How to Make an Initial Determination of Client Needs

There is a quaint English term for a lawyer, which is ‘hack.’ This is short for Hackney carriage driver. Some years ago, my wife asked a family friend if he enjoys being a hack. This slightly surprised our friend, who is a senior English barrister and part-time judge. Even so, my wife was entirely correct because, as lawyers, we are like cab drivers and that’s where the term comes from. We try to take the clients where they want to go effectively and efficiently.

While the word ‘hack’ has an element of truth, it underestimates the need for planning and understanding what the client really needs. This week I got into a taxi in London and said “Waterloo Station, please.” That was enough. The destination was clear and unambiguous, the pricing mechanism was understood, and the service provider knew the route options better than I, as the client. For legal services, it’s not that simple. As lawyers, we can’t assume that the goal is clear, or that the pricing mechanism is understood. Nor can we assume that we know the best route for the client.