1. Understand the provider firm’s responsibilities to Pre-Paid Legal members:
   a. Duty to determine member benefits
   b. Duty to provide benefits under the contract
   c. Duty to resolve complaints (member resolution requests)
2. Do a conflict check before you accept a referral assignment.
3. Accept or reject a referral within 24 hours of the provider firm contacting you or your staff.
4. Keep the provider firm informed of any attorney or staff changes at your firm.
5. When a provider firm contacts your office and you accept a referral, please assist the member with their issue when they call (it may be the same day). Members should not have to wait for the referral letter to arrive at your office via mail in order to receive assistance. If you need referral paperwork before you can assist the member, please let the provider firm's referral dept know at the time of their initial call and they can fax or email the necessary information to you.
6. Call or email the provider firm at any time if you have a question about coverage on a referral.
7. Respond to Pre-Paid Legal members within 24 hours of their call to you. If you cannot call, have a staff person contact the member to arrange an appointment/call back time.
8. Explain the fees, retainer agreement and your discount to the member. Always explain the benefit of the Pre-Paid Legal referral to the client.
   a. 25% discount on hourly billing
   b. 25% discount on flat fee billing
   c. 25% discount on contingency billing
9. Keep the clients informed of the status of their case.
10. Give clients a timeline for their issue (general idea of how long steps will take).
11. Keep detailed notes on each case and any calls made to/from the clients.
12. DO NOT refer a Pre-Paid Legal client to another attorney. If you cannot assist a member who has been referred to your office, please call the provider firm’s referral department and let them know. You should also advise the member to contact their provider law firm for assistance with another referral.
13. Keep open communication - contact Pre-Paid Legal or the appropriate Pre-Paid Legal provider firm with any questions or problems.

WOW: Compassion

I promise to communicate sincere concern for each client’s issue, and to express appreciation for the opportunity to help them, share their burdens and lighten their load.

The day-to-day work of an attorney can sometimes feel clinical.  The result of an attorney’s work often has a great emotional impact on the client’s life.  The service attorneys provide goes far beyond consumerism. The vast majority of praise letters received by Pre-Paid Legal Services have nothing to do with the attorney’s legal expertise or courtroom prowess.  Rather, these letters praise the attorney’s patience, diligence and compassion.  Clients want to know that you care about their case.  Showing compassion for a client is easier than you think.

Here are some simple tips to help let clients know you care:

• Show genuine concern by voicing sympathy and interest in the member’s issue.  Just because you have seen a particular legal issue many times doesn’t mean the client has experienced it before.
• Do not argue with a client. You are in control of the conversation and arguing with a client will only turn a bad situation worse.
• Be flexible. Sometimes going out of your way to help a member can go a long way toward creating a better attorney-client bond.
• Let the client vent. Most clients who are upset will calm down once they have a chance to get their frustration off their chest.
• Do not be afraid to show sympathy or empathy for a client dealing with a difficult problem.

Tell clients what you can do, not what you can’t.

Law Firm Websites: Content Overview

Last month we covered the anatomy of a law firm website’s home page.  This month we will cover important content elements that should be included in every law firm website.  Your site’s content will help improve your search ranking with sites like Google and Bing.  Quality content will also promote repeat visitors and client contacts through your site.

• Home Page- Your site’s home page text should include basic introductory information about the firm. Below are some suggested areas to touch upon.
  • A brief message to potential clients about your practice. (i.e. your elevator speech)
  • Years of Experience
  • Practice Areas (It is a good idea to list your practice areas.)
  • Jurisdictions (It is a good idea to list the courts and counties where you practice.)
  • Updates – A portion of the front page may be reserved for important firm updates. These can include new site content, blog posts, new attorneys or links to pertinent news articles relating to your firm or applicable practice areas.
• Attorney Bios - The attorney bio is the page most visitors check immediately after the home page. Include as much information as you can about your law firm’s attorneys and your practice. Try and build a personal connection. You want the visitor to feel like they know you and that you are not just another fill-in-the-blank attorney.
  • Number of Years Practicing
  • Practice Areas
  • Education
  • Special Certifications
  • Bar Affiliations
  • Community Service
  • Organization Membership
  • Publications
  • Speaking Engagements/Events
  • Why You Practice (Tell your visitors why you do what you do. Why do you practice law? Why you focus on your particular practice areas? This is your chance to build rapport.)

• Contact Page- A contact page will allow visitors to your law firm’s website to easily contact your firm. It will not need a great deal of content, but it should be clear and easy to use.
• Practice Areas - List all of your practice areas and be as specific as possible. The more you list the better. Also, be sure to include practice areas that many lawyers in your area do not cover. These have a good chance of boosting your search ranking because there is little competition.
• Resources
  • FAQs or other information that may be useful to potential clients.
    • For Example: A chart listing DUI penalties in your state, or an FAQ on what to do if you are facing divorce. The more information you provide the greater the likelihood that potential clients will find your site.
  • Link to sites that might be helpful to your potential clients - Linking to respected and high traffic websites will help improve your law firm website’s search ranking. These sites may include the DMV, the State Supreme Court, the state bar and other sites that may be helpful to potential clients.