Think of lawyers and what comes to mind? Folklore paints the lawyer with an abrasive brush. Lawyers are portrayed as verbose, self-interested and inaccessible; charging for their every minute. Sadly, there is some truth to that image. It’s the complex structure of legislation. It’s the strange robes worn in the courtroom. It’s the gilded books that decorate the barrister’s chambers. It’s the indeterminate arithmetic by which solicitors decide their fees. These idiosyncrasies give the legal profession the appearance of being more whimsical than accessible.
At Rankin & Co., we believe that legal services should be accessible, affordable and transparent. We focus on ‘soft’ factors which don’t enhance the balance sheet, but which we feel are essential to our practice. Its spending time with client “off the clock”, it’s giving back to the community in the form of pro bono and charity work. Generosity is perhaps the last trait one would expect of a lawyer and so generosity is our credo for 2018. Each team member at Rankin & Co. has taken on a charitable project and we will be posting updates on our community and pro bono work throughout the year.
Being generous does not simply mean being charitable, it means being compassionate, it means being empathic; cutting people some slack and thinking the best of their motives, rather than the worst. It is often the case that people seek legal advice because they need to protect a fundamental interest or because they have some grievance. Often, the individual in need of legal advice is stressed and vulnerable. What we’ve learnt is that during those times the client deserves more than just legal expertise, the client deserves compassion and empathy. We take the time to ensure that our clients understand the complete picture of their rights and obligations, instead of rationing information in payed instalments. Furthermore, we have found that legal problems are best solved when there is a no-scores-kept generosity of ideas.
The team at Rankin and Co. welcomes 2018, and we are committed to making 2018 our year of generosity.
