There are two kinds of attorneys in the world. The first is transactional. A client pays a fee for his or her services, with the hope and expectation of getting a positive outcome.

The attorney may be good at what they do. They may even be great. Their clients may depend on them, trust them, and continually look to them for help, but this doesn’t mean they are essential.

Because they can be replaced.

The second kind of attorney is, relatively speaking, irreplaceable. Their clients depend on them not just for their legal work but for everything else they do for them.

What do I mean? I mean for the things they do that go beyond their core legal services.

A business client may depend on his attorney for introductions, recommendations, and referrals. The client may look to the attorney for information about their industry or market, or depend on the attorney’s wisdom and guidance in building their company.

A consumer client may depend on their attorney for referrals to other professionals and businesses they can trust. They may look to their attorney for guidance on refinancing their home, managing their investments, improving their credit, or protecting their identity.

Today, more than ever, your clients want more from you. They want to see your steadiness and hear your reassurances. They want to see that you are calm, cool, and collected, in a world that is anything but.

When they’re upset or confused, they need to hear your voice or read something you wrote, telling them that everything is going to be okay.

They might not need your legal services for a long time, but they need to know that you will be there when they do, and that they have your friendship and support and can turn to you at any time for just about anything.

When your clients know they can count on you to help them, advise them, support them, and even comfort them, in ways that other attorneys can’t (or don’t), that’s when you become essential.

For ideas on how to help your clients beyond your core legal services, go here