Technology

Texting With Clients Has Benefits And Disadvantages

Sending clients text messages can interrupt the delicate dance of the work-life balance as texts are more likely reserved for personal communication.

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texting iPhone imessage textsLawyers are constantly thinking of new ways to connect and interact with current and prospective clients. Some law firms offer clients the ability to participate in their cases through online portals that give status updates on a regular basis and permit clients to upload information and materials about a case. Other law practices rely on phone calls and emails to keep clients apprised of matters and coordinate work between attorneys and clients. Many attorneys give their cell phone numbers to clients, and numerous attorneys text clients in order to communicate about legal matters. Although this practice can be useful in many circumstances, this can have downsides as well.

Shortly after arriving at my first law firm gig in 2012, I had to provide certain information so that our shop could make business cards with my contact information. Adding a cell phone number to the card was optional at the time, and some associates did not want to provide this information for fear that a client would reach out to them at an inconvenient time. I decided that it would not be such a big deal, especially since this could make me much more accessible to clients.

I did not really text with clients much until I opened my own practice about five years ago since I rarely had directly client involvement before then. Since opening my own practice, I text with clients nearly every day. Sometimes, sending an email is a better option to provide a written communication to clients, especially if the message is dense and if I need to attach materials to the communication. However, texts are advantageous in a number of circumstances.

Clients are more likely to read a text sooner than they are to read an email. This is likely due to the notification set up on a client’s phone and that clients naturally check texts more often than emails throughout the day. As a result, if a lawyer wants to send a quick reminder to a client, and ask a brief question that requires a quick response, it is much better to send a text message. Moreover, text messages are more informal than emails, and lawyers may want to use text messages instead of emails in order to convey a message in a friendlier way. Emojis usually seem weird in emails but can be more accepted when texting, and, sometimes, the occasion calls for a more informal communication with a client.

However, sending clients text messages can interrupt the delicate dance of the work-life balance as texts are more likely reserved for personal communication. Moreover, text messages are more likely to reach the attention of a lawyer more immediately than an email due to preferences set up on a lawyer’s phone and their use behavior. I remember one time, shortly after starting my own law firm, I went out on a Saturday night. I mostly texted with a given client rather than send messages by email since this client seemed to prefer texting to other forms of communications.

Sometime between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on a Saturday, I got a text from the client asking about something work-related. The text definitely interrupted my personal time, since I had to think about the query, and I responded to the message immediately so I did not forget about the question. I routinely get text messages from clients outside of business hours, which I am mostly fine with since my availability to clients is something that makes my law firm stand out. However, although text messages can be a valuable means to send clients brief messages, some lawyers may not be OK with breaking down the barriers between work and personal time, and such attorneys should be more cautious when communicating with clients via text message.

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Rothman Larger HeadshotJordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at jordan@rothman.law.

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