Your Lawyer: A User's Guide.

• Author: Poniewaz, Carrie May
• Position: Book review

Your Lawyer: A User's Guide By Lawrence J. Fox and Susan R. Martin

Lawyers who must consistently explain the basics of legal representation should consider making Your Lawyer: A User's Guide a standard lagniappe for inquisitive clients.

Styled as a conversation between a skeptical new client and the authors, this skinny primer's question-and-answer format saves valuable client-meeting time by tackling several common concerns in succinct language. Busy lawyers will appreciate its direct handling of mordant queries like, "So under a contingent fee, I get my lawyer for free?" and of the cynical quips that often follow: "There's always a catch." Clients, on the other hand, will enjoy the way this book addresses some aspects of legal representation with a dose of suspicion that is perhaps not as easy to administer to a lawyer in person. After all, one might have to work up a little angst before actually asking, "Loyalty sounds good but what's the reality? I just know you've got more exceptions."

To both parties' advantage, though, Your Lawyer: A User's Guide does not completely let lawyers off the hook from the basic questions clients should ask in person. Short outlines in each chapter instruct readers to request the type of information that will help them understand what to expect from their lawyers ("how long will this take you to complete?"), and that will help lawyers determine which concerns they should address to keep the lines of communication clear and open ("What are my alternatives in this situation?").

The...