Which Lawyer’s Soft Skills
Will Help Them Win Your Case?
See also: Communicating in Difficult Situations
Winning a legal case is a challenging assignment, especially for non-professionals. Few people know much about their rights and the options that can help to protect them. However, even a strong legal background will not guarantee that a lawyer will win your case.
As well as an extensive legal background, a professional lawyer also needs a broad range of soft skills. From the ability to think outside the box to negotiations, there are many aspects to consider, especially in sensitive cases. For instance, divorce and custody are among the most sensitive cases touching the lives of many people, and they can often be emotionally overwhelming. Thus, handling these cases requires an exceptional set of soft skills.
In this article, a professional Tulsa custody lawyer shares the essential skills they need to help you win your case.
6 Soft Skills Every Successful Lawyer Needs to Win Your Case
Soft skills are must-haves for professional lawyers, helping them work effectively under pressure. These skills are essential in negotiations and handling emotional or otherwise sensitive issues.
Soft skills comprise both personal attributes and interpersonal abilities, helping lawyers to navigate complex legal matters while remaining effective with a wide range of subjects involved in a legal case: clients, colleagues, state officials, etc. Let's explore the most essential lawyer's soft skills you should look for if you want to pick a professional who will succeed in your case and best protect your rights.
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Communication
Good communication skills, both verbal and written, are among the most critical skills a lawyer needs to succeed in a case. Lawyers need to communicate their opinions and arguments clearly and persuasively, and to back these up with statements and evidence.
Lawyers need to articulate opinions and arguments in a variety of forms: contracts, motions, speeches during the court hearings, etc. Active listening is extremely important, especially when dealing with clients as they have to feel that someone is listening to them attentively. A lawyer with excellent communication skills can explain the nuances of the legal process to the client and communicate the opinion before the judge, maximizing the chances for a positive outcome.
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Emotional Intelligence
This soft skill is supplementary to the ones mentioned above. Lawyers often work under significant pressure and need to handle the emotions of their clients and sometimes even opposing parties. Thus, professionals need to have a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ), which refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage a wide spectrum of emotions, both personal and those of others.
Lawyers with a high EQ level can handle stressful situations and remain diplomatic during various negotiations. When we consider custody or other divorce-related matters, for example, a professional lawyer can diffuse tensions and create an atmosphere of cooperation for the sake of the child and the former spouses. A professional can also create conditions for amicable dispute resolution and reaching a long-lasting agreement between the parties.
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Problem-Solving
The legal profession is, by its nature, a challenge. Professional Tulsa custody lawyers note that handling any legal case is never a straightforward process and so problem-solving skills are vital for lawyers. Lawyers need to conduct a thorough analysis of each situation from different perspectives, seeing clearly both the strong and weak sides of a case, elaborating on creative solutions when necessary, and handling complicated and unforeseen situations during the court hearings.
Excellent problem-solving skills helps lawyers to adjust their strategy as new details and challenges arise. A professional lawyer can navigate these issues creatively and critically to develop and implement the best solutions in each case.
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Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is a crucial skill for any lawyer. Even a single missed deadline, incorrect fact, overlooked clause, or detail may lead to failure in handling a case. Some of these issues are possible to resolve, while others may result in serious consequences.
Whether it is needed to review the laws and contracts, draft legal documents, or develop communication strategies, a professional lawyer needs to scrutinize each and every aspect of the case, avoiding any errors, especially fatal ones. This, by the way, is one of the most common reasons why people who self-defend a case lose.
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Time Management
Effective time management ensures that tight deadlines are met. Lawyers often need to handle heavy caseloads, juggling several cases simultaneously while ensuring important obligations are not overlooked.
A professional lawyer can effectively handle even the most complicated legal case by splitting it into several small steps, setting clear priorities, and keeping a structured schedule. Only professional lawyers who master excellent time management ensure high-quality legal services to their clients.
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Adaptability
The legal landscape is constantly changing and evolving. Navigating the changing legal provisions is a challenging assignment, but it is a key to staying relevant and effective. Adapting to the adjusted legal framework, starting to use the latest software, and implementing innovations into their legal practices are only a few examples requiring adaptability and a willingness to learn.
Adaptability expands the range of approaches a lawyer can use to help protect the client’s rights. Each client brings a unique set of personal circumstances, concerns, and goals. A skilled lawyer needs to adapt their analytical and communication style accordingly to succeed in each specific case.
Bottom Line
It is impossible to practice law without having strong soft skills. They help attorneys to win their cases and protect the rights of their clients. From problem-solving to negotiations, there are many aspects to consider when choosing potential attorneys for your case.
Soft skills help to express leadership potential, including when navigating complex legal and personal situations that arise with clients and colleagues. These skills are also very helpful for effective teamwork and building trust in the relationship with all the stakeholders involved in a legal case. These skills facilitate their work and help lawyers succeed.
About the Author
Ann Roberts is an experienced legal analyst with a Bachelor's degree in Law and a copywriter with a strong focus on mediation and litigation. Ann focuses on helping readers to grasp the essence of complex legal concepts while emphasizing the accuracy and precision of legal terminology. Ann is dedicated to making legal knowledge more accessible and easier to understand, promoting greater awareness of rights, procedures, and the importance of soft skills in the legal profession.
