By: John Avi Socha, COO — Hemmat Law Group

Did you know that nearly 50% of clients surveyed reported dissatisfaction with their attorneys? Interestingly, the reason isn’t typically incompetence or negligence but something preventable: poor communication. Poor communication fosters mistrust, and when people are hiring a family lawyer to handle their divorce, custody battle, or other family crisis, establishing trust is crucial.

For many, these situations are their first time hiring a lawyer, and the process can understandably feel intimidating — especially while managing the stress of a personal crisis. The court system is bureaucratic and rigid, often forcing structured approaches that don’t always align with the complexities of family law. In this way, the legal system can sometimes appear disconnected from individual needs, leaving clients feeling misunderstood.

Unfortunately, the current state of the legal landscape can leave certain groups, such as the LGBTQIA+ community, alienated fathers, abused spouses, and neglected children, at a disadvantage. In these situations, working with a knowledgeable and experienced firm is critical, as lawyers strive to protect the health, safety, and well-being of their clients — regardless of their background.

To make matters more challenging, if you’re hiring a family lawyer, you’re likely facing one of the difficult periods of your life. Divorces and custody battles are emotionally and mentally taxing — after all, these cases involve significant changes to one’s life. Family law, therefore, requires sensitivity, but lawyers must also act in their clients’ interests, both financially and personally. At times, this dual responsibility can unintentionally make attorneys seem overly detached.

Providing More Than Legal Support

Because of this, lawyers need to balance sensitivity with efficiency — a challenge that many attorneys face. For instance, if an attorney spends time discussing issues unrelated to the legal case’s outcome, those hours are billable to the client, which could have been better spent with a more affordable therapist or counselor. In the legal profession, this creates a lose-lose situation: clients may feel unsupported, while attorneys can feel frustrated by the misunderstanding of their role.

It’s important to recognize that lawyers are not trained mental health professionals. Legal teams are often unequipped to alleviate the emotional suffering of their clients because providing emotional relief is not part of their expertise.

Our firm has adopted an innovative approach to addressing this issue and improving trust between attorneys and clients. We incorporate legally specialized mental health strategists and life coaches into our services.

When clients can work through their emotional and personal challenges with a mental health strategist, they are less likely to vent unrelated frustrations to their attorneys. This approach helps clients save money and manage stress while allowing lawyers to focus on achieving the ideal possible legal outcomes. In turn, attorneys become more effective in their roles, and clients walk away feeling more satisfied with the process.

The Importance of Communication in the Attorney-Client Relationship

One of the key challenges in the attorney-client relationship is communication, or more specifically, the lack of it. While effective communication is a vital component of building trust, it’s equally important for clients to have realistic expectations about what communication with their attorney should look like.

It’s worth remembering that attorneys often handle multiple clients and cases at the same time. A reasonable guideline is to expect a response — even a brief acknowledgment — within 24 hours. While this may sound straightforward, the reality can be different. According to Clio’s 2024 Legal Trends Report, only 52% of law firms returned calls from potential clients, and 67% failed to respond to email queries altogether.

For lawyers, maintaining transparency and open communication is critical to fostering trust and satisfaction. Family law, in particular, can be expensive and emotionally taxing. Unlike other legal disciplines, such as injury law, where lawyers are paid on a contingency basis, family law typically involves hourly billing. The Clio report also notes that, as of 2024, only 4% of family law firms offer flat-fee representation. Many attorneys require nonrefundable retainers before taking on a case, which adds to the financial burden for clients. This combination of upfront costs and hourly billing can be overwhelming, especially for clients seeking high-quality representation.

To build trust and minimize surprises, attorneys should be transparent about the financial realities of family law. Legal fees can be unpredictable, and too often, clients are not adequately informed about the potential costs and challenges ahead. By setting clear expectations from the beginning, attorneys can help clients feel more confident and prepared.

Ultimately, trust is the cornerstone of any attorney-client relationship, particularly in sensitive areas like family law. By prioritizing clear communication, transparency, and client support — including access to mental health resources — attorneys can build stronger relationships with their clients and focus on delivering the ideal possible outcomes.

— John Avi Socha is the Chief Operating Officer of the Hemmat Law Group, a civil litigation firm in Seattle, Washington, as well as the CEO of Hemmat Interactive – a legal software and media startup. Host of the podcast Gossip Without Prejudice, John spends his time highlighting legal misconduct and advocating for reform in the legal industry.

Disclaimer: The content in this article is provided for general knowledge. It does not constitute legal advice, and readers should seek advice from qualified legal professionals regarding particular cases or situations.

Published by Stephanie M.