The Case for the Court to Promulgate a Standing Order

All family law practitioners know that there are certain actions that their clients cannot take without court permission, and if done, their clients will be sanctioned by the court. One problem is that the very act of explaining these ground rules to a client often creates an adversarial relationship between the client and his or her attorney. Given that this discussion with one's client needs to take place at the first meeting, such a conversation may not be a good way to get started with what needs to be a relationship of trust. Clients want their own attorney to represent them with full vigor, but an attorney also needs to be an agent of reality. Many clients perceive that when their lawyer tells them “like it is,” their lawyer is not fully “on their side.” Luckily, at least with respect to communicating the “ground rules,” there may be a solution to this problem.