How to Handle Difficult Clients as an LNC
Every LNC will eventually encounter difficult clients. The key to maintaining a successful business is to recognize these issues early and manage them strategically. From setting boundaries to handling payment problems and assessing client fit, learning how to deal with difficult situations will strengthen your business and help you avoid unnecessary stress.
Setting Boundaries with Difficult Clients
One of the first lessons in running a legal nurse consulting business is setting clear boundaries. Without them, it’s easy to slip into a pattern of always being available—answering texts, emails, and calls at all hours. While flexibility is sometimes necessary, such as when preparing for a deposition or trial, it’s important to establish business hours and stick to them whenever possible.
Set up automatic responses in your email and phone systems that state your availability. Avoid conditioning attorneys to expect immediate replies at night and on weekends. Respecting your personal time not only protects your well-being but also sets professional expectations with your clients.
Addressing Payment Issues
Handling money matters is another critical aspect of managing difficult clients. New legal nurse consultants sometimes hesitate to raise their rates or charge appropriately for rush work, leading to financial strain. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your rates to keep pace with your experience and rising expenses is essential.
Be upfront and matter-of-fact when informing clients of a fee increase. You can increase your rate at any point during the year. You need not wait until January 1.
Avoid apologizing or negotiating unfairly—your services have value, and your rates should reflect that. Your fee agreement should also clearly outline that your rates can change, ensuring you have the flexibility to update them without delay.
Charging rush fees for urgent work is another vital practice. If an attorney expects you to prioritize their project and work nights or weekends or on a faster turnaround than normal, your contract should allow for a higher rate during these periods.
Always require a retainer, especially for rush jobs with new clients, and make sure you have funds in hand before starting the work. Ask all plaintiff attorney clients for a retainer and probe defense attorneys to see if the insurance carrier will honor a request for a retainer.
Managing Scope Creep
Scope creep—where an attorney asks for work outside of the original agreement without additional compensation—is a common challenge. To protect yourself, be clear about what services are included in your contract. If a client requests something extra, such as locating multiple expert witnesses or summarizing large volumes of records, explain that this will require an additional fee or a revision of the agreement, particularly if you are not charging an hourly rate.
Assessing Client Fit
Not every attorney will be a good match for your business. Some will have abrasive personalities, unrealistic expectations, or limited resources, making them difficult clients to work with. Pay attention to your reactions when communicating with clients. If you dread answering a particular attorney’s calls or emails, it may be time to reconsider the relationship.
You have the right to refuse new work from difficult clients. You’re running a business, not a charity, and your mental health and business satisfaction are important. Focus on cultivating relationships with respectful, reliable attorneys who value your contributions.
Handling Collections Issues
Unfortunately, fee collections can become a major pain point. Legal nurse consultants often encounter attorneys who delay payments for several reasons: quality concerns about the work product, cash flow problems, or simple neglect.
Your fee agreement should detail payment expectations, including deadlines for payment, interest rates on overdue invoices, and your right to withhold work if invoices are unpaid. Spell out that you do not accept contingency payments; you are paid for your time and expertise, not for case outcomes.
Be cautious with small plaintiff firms where cash flow depends on case settlements. Decide in advance how flexible you are willing to be. Sometimes being patient pays off if the client is honest and reliable—but don’t extend credit indefinitely without safeguards.
When necessary, don’t hesitate to involve a collection agency or an attorney to collect unpaid fees. Your fee agreement should state that the client will bear interest and reasonable collection costs, including a surcharge if a collection agency becomes involved.
Dealing with Client Departures
Clients can leave for many reasons, including changes in their practice, firm breakups, dissatisfaction with fees, or simply because you are no longer top of mind. Regular communication, such as sending helpful updates or checking in periodically, can help you maintain relationships and prevent attorneys from forgetting about you.
If a client stops sending you cases, reach out politely to find out why. Whether it’s a billing issue, a shift in their practice focus, or something else, understanding the cause can help you decide how to move forward and make improvements if needed.
In Summary
Handling difficult clients is an unavoidable part of running a legal nurse consulting business. Protect yourself by setting clear boundaries, maintaining strong contracts, charging appropriately for your work, managing scope creep, and choosing your clients carefully. Stay on top of your invoices, be prepared to act when payments lag, and don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself and your business.
Taking these proactive steps will not only help you avoid costly mistakes but also build a stronger, more sustainable legal nurse consulting business.
After a number of experiences with toxic clients, as an independent legal nurse consultant, I learned to see the red flag warnings before I got into a nasty situation. Using a 7-step process, I spotted the warning signs, recognized why the attorneys behaved as they did, and discovered how to deal with the toxic behavior.
How to Handle Toxic Clients
No doubt I've encountered difficult clients over the years. I've set boundaries and also examined what my company was doing to contribute to the attorney’s reactions. And when necessary, I said goodbye to the client. I learned a system for how handle them to avoid much tension and anger.
It worked for me, and it will work for you. My system allowed me to feel in control instead of blindsided and helpless. When legal nurse consultants call me to share their own stories of toxic clients, I take them through the process I will reveal to you, and arm them with the tools to handle the difficult client.
You can learn avoid the pain I've gone through and learn a system to handle these difficult clients by investing in our How to Handle Toxic Clients Course here.
Pat Iyer is president of The Pat Iyer Group, which develops resources to assist LNCs in obtaining more clients, making more money, and achieving their business goals and dreams.
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