Why Relationships (Still) Matter When Choosing Your Attorney

In our ever-accelerating world of super-smartphone technology and our wholehearted embrace of acronym-heavy texts, it sometimes feels like actual conversation has become a lost art, destined to go the way of mix tapes and phone books. We substitute 😉 and the ubiquitous 👍🏼, when what we really mean is: “If my message upset you, I was really just kidding (sort of),” and “I agree with you but also want to end this conversation without being rude.”

While convenient, texts and emails can’t take the place of regular, back-and-forth, in-person dialogue. As specific as they’ve become, emojis will never convey the nuanced expressions we get from actual faces and voices.

The need to connect

Humans are hardwired to connect with other humans—in deeper ways than technology permits. In Psychology Today, Aaron Ben-Zeén, PhD, references a landmark study by researchers Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary, which concluded:

“… the need to belong is a fundamental human need to form and maintain … lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Real people, real relationships

At MVP Law, building real relationships is fundamental to our core beliefs. We believe the most successful client relationships are built on trust. After all, clients hire attorneys to represent their interests, to literally stand up for them on truly important matters. That kind of trust is impossible to build with ones and zeroes. Showing up, answering the call, meeting our clients’ needs, time and time again—that’s how we earn their trust.

To us, there are three qualities that make up real relationships:

1. They are personal. Show them who you really are. To build trust and grow the relationship, clients need to connect with you on a personal and professional level.
2. They are meaningful. Invest the time to develop deep understanding with your clients. Demonstrate you’re in it for the long-term.
3. They are fulfilling. Strive to satisfy. Reward your clients by delivering on your commitments.

Underpinning it all: consistent, transparent communication, accountability and authenticity. These are the hallmarks of great attorney-client relationships.

Building confidence through better understanding

While we stand behind our 118 years of legal experience and knowledge – and we’re especially proud of our legal results – we know our clients come back to us again and again because of the relationship and trust that exists. We’ve earned that trust by understanding their needs, anticipating their challenges and addressing them head-on. Whether it’s a workers’ compensation suit or a school employment law case, we never forget we represent real people facing real problems.

While plenty of innovative tech solutions are transforming the legal industry, allowing us to more quickly communicate with clients and improve our efficiencies, we’re also reminded of the indelible power of the personal relationship. We’ve seen firsthand how that process of relationship-building has allowed us to provide even better service to our clients. Across all 180 employees and 65 attorneys, we’ve prioritized those personal interactions so we can better understand our client objectives and enhance our problem-solving skills to deliver results.

It’s not just us who benefit from these relationships. Our clients choose us for the unique blend of energy, sense of humor and high degree of integrity with which we serve them each and every day.

You just can’t replace that with 🤣😎🤓.

Phillip Sanders is chief operating officer at MVP Law, a law firm specializing in workers’ comp, general liability and employment law. Founded in 1901 and serving the Midwest, the MVP attorneys are attentive, knowledgeable and ready to find the options you never knew you had. Share your thoughts on our Facebook page or on Twitter @MVPLaw.