Moving clients from one lawyer to another is an unavoidable part of running a firm. A partner approaches retirement, or can no longer continue in the same capacity. A senior lawyer delegates work to a younger one and mentors them through it. Matters pass to a lateral hire. Each of those transitions takes thought and a plan.
What actually moves with a partner
The possibility should be considered on every client file. A record of a client’s preferences, style and expectations is what you will need if the day comes. Notice who they connect with, and who they include. Unless the relationship is a slight one, build secondary connections to the rest of the team.
Thoughtful consideration and thorough, early planning are key to any successful transition. This is particularly vital when:
- An emergency requires an immediate transfer
- A long-term client is being transitioned to a different lawyer
Emergency Transitions
An established, comprehensive succession plan and secondary connections protect the client from needless worry and your law firm from undue stress. It outlines a strategy for specific situations. In the case of an emergency, it quickly answers vital questions, such as:
- How will the current caseload be handled?
- Where are the client’s contact details and the matter files kept?
- What matters are pending?
- Are there any court dates coming up?
Planned Client Transitions
Moving a client takes more finesse than moving a file. It is not simply an introduction to whoever is taking the matter over. It takes deliberate relationship building.
By the time a lawyer retires, the connection to someone else should already exist, and the client is far less likely to leave.
Where a senior partner is retiring, start well in advance, before the client is aware of the process. Give the client occasions to meet the incoming lawyer, at business and social functions both, and let the relationship build for a year or more before the subject is raised.
Choosing the right lawyer to receive the client matters as much as the timing. Legal skill and relevant experience are essential, and so are personality and working style. A strong relationship is worth nothing if the practice area is wrong for what the client needs. It takes both.
Begin with cross-selling. Keep the existing relationship intact and introduce a second attorney to cover specific tasks. That gives the new lawyer and the client time to build rapport, and the client time to place trust in someone new long before anyone steps away.
Do not let the outgoing lawyer and the incoming one end up in competition. The time the outgoing lawyer no longer spends on the caseload should go into mentoring the person taking it. A team footing is what protects the client relationship.
Sometimes a retirement is the reason a firm needs another lawyer. OnBoard Legal recruits lateral attorneys at partner and associate level, combining deep knowledge of the legal industry with decades of experience conducting high-level searches. Contact us.