The cost of poor client communication

Some of my best clients communicate really well. They provide clear, timely information, and that changes everything about how we work together.

When the facts, documents, and decisions arrive on time and in a usable form, we can focus our energy on what actually moves the needle: high‑value strategy and precise execution. Instead of chasing updates, we spend our time building stronger documents and better outcomes.

Over time, this 1 thing became very clear to me: the people you choose to work with matter just as much as the matters you choose to take on.

The quality of a client’s communication can make your professional life significantly easier or significantly harder, regardless of how strong your own systems and habits are.

Even a highly skilled, highly organized team will struggle if the person on the other side will not answer questions, return calls, or provide basic information when it is needed.

Clients who communicate well tend to respect your time and their own. They send documents before deadlines, respond to clarifications instead of ignoring them, and are willing to make decisions when it is time to move forward.

That level of engagement lets you anticipate issues, manage risk more effectively, and be proactive rather than reactive. In many cases, it is the difference between a matter that runs smoothly and one that is constantly in crisis mode.

The opposite is also true, and every professional eventually feels it: if a person does not communicate well, they will almost certainly waste your time and energy.

You can draft the clearest emails, hold structured meetings, and set out expectations at the start, but if the client will not meet you halfway, your work becomes heavier and less effective.

Deadlines get tight not because the law is complex, but because basic information arrives late, incomplete, or not at all.

Poor communication from a client does not just slow down a case; it creates unnecessary stress and risk. You end up following up repeatedly, re‑explaining the same points, and working around gaps that did not need to exist.

Over the long run, that kind of relationship drains the capacity that could be invested in clients who are ready to collaborate properly. It is a hidden cost that shows up in late nights, rushed filings, and opportunities you cannot take because your bandwidth has been exhausted.

So the lesson for others, lawyers and professionals in any field, I have is this:

Choose your clients as carefully as you choose your strategy.

Set clear expectations about communication from day one, and be prepared to say no to relationships that consistently ignore those expectations.

Good client communication is not a “nice to have”; it is a real competitive advantage, and protecting your time and energy is part of serving the clients who value that advantage most.