Laurie Pascoe practiced law for 40 years while writing more than 50 law articles and working with countless clients. Laurie’s current passion is inspiring lawyers to innovate their law practices with legal service applications. In this episode, Laurie explains the value of thinking like a client and learning to analyze everything.
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Lawrence “Laurie” Pascoe wanted to be a dentist for a long time. His family was full of doctors, dentists, and nurses, so working in medicine seemed like a natural fit for Laurie. Until Laurie took a business course in undergraduate school, where he became deeply interested in how the law touched every aspect of life.
Laurie expected his interests would lead him to become an accountant until Laurie married his wife and joined a bevy of lawyers: his father-in-law was a judge, he had a brother-in-law who was a lawyer, and multiple uncles who were lawyers. This cemented Laurie’s idea that law school would fit him well.
Laurie Pascoe attended the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. After living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and meeting his wife, Laurie moved to Ottawa with plans to move back to Halifax, but “the rest is history.” Laurie and a law school classmate opened a law firm in Ottawa and thrived in their legal profession for 40 years.
“We took every case that came in the door, as you did in the beginning,” explains Laurie Pascoe in Episode 79 of You Are A Lawyer.
Later in his practice, Laurie focused on family law, wills, and estate planning.
Laurie Pascoe enjoys writing because he enjoys research. When asked whether he practiced law to research for writing or researched cases in anticipation of cases, Laurie explains that he writes because he loves to learn.
“You cannot write a book without learning something new,” explained Lauire Pascoe. This explains why Laurie is incredibly knowledgeable about various issues, such as the division of assets and issues with minor children. And it was valuable to have written articles because many clients experienced similar issues, and these papers Were a record of how the cases were previously handled.
There are so many issues and facts to absorb that it was highly beneficial to document prior case studies. It is always beneficial to offer free resources to clients and website visitors.
As the author of more than 55 law articles, Laurie used his writing to instruct his clients and provide detailed plans about everything from family law to wills and even estate planning. Laurie appreciates the value of a written manual and receiving detailed notes from his clients. Laurie was known for creating specific forms and questionnaires for clients to complete and sending requests for information after the client’s issue was completed.
“You cannot buy anything without a manual. Why not have a manual for your clients?” exclaims Laurie Pascoe in Episode 79 of the You Are a Lawyer podcast.
Some articles written by Laurie Pascoe are focused on lawyer negligence and malpractice, precisely that 18% of attorney malpractice claims stem from a lack of communication with clients. The second most significant issue is obtaining only some of the facts.
When offered whether clients lie and if that adds to the lack of real information, Laurie Pascoe quickly explained that his clients never lied. The lawyer is responsible for obtaining all of the facts; clients are often nervous during interviews or while completing questionnaires. This is why Laurie would send those details to a client before they visited the office, to ensure they had adequate time to complete the questionnaire and thoroughly answer each question.
When a client works with Laurie, they will ‘Discover the Pascoe Way,’ which was the slogan of Laurie’s law firm. Lawyers frequently communicate with clients and focus on the three most important periods of working with a client:
A client’s opinion or perspective should be considered at every stage of client interactions. From finding out where the client found Laurie (15-25% of Laurie’s clients found him from the website) or determining what Laurie could do to improve his legal services.
Laurie believes that the best lawyers know the “think like a client.” Laurie continues to explain that clients do not care about fancy offices or the famous pictures on the walls, except to wonder if they are paying for those furnishings. Clients are concerned with results; anything else is added for the lawyer’s benefit.
“Lawyers don’t analyze,” proclaimed Laurie Pascoe on the You Are A Lawyer podcast. “If it isn’t billing their time or something financial, they don’t analyze.” This lack of analysis explains why Laurie focuses so much on the importance of analyzing.
Laurie Pascoe is the author of Innovative Legal Services Applications: A Guide to Improved Client Services. Laurie defines legal service applications as any physical item or file that helps you better serve the client. Multiple computer monitors, manuals, receiving client feedback, sending questionnaires, surveys, websites, and anything that serves the client is a legal service application. The benefits of legal service applications began as marketing tools.
Before retiring from practicing law, Laurie Pascoe wrote a 50-page paper to the Ottawa Lawyers Association that was presented to lawyers around Ontario and in Toronto about improving family law services. While some negativity about being a lawyer is deserved (it is a stressful practice!), Laurie wants to teach lawyers new ways to improve their practices and benefit clients.
Laurie Pascoe is licensed to practice law in Canada. Buy a copy of Laurie’s book: bit.ly/3ya2oup
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Use code ILSAICS23 to save 25% off the purchase of the book
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Advertiser: Journey and Practice offers The Heart-Centered Lawyers Membership, a community of law students, grads, and lawyers who participate in self-care activities to improve their legal journey and practice. Visit https://journeyandpractice.com/services and enroll with code "podcast" for a special rate.
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