Plaintiffs and lawyers proceed through lawsuits with such separate perceptions they might as well be living in two different countries.
So what are the stages of a lawsuit that lawyers know about?
• Meeting client, evaluating case & signing retainer agreement.
• Researching the law.
• Writing and serving the complaint.
• Reading the answer to the complaint.
• Writing, serving, answering discovery demands.
• Court status conferences.
• Arguing about discovery.
• Receiving, logging and analyzing discovery.
• Arguing about discovery again.
• Gathering exhibits.
• Depositions.
• Pre-trial motions.
• Trial preparation.
• Settlement negotiations.
• Trial or settlement.
• Resolution: jury or judge decision or settlement agreement.
You will have noticed that “regularly conferring with client” or “keeping client up to date” are not on this bullet list.