The Power of Compassion and Care

Immigration Law has its unique challenges that require attorneys to navigate very complex legal processes while trying to maintain relationships with the clients they serve. For many attorneys, simply trying to keep up with the workload and managing their organization keeps them from showing the true personal level of care they’d prefer their clients to receive.

I had an opportunity to talk with a couple of our Immigration Attorney clients and we explored how their investment in client care pays off for both clients and attorneys alike.

An Approach to Managing Expectations

One of the first topics that came up in conversation is that the immigration process is not quick. It is a journey that requires patience and perseverance. From the initial filing to waiting for immigration responses, it can take years. However, Lorena Rivas, senior attorney with Rivas and Associates, shared she has learned that maintaining regular communication, setting clear expectations, and simply showing you care can keep clients engaged and informed throughout the journey.

To address the natural anxiety and curiosity that clients experience during this long waiting period, Lorena's team has implemented several effective strategies.

Here are some key components for managing the long journey:

Clear Communication: Sometimes, half the battle is having a realistic understanding of timing and all that goes into the process. Lorena takes the time to explain the intricacies of the immigration process up front, ensuring they have a clear understanding of what to expect. She sets realistic expectations regarding potential delays and the overall waiting period.

Monthly Reminders: Lorena's agency sends monthly reminders to clients about their pending cases, letting them know that their case is actively being monitored. This helps clients stay engaged and reduces their anxiety about the progress of their immigration journey. They don’t feel isolated in the process because they still feel seen and heard by their attorney – They are on the radar and not just a number. They feel taken care of. 

Dedicated Call Handling: Lorena's agency has a specialized department that handles calls from clients who have questions about their pending cases. This ensures that clients have a designated point of contact to address any questions or concerns they may have throughout the process. In today’s high-tech world, and with such a personal situation, people just want to interact with a live person to feel comfortable about their service. 

Celebratory Touch: Lorena goes the extra mile to make clients feel valued and appreciated. Her team sends personalized welcome packages once a client has invested in the process. This creates a celebratory experience and adds a touch of additional care to their immigration journey.

By guiding them through the process and offering consistent updates, Lorena ensures that her clients never feel alone on their immigration journey. Her approach instills confidence in clients, allowing them to navigate the immigration process with patience and most importantly trust in her team.

Prioritizing Compassion and Support Through a Long Process

Lorena's dedication extends beyond her clients' immediate legal concerns. She knows that immigration cases have a significant impact on individuals' lives and understands the weight of their decisions. She approaches each case as more than just a legal matter; she recognizes that it is a life-changing decision for her clients and often their families.  

The moment the purchase of a home or a car is complete, people generally question whether they made the right decision. Embarking on an expensive and time-consuming legal process is no different, which is why some attorneys want to make sure their clients know they are valued and important on a regular basis. 

Attorney Moumita Rahman, of The Law Firm of Moumita Rahman, PLLC, shared that compassion and care are invaluable qualities that can have a direct impact on the immigration process and the agency’s overall business growth. Moumita highlighted the critical role that compassion has played in building trust and ensuring client satisfaction.  She refers to the following points as keys to her expanding practice:

Addressing Client Anxiety: Like Lorena, Moumita recognizes that anxiety is very common for immigration clients and emphasized that many lawyers fail to approach their clients' concerns with compassion. By validating and showing she understands the emotional burden that her clients carry, Moumita differentiates herself and sets herself on a path to create very meaningful relationships. She believes that providing constant compassion and reassurance is essential for clients to trust and fully engage with her legal team.

Putting Oneself in the Client's Shoes: Moumita believes that attorneys rarely go beyond their legal expertise and put themselves in their clients' shoes. By adopting a client-centered approach, attorneys can better understand the emotional, personal, and cultural aspects of their clients' immigration journeys. This is the level of understanding that it takes to create the kind of emotionally connected relationships that are built on trust. These types of relationships ease the stress that clients experience because they feel validated and heard.

Client Care as the Key to Success: While excellent legal work is essential, Moumita believes that true success lies in ensuring that clients feel cared for and taken care of throughout the process. She told me, "Winning a case is not enough if clients do not feel a sense of compassion and support." By prioritizing client happiness and a personalized experience, Moumita creates an environment where clients feel valued and supported, they feel like family. 

Extending Care to Employees: Moumita believes that the foundation of a positive client experience begins with employees who feel cared for and valued. By fostering a supportive work environment, she ensures that her team reflects the same compassion and care outwardly towards clients. Employee happiness and well-being are vital in delivering exceptional service, as their positive experiences and the overall company culture translate into improved client experiences.

The Ripple Effect of Client Happiness: Investing in client happiness has far-reaching benefits. Moumita's compassionate approach resonates with her clients, leading to a significant number of referrals—10-20% of her business per month. By treating clients like family, she cultivates a deep sense of trust and loyalty. Satisfied clients become ambassadors who happily share their experiences with other family and friends. Lorena sites about a 50% referral rate among her clients.  

In immigration law, compassion and care hold immense importance. Even Lorena shared, "Clients need constant compassion and reassurance to feel trusting of a legal team." This emphasis on treating clients with understanding, validation, reassurance, and empathy is what sets Lorena and Moumita apart and earns high levels of referrals. Ultimately, this compassionate approach not only helps clients navigate the immigration process more effectively, but it is clear that it also leads to a very satisfying and fulfilling practice for both attorneys. 

It can be tough to manage business operations and maintain the high level of care that these attorneys’ reference. We find that the best approach to these efforts is to start small and systematize as much as possible.  If your organization is looking for help on how to improve overall client care, feel free to reach out – At the Expressory, we take pride in developing sustainable strategies for businesses to consistently engage their clients at a personal level. Join us for an upcoming free Q&A to be part of conversations like this or schedule a one-on-one to bounce questions or ideas off our team of engagement experts.