Coaching Your Client

To be effective, the attorney-client relationship needs to be more than the attorney providing legal advice and counsel to their client. In Coaching Your Client, author Arezou Kohan asserts lawyers should try to understand their clients' values and aspirations and use coaching skills to help clients achieve their goals.

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Rather than trying to impose a preferred solution on their client, lawyers should better listen to their clients; educate their clients on their options; and engage the client in solutions. The benefits of this approach include: *Happier clients and a more productive attorney-client relationship *A competitive edge in customer service*Better client retention and attraction of new clients *A competitive advantage in conflict resolution*A more meaningful and fulfilling practice*A reduction in stress and burnout Kohan devotes specific chapters to the principles of coaching; the history of coaching and the law; and how to design an "attorney-client alliance." She emphasizes that lawyers must work toward their own fulfillment in order to help clients achieve their fulfillment, or as Kohan puts it, "Happy lawyer, happy client." The book serves as the quintessential relationship skills resource for attorneys. Using an "Attorney-Client Alliance" model, Kohan shows lawyers how to empower their clients and engage them in solutions. This user-friendly book provides practical coaching skills, which can be incorporated into a legal practice immediately, without being tedious.