Learn How Non-Lawyers Can Lead Initial Client Meetings and Save Attorneys Time
Non-lawyers conducting initial meetings with prospective clients can be a powerful asset for law firms. They save attorneys valuable time and resources while ensuring legal advice isn’t given away for free.
Empowering trusted team members to handle these consultations can be a significant shift for many lawyers, but it’s a strategy that can transform a busy practice. With the right training and knowledge, team members can assess potential clients, identify their needs, and deliver meaningful consultations—all without crossing into legal advice territory.
In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve sits down with Elizabeth Clark, Client Services Director at The Legacy Elder Law Center in Leesburg, Virginia. Elizabeth shares her journey of stepping into the role of conducting 95% of the firm’s initial consultations—a responsibility she now thrives in, thanks to the trust of her supervising attorney.
Elizabeth explains her process for meeting and evaluating clients, how she fosters trust and empathy, and why her role has become a vital part of the firm’s success. She also shares how she developed the skills necessary for this position and why the firm values her contributions.
Tune in to learn how leveraging the skills of non-lawyers for initial consultations can elevate your firm’s efficiency and client experience.
Inside This Episode
- What the Legacy Elder Law Center is, how it helps its clients, and Elizabeth Clark’s role there
- How she accidentally landed at the Legacy Elder Law Center as an assistant and eventually moved into conducting initial client meetings
- The process inside of the initial consultation and how Elizabeth’s firm determines if the potential client is a good fit
- How Elizabeth having the discretion to adjust the process and the service offered provides a distinct advantage to her firm
- Why her personal journey plays a role in how she speaks with clients and how they impact her
- Why she is so careful with the authority the firm has given her
- How having firm price points and not hiding them helps remind the client that they’re in charge
- Elizabeth’s advice to law firms who want to go through the process of empowering non-lawyer team members to qualify prospects and onboard clients
- Why she likes her role as Client Services Director