 | | | |||||||
| |||||||||
|
Information
Sources
Email a Question
Sources
. . . . . . . . . .
Attorney Tom OlsenThe Joy of Work
Attorney Tom Olsen
I would like to tell you something that I have told far too few people: My work gives me great joy and pleasure. We all read reports of lawyer burnout, forced billing hours and how the law has become a business and not a profession. Unfortunately, these things are true for many attorneys. Gratefully, they are not true for me. I love my work and I'll give some of the reasons why.
First, every workday is different for me. I am not stuck doing just one type of law all day every day. My practice allows me to do different areas of law. It also allows me to meet several new clients every day. Although the law might change very little, every new client is different both in their personality and in their particular circumstances. This makes every day new and interesting for me.
Next, almost every client I meet is in my office because they want to be there. For example, they want to have a will prepared or they want to buy a house and have representation at the closing. On the other side of the coin, I did divorces many years ago and I can assure you that those clients did not want to be in my office, much less pay me a fee to be there. Thank goodness I now have an attorney in my office that loves doing family law and divorce work.
Next, for almost every type of legal service I perform, I work on a flat fee basis. I like flat fees because the client knows from the very beginning what the total fee will be. Money does not get in the way of our relationship. Although necessary in some cases, hourly rates can create a conflict of interest between the attorney and client. I believe that flat fees and "value billing" are the way of the future and will vastly improve the overall attorney/client relationship and the public's perception of attorneys.
Next, I have assembled a team of paralegals and attorneys in my office that I tell people is like "no other team in legal history". Like never before in my career, our office works as a team effort. We each serve a vital role, we each love what we do. I am proud of my team and I am proud of myself for assembling and leading them.
Finally, and most important of all, the clients I attract are wonderful, honest, hard working, kind and trusting people. Many of my clients come to me through the radio show and, upon meeting them, there is an instant feeling of friendship and trust in our relationship. If only other attorneys had the benefits I have, what a happier profession we would be.
Advertisements
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .