways of doing things also helps you to deliver a consistent level of service to everyone.

For example, if you’re always available for calls between 8am and 10am, always respond to emails within 24 hours and always deliver your Attendance Note within 48 hours, everyone knows what to expect.

3. Help your client to help you

School teachers know that pupils thrive when the rules are clear and the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is understood. Setting school rules half-way through the year doesn’t work.

The best time to establish your boundaries is at the very start of the relationship when things are still calm and your client is receptive to listening.  You do all this during practice onboarding.

Using a practice onboarding system to protect your boundaries

Practice onboarding is how you welcome clients into your world. It provides all the information your client will need to work with you in a positive and constructive way. 

If you’d like to learn how to create a practice onboarding system which will help you establish your boundaries and build long-lasting client relationships, sign up to receive our free video tutorial and workbook.

By Heidi Smith
Creator of Jurilogical.com