Looking for a different kind of client?  My mediation clients are looking for a different kind of lawyer.

The people I work with often need lawyers.  They may need consulting counsel who can advise as needed, or representing counsel to assist them in sessions.  They may need transactions counsel to structure the deals they reach.  And sometimes they need a referral for litigation.

Some of these people would never go to a lawyer with their dispute.  Lawyers mean lawsuits, and they don’t want that.  They’re not interested in giving up control to courts and lawyers.  They want legal advice, not the waste and unpredictability of blank-check litigation.  They’d rather go without any legal advice at all or even walk away from the dispute before they’d litigate.

When people work with me they learn they can get the legal advice they want without the lawsuit they don’t.  They know I’ll refer them to lawyers who will respect their choice to work collaboratively toward a resolution agreement.  They trust me not to send them to lawyers who will turn their situation into a lawsuit just because that’s the only way the lawyer knows how to deal with it.

Clients trust me to help them identify when it is necessary to bring their lawyers in.  Together – clients, lawyers, mediator – we all structure the negotiations so legal consultations are designed-in at important decision points and so lawyers are there when they need to be.

You have the opportunity to serve a different kind of client who wants a different kind of legal service from you.

When you help a client resolve a dispute outside of litigation, you won’t earn big fees.  A little advice can sometimes go a long way.  But you will be helping people who would never have hired you before.  You’ll charge less per case, but serve more clients.  And more satisfied clients.

If you’re interested in getting referrals for clients like these, send me an note or give me a call.  Let’s talk about how together we can best serve our clients.