Comments on: You Ask…I Answer: I Want To Fire A Pro Bono Client. What Say You? https://solopracticeuniversity.com/2011/12/12/you-ask-i-answer-i-want-to-fire-a-pro-bono-client-what-say-you/ The 'Practice of Law' School Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:23:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.21 By: David https://solopracticeuniversity.com/2011/12/12/you-ask-i-answer-i-want-to-fire-a-pro-bono-client-what-say-you/#comment-23333 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:29:59 +0000 http://solopracticeuniversity.com/?p=2781#comment-23333 First, this is an excellent example of why attorneys should only take clients placed or referred by legal services providers, so that the pro bono attorney can get help when the client is out of control.

Second, extremely difficult clients may have mental health issues, including personality disorders, which may cause them to confuse reality and fanstasy/dreams/nightmares. If you suspect this is an issue, meet with a mental health professional yourself to discuss the traits/symptoms your client is exhibiting to get an idea of what types of mental health issues your client is facing, then tell your client you can only continue to assist her if she receives appropriate counseling. (Also get help yourself with setting boundaries, if you need it.) Otherwise you may get hit with all sorts of outlandish charges by your clients. This is especially true if the client exhibits “black and white” thinking, living in a world where there are no shades of gray, only good/bad, love/hate, yes/no. Ditto for emotions that are over the top, even when domestic violence is involved. Crying tantrums and other emotional dysregulation are major warning signs that you could be in trouble, your client could turn on you and consider you a villain in the story of her life. (And remember you can and should ask your client about what drugs she is using. If prescribed, does she have a current supply or is she self-medicating? If she is using drugs for which she doesn’t have a prescription or which are illegal, you need to know that as well. If she resists, tell her that as her attorney you need to know everything that might come out at a hearing.)

Third, the more difficult the client, the more you need detailed notes on every contact and a letter to the client summarizing every conversation. Before you hang up or end a meeting, ask your client to summarize what the two of you have discussed and the actions you both will take. Don’t fear being patronizing. If this gets away from you, it can become a huge problem.

]]> By: james https://solopracticeuniversity.com/2011/12/12/you-ask-i-answer-i-want-to-fire-a-pro-bono-client-what-say-you/#comment-23225 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:22:42 +0000 http://solopracticeuniversity.com/?p=2781#comment-23225 I have consistently found in my career thus far that problem clients I have taken on pro-bono are far worse that problem clients who I am billing. The inevitable retort from the pro-bono clients is something like, “Oh, so you think you can treat me worse/don’t have to work hard on my case because I’m not paying you?” when the reality is you are probably working as hard, if not harder, on her case than on cases for paying clients. This, incidentally, is why I track my time on all cases. Show them the time logs (and what their bill would have been had they been paying).

My nice response to the pro-bono complaint is, “Actually, I’m working as hard or harder on your case *because* you’re not paying me. I took your case because I believed in it. I made a commitment to you, but right now you’re not keeping your commitment to me.” From there you either agree to take a few days to think about continuing or you just end it.

Good luck.

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