By Elliott Topkins, Esquire
10/27/11
It is safe to say that my profession, that a lawyer whose business generally focuses on residential real estate and estate planning, has undergone some radical changes in the past few years. Much of this has been sparked by technology, and only the most conservative attorneys have resisted the ability for instant communication afforded by computers, cell phones and email. There is really no excuse for not being able to communicate quickly with your client, and to respond to questions and concerns on a much more immediate basis than in the past.

Assuming that all of the statements I have made above, this is my view of “customer service” as it exists in the legal profession in 2011.

• There is no reason not to give out your cell phone number to clients. I know some attorneys who still keep this telephone number as available to a privileged few. They yearn for the ability to remove themselves from the fray while they are in their automobiles or at home. I say to them that if they do not make themselves readily available, they will lose clients to attorneys who do not share this bias. As a practical matter, every person has the option not to answer if they do not want to speak to a client or person at an inopportune time.

• The use of snail mail should be constrained as much as practicable. It used to be the exception, rather than the rule, that a person had email. Now, almost everyone has access to email, not only at work, but at home or on the road, as well. What this means is that completing a client’s estate plan, which used to be a month after month series of mail communications can now be finished in weeks. I send my client out an estate planning questionnaire by email. The client completes answering the questionnaire and emails it back. I email some suggestions which the client considers. After we have agreed on the solutions, I prepare documents and email them to the client for review. I get clearance on the documents, and we arrange for a signing. Many times, the first time I meet my clients, in person, is when we sign the documents.

• The Internet has answers to legal questions not just for consumers, but for attorneys, as well. Legal research is in flux. We used to need to have expensive, and extensive, libraries in order to give answers to clients. Now, we can do our research online, and have access to much more information much more quickly. This enables us to answer questions and draft documents with much more efficiency. It also puts more pressure on lawyers to make immediate many parts of the practice which at one time were more leisurely. Unfortunately, you cannot put the egg back into the cracked shell. Progress means getting solutions to your clients more expeditiously.

I am sure that many of my readers have noticed changes in the way they deliver goods and services in the 21st century as well. I guess the only thing that is certain for all of us is that there is no going back to the old ways, whether we like what we have now or not.

(Mr. Topkins is an attorney with Topkins & Bevans, Braintree Executive Park, 150 Grossman Dr., Braintree, MA 02184. His blog can be found at http://realtorsresourceblog.com. His telephone number is 617/596-3184 and his e-mail address in etopkins@topbev.com.)