Now that you are back from vacation, refreshed, focused and feisty; it is time to consider firing that bad client. There are any number of reasons to fire a client. Annoying, always complaining about fees and opinions, slow paying, disrespectful, argumentative, etc. Ran across a post today on CPATrendlines entitled “How to Fire a Client,” which made it clear that accountants too encounter difficult clients; and it pointed out similar reasons they encounter. For instance, a client that makes you nervous because of their type of business, ethical issues, and belligerence.

The post recommended that one should be pleasant and send a disengagement letter by certified mail advising them of your decision and any upcoming deadlines that may apply to them. Obviously this is a CYA situation to ensure the decision doesn’t come back to bite you in a sensitive location.

This is a topic I have covered several times over the years. Here are a few:

New Year’s Resolution: Fire a Client or Two!!

Yes, I’m serious.  Get rid of those annoying, non-paying, difficult clients of 2012!  Some of whom likely keep you up at night. You will feel better and be happier in the new year. Such is the advice from Canadian lawyer Simon Chester on Attorney at Work this week also. For those who think we’re both…Continue Reading

Stop Procrastinating – Fire Those Bad Clients

This is a topic I have addressed before, but is worth repeating. Your firm would be better off firing bad clients. Your time would be better spent focusing your law firm marketing efforts on landing the clients you want, and the type of work you want to do. Sure, you may take a hit financially…Continue Reading

Do You Need to Fire A Client?

Sometimes it is a wise legal marketing decision to fire a client. There could be any number of reasons you should, including: Client consistently challenges your invoices Always is slow in paying Challenges your legal analysis and recommended strategies Is overly demanding of your time You no longer want to handle that client’s type of…Continue Reading

When to Fire a Client

This is the first time this year that I have touched on one of my favorite subjects – lawyers should do the legal work they want to do for the clients they want to do it for. That should be the ultimate goal of every lawyer who wants to have a satisfying, successful, and long-term…Continue Reading

ON THE OTHER HAND, there may be another option to consider:

Fire that Annoying Client – NOT So Fast!

We’ve all had clients we would like to fire, but may not have had the nerve or want to lose the revenue. I remember a story told at a conference I attended about the small law firm that spent hours at its weekend retreat discussing firing a client that provided 25% of their revenues. Many…Continue Reading

I hope you will return from your summer vacation with a focus to deal with troublesome clients!