As a rule of thumb, I do not like to turn away new clients. However, having said that, sometimes it is a better business decision to turn down a lousy new case rather than to take it.
First reason is that if we know up front that we are dealing with a non-standard insurance company, or if we know that there was very minor damage in an auto accident, or there is a large gap in medical treatment, these are factors that all point towards a case not being worth taking. I am of the mindset that I want to take in as many new clients as I can because that is the number one way that my business grows.
That one person, if treated right, can be the source of many more new clients in the future.
So, as long as a new potential client can understand that his or her case is not going to equate to winning the lottery, I will often take a lesser case if only to establish a new relationship with someone who might refer me more cases in the future.
On the other side of the coin, if the new client has too many things working against him or she, the better decision is to turn down the new case knowing that taking it on will only lead to an upset and disappointed client in the future which is the ultimate kryptonite in this business!
The screening process is one of the most important factors that determines if an attorney will be successful or not. If cases are not screened properly, and an attorney ends up with too many bad cases, this is something that can really impede the growth of a law firm and do damage to the attorney’s reputation.