The Value of Legal Coaching

Legal coaching is not an entirely new concept, and its use in family law has ensured that individuals receive the behind-the-scenes guidance needed to handle particular matters.

Primarily, this type of coaching is relevant to people who plans to self-represent themselves; through legal coaching, they receive the tools and strategies needed to do so. A legal coach will not only offer this knowledge, but also offer guidance on the hard and soft skills of lawyering.

There are distinct points of difference between the services an attorney would offer with legal coaching, compared to typical legal counsel.

In coaching, an attorney may not attend to tasks such as paperwork or represent the client in a trial. They will work on specific tasks agreed beforehand with the client, but the latter will do much of the work. Because of this arrangement, legal coaching can be an affordable option for some individuals.

For clients considering legal coaching, it’s vital to understand the tasks that will be their responsibility.

As Dr Edgar Paltzer — an experienced attorney-at-law who has offered coaching in legal matters — knows, having clarity on the lawyer and client’s responsibilities is necessary for such an arrangement to work.

Benefits

While a client will undoubtedly perform a lot of the heavy lifting in a legal coaching setup, they also get to benefit in many ways.

First, working with a legal coach means the client can get an assessment of the strong and weak points of their case, while also receiving advice on how to organize their spoken and written presentations.

This strategic guidance in invaluable, as a client can learn how to handle any weak areas in their case, while also being shown how to handle themselves in a court of law. Indeed, for the duration of the case, a client can expect to step into a lawyer’s shoes, giving them an appreciation of the effort that goes into handling a case.

Finding a Legal Coach

Not every attorney can provide legal coaching, so it is imperative to find lawyers who offer these services. Asking for referrals is one way to go about finding such a lawyer, as is asking at the local court for contacts.

In going about this, try to find a lawyer who is willing to communicate openly and use their years of advice to assist with the case at hand. Consider scheduling consultations with a few attorneys before settling on the right one.