To understand the significance of the engagement letter, it may be best for attorneys to take the word “engagement” out of the professional context and think about how the word is used in the individual context. To become engaged is one of the most significant acts we undertake as individuals. So, too, in the professional context, becoming engaged is one of the most significant acts a professional can undertake. When you enter into an engagement, you are binding yourself to another person.
Do I Want to Be Bound to This Person?
Too frequently attorneys enter into engagements without first asking themselves: “Is this a person I want to be bound to?” Although we cannot be as picky about our choice of clients as we can about spouses, we can, and should, spend time thinking about whether it is worth investing our professional capital on each client that comes through the doors. As in our individual lives, there are attorney-client relationships that are obviously doomed from the beginning, and will cause nothing but heartache for all parties. Obvious clues for the attorney are clients with patently unreasonable expectations for their case, or clients who burned bridges with other attorneys for no discernible reason. With a little forethought, these relationships can usually be avoided.
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