At any given time, lawyers may have multiple matters for different clients on their desk. That creates a tendency to forget that each client’s matter is often the most important thing happening in the client’s life at that time. Not only is it the most important thing in their lives, it’s something over which they have no control or even daily interaction, so they often feel “in the dark” about it.
Lawyers can build trust and ease anxiety by informing clients of significant developments as quickly as reasonably possible, especially when the development is unexpected or negatively impacts the client’s matter. Even when the news isn’t good, being proactive alleviates any doubt that the lawyer may be hiding something, while a perceived delay can impact the client’s trust and possibly lead to a grievance or malpractice claim.