 Clients Have Rights, Too. Just Ask the Devil's Advocate.The Devil's Advocate has been helping clients manage their lawyers since 1993. Now its founder, John Toothman, is publishing its famous Client's Bill of Rights for lawyers, too.
By: LitWatch, Inc. 
THE CLIENT'S BILL OF RIGHTS So as not to worry their clients too much, most lawyers neglect to advise them about the special legal relationship between lawyer and client. (The one in which the client is supreme, not the one where the client pays the bills and is not heard.) Lawyers are supposed to redirect clients they are not equipped to help, to follow the client's instructions, to report back faithfully and often, to charge only a reasonable fee while working diligently, to turn down conflicting assignments, and so on. Our Client's Bill of Rights aims to let clients in on this secret. In the past few years, as the Great Recession raged, hourly rates for lawyers broke the $1,000 barrier and are close to setting a record with a $1 billion hourly fee for one firm in one case. Yet major firms are collapsing, unemployed law school graduates are suing to get their tuition back, and lawyers have been caught stealing millions, if not billions, from their clients. Meanwhile the recession has forced many to seek lawyers to help with foreclosures, credit card and other debt, retirement and employment issues, and more. Of even greater concern to the people who need lawyers, they are becoming harder to afford and it seems harder than ever to find one with relevant experience who will help. You pay some money, then wait. Your calls aren't returned. Your only communication is the next bill. No matter how hard the lawyer tried to lower your expectations, the result is even worse (and the bill is even higher). There are ads for lawyers everywhere, but they don't really say anything useful. Our new e-book, The Client Bill of Rights, introduces clients to the unique relationship they should have with their lawyers. Most clients don't realize that they are supposed to have control of the lawyer's representation and that the lawyer reports to them. Respect, competence, and a reasonable fee are some of the client's rights. The Client Bill of Rights lists ten rights every client has and explains what clients should reasonably expect. The book is available for Amazon's Kindle for $2.99 (7700 words). For twenty plus years John Toothman and his firm, The Devil's Advocate, have been helping clients and lawyers manage legal fees. Mr. Toothman graduated from Harvard Law School with honors and practiced law in large and small law firms, and the US Department of Justice. He is the author of dozens of articles on subjects like legal fees, ethics, and malpractice, as well as two prior books including Legal Fees: Law & Management (Carolina Acad. Press). This Client's Bill of Rights pays for itself in about a minute at common hourly rates charged by lawyers. Read this book before you visit a lawyer and your relationship should get off to a good start. The Client Bill of Rights introduces a new series of guides for clients: The Civilian's Guide to Lawyers, a three volume Kindle publication, to help everyone dealing with lawyers and the legal system. These books are published through LitWatch, Inc. More information is available at http://www.CiviliansGuidetoLawyers.com, http://www.LitWatch.com, http://www.DevilsAdvocate.com. The Devil's Advocate and LitWatch are registered trademarks. The Civilian's Guide to Lawyers and The Client's Bill of Rights are trademarks. LitWatch publications are copyrighted, with all rights reserved. # # # LitWatch: litigation news & legal information service since 1993. View online continuing legal education for lawyers, including trial and litigation practice, attorney ethics, legal fees, and more. LitWatch also publishes books for lawyers and clients. Photo: https://www.prlog.org/ End
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