To begin, we see ourselves as teachers, not just technicians in law (in fact, most of us teach other lawyers and professionals in seminars and conferences). Our job is to explain the alternatives to you in language you can understand. We simplify, simplify, simplify, and use plenty of examples and real life cases. We use shorter words, shorter sentences, and shorter documents, without sacrificing the legal protections you need. Expect to see pictures, charts, and computer presentations. And expect silence from us as we listen to you. Listening is how we know you understand.
Remember the feeling you had in school, when after working hard on a subject, you suddenly got it? The details suddenly all made sense, the confusion faded, and everything became clear to you. You understood. What a feeling! That’s our goal for you in your legal affairs. When you understand your legal rights and alternatives, you make better decisions. The other parties involved also get a better understanding, which leads to more trust, and a faster and friendlier resolution. You sleep better at night, not worried about whether your lawyer did what you wanted, but understanding the decisions you made and knowing that your wishes will be carried out. Peace of mind. That’s the result.
Bob came to us with documents prepared by other lawyers, which he could not follow. Bob asked the other lawyer what he thought were good questions, but the other lawyer replied with legal jargon and never explained what was going on. And the other lawyer made Bob feel foolish for asking, so he stopped asking. Our reputation is different. We will explain the documents to you so that you get it, or if necessary re-write the documents in a simpler way. And we never make you feel foolish.
Sometimes, people (usually other lawyers) question whether our goal of having you understand your legal affairs is even possible. Isn’t law so complex that only lawyers can understand it? Don’t you just have to trust all of that detail to your lawyers? It is true that you do not have the time or the energy to go through every detail in a legal document, and you must have trust in your attorney. But you deserve to know the basics, and to understand the alternatives. How can you make intelligent choices otherwise? We know this is possible, because we do it every day.