Shopping for an attorney is like shopping for a dress. I have been shopping for a dress a lot lately. I needed a very specific dress and was not having any luck finding the right one. I took friends with me and that was helpful, but still coming up short. I had been to Macy’s and Dillard’s at nearly every mall in Houston hoping that a different mall would have something else. Finally, at Nordstrom’s in the Galleria I found Ariel who helped me find that perfect dress. See I would not have picked that dress to try on as I did not think it matched what I needed. But Ariel thought differently. She brought me the dress and shoes to try it on with and I immediately fell in love with it. Before I knew it Ariel had the alterations lady there to make the minor adjustments. I walked out of there that day knowing I had the perfect dress. Because of Ariel taking the time to listen to what I needed rather than just paying attention to what I was looking at I got exactly what I needed.
So how is shopping for a dress like shopping for an attorney you might ask? Well, I would compare most attorneys to the Macy’s and Dillard’s where there are people who work there but you essentially go find your clothes yourself and that person just rings it up when you are ready to buy. Many attorneys are good at bringing in the clients, making them feel comfortable in the initial meeting, getting the client to sign, but then leaving you to work with the attorney’s assistant throughout the case. What is lacking from many attorneys is the personal attention that comes after the client has signed with you. A client should feel like they stepped into Nordstrom’s. The client needs to feel like you are dedicated to helping them through their difficult time throughout the entire case. The client needs to know that they can call you and speak to you. The client needs to know that the attorney is truly listening to what they say and what they do not say. Well, at least that is how I feel it should be. An attorney should provide that Nordstrom’s level of service to their client to make sure the client’s interests are represented