If you want to get technical (and if you’re a nerd like me, you absolutely do) “client communication” implies an attorney-client relationship. It’s right there in Rule 1.4. But there’s a parallel, colloquial meaning: one that includes business development, marketing, prospective client interactions, and staying in touch post-matter.
Imagine a river of communication that follows the client journey.
You can look downstream to anticipate trouble spots.
You can change your approach upstream to head off problems.
You can build a holistic client communication strategy, instead of reinventing the wheel every time you write an email.
Stage 1: Your reputation and visibility
Your client’s journey with you begins when they become aware of you.
They know a former client of yours, who recommends you.
Your friend at another firm sends you conflict cases.
You meet at the neighborhood block party.
Your case makes the news and they read about it.
They google “family lawyers near me.”
The upstream opportunity: Get clear on who your best-fit clients are, what they need from you, and what cues attract them (and only them). For example, if you do estate planning, build relationships with financial planners who work with your best-fit clients. By filtering leads upstream, you reduce the volume of screening you need to do downstream.
Stage 2: Your front door
The client takes the next step in their journey when they visit your firm’s “front door.”
A friend gives them your name, and they look up your website.
Their financial planner refers them to you, and they look at your social media.
Your case makes the news, and they look you up in the bar directory.
The upstream opportunity: Use words, visuals, and materials that resonate with your best-fit clients (more filtering). Start setting expectations and guiding potential clients to solutions at this stage, and you’ll reduce work managing clients and client expectations downstream.
Stage 3: Screening and consultations
These are your first one-to-one interactions with the client.
They fill out your contact form or call you.
You screen them to find out if a consultation makes sense.
You meet for a consultation, evaluate their needs, and explain what to expect.
The upstream opportunity: Ask questions that reveal best-fit client characteristics (last filter stage). Build trust by inviting questions, noticing their reactions, and adjusting your communication to meet their needs: you’re laying the foundation for a productive working relationship downstream. Also, tee up the downstream stages by offering a clear, concise orientation free of details that aren’t useful yet.
Stage 4: The engagement letter
This is a major decision point in the client journey.
You draft the engagement letter and email or present it to them.
They read the letter and decide if they want to engage you.
If it’s a yes, they sign the letter, and they’re officially a client.
The upstream opportunity: Set yourself up for success downstream by laying out clear expectations and reinforcing what you discussed in the consultation upstream. Focus your energy on making the letter clear and understandable to the client, and consider walking through it in person.
(Yes, they have a duty to read, and writing defensively might help you win a bar complaint. Aim higher: Avoid bar complaints by making sure the client actually understands and meaningfully agrees to the terms. You can add disclaimers too, and of course some bar complaints can’t be avoided. But investing in actual understanding is a good practice.)
Stage 5: Matter management
This is usually the longest stage of the client journey.
You’re managing homework, appointments, and maybe legal proceedings.
The client wants updates; sometimes there isn’t one to give.
You’re sending billing statements and the client is paying (we hope).
The matter is ultimately resolved.
The opportunity: Upstream work is key here. For example, using matter maps, introduced during Stage 3 and repeated in Stage 4, can help with wayfinding. Setting expectations, starting in Stage 2, about matter timelines and results can reduce frustration. Getting clarity on best-fit clients, starting in Stage 1, can help you avoid relationships destined to be high-conflict.
Stage 6: Closing the file and post-representation relationship
This is the end of the client journey… sort of. Your official relationship is over, but there’s still a connection.
You’re hoping the client will refer more business to you.
You want to work with the client in the future.
The client wants services, like custody order enforcement, that you don’t want to do.
The client keeps calling with questions, and the matter is over, so you don’t want to answer.
The upstream opportunity: Staying in touch now helps you guide downstream contact. If you anticipate follow-up requests that you don’t want to field, you could head off calls with a monthly newsletter that has self-help suggestions and a resource list. If you want referrals or future work, you could follow up periodically to keep the connection fresh.
What we’re reading
How Effective Communication Builds Trust with Clients. Stephen Gurinkel. ABA Law Practice Division, Law Practice Magazine, Jan 2026.
Thinking, Fast and Slow. Daniel Kahneman, 2011.
Practice tip
Try this: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Grab some paper and a pen, and draw out the client journey for one kind of matter. If you do family law, map out a simple dissolution. Start with how the client first hears about you and follow the journey to the end.
Pin the journey map to the wall in your work area. The next time you have a tough client conflict in that type of matter, look upstream for opportunities to head it off with the next client.
Why it works: It’s harder to solve problems with clients when they’re already entrenched and frustrated. Often, you can save time and money by preventing problems upstream. You can’t avoid every problem, but there’s almost always some action you can take to build a more peaceful, productive practice.
Happy Friday!
Strawberry Nevill
p.s. Did you find this helpful? If you did, I’d be delighted if you shared it with a colleague!