Customer Service in Divorce, Custody and Visitation Cases
Should a family-law attorney give clients his or her cell-phone number? I believe so. My clients, by trusting me with their divorce, custody, paternity, child-support, visitation or other family-law case, are really placing their lives in my hands. I don't want them guessing what to do when a situation arises -- they need to be able to reach me when they have questions. I give them my cell-phone number and encourage them to call anytime. This means that I can't hide from clients, that I must keep clients informed and somewhat happy, or they will be ringing my phone day and night. I call my customer-service policy 'direct contact.' My clients can reach me 7 days/week. I even answer my phone when I'm on the phone with someone else (very briefly, with apologies to the present caller -- just to say that I'm tied up and will have to talk later.) I don't put up a 'voicemail wall' (I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson is in a meeting right now, would you