In this encore presentation of the March 9, 2016 webinar, Katherine Miller discusses 3 Mistakes Lawyers Make that Keep Them and Their Clients Stuck in Conflict.

Clients arrive in your office because they have a problem they haven’t been able to solve and are hoping you will fix it for them so they can get on with their lives.  Like many lawyers, you probably enjoy being a problem-solver and feel satisfied when you help your clients find a path to a resolution.  After you gather sufficient information to understand and analyze the situation, you usually attempt settlement negotiations.  Sometimes those discussions work out great but other times you can end up stuck and mired in the conflict.  When that happens, it is disappointing and frustrating both for you and your client.  The constant grind of adversarial tactics and the toxicity of the emotions evoked by conflict can lead you to question your choice of profession.  It’s often said that the best agreement is one in which both parties are unhappy, but isn’t that a dismal goal? It’s not surprising that the rate of depression and substance abuse is higher among lawyers.

What might you be missing and what can you do differently that will enable you to help your clients solve their problems and bring you greater job satisfaction?