Don Clients Hire Fighters Not Settlers?
An Attorney who bills himself/herself as a fighter is likely to attract clients who want to fight. When one’s only tool is a hammer, everything appears as a nail. Yet, in the writer’s experience, one who casts oneself as a settler of disputes attracts a remarkable number of callers who fear becoming enmeshed in litigation more than they fear getting less than top dollar at trial. Some are looking for an easy way out. They want the mediator to make the other spouse accept their views, and don’t understand that he/she can’t just tell the couple how to resolve their issues. That opposite spouse may be tempted to use mediation yet feels vulnerable even with counsel at his/her elbow, assuming he/she can find a lawyer willing to take such a mere advisory role. These people share a belief that hiring an attorney will mean losing control of their cases and that the attorneys will delay resolution by inflaming feelings. Many can afford to pay for excellent counsel but stumble around on bad advi
