Trust is a requirement for any effective attorney-client relationship and can be achieved, on the attorney’s part, through several means.

But it is a symbiotic relationship that requires reciprocity of trust from the client, according to attorneys who spoke about how they establish trust with new clients.

Josh Payne, an attorney at Nurenberg Paris in Cleveland practicing in personal injury, said his approach to building trust with new clients is exuding a “quiet confidence” and showing a client I “have their best interest at heart.”

In the field of personal injury, Payne said he steers away from acting the part of “a big, bad attorney,” or worse, appearing anything like the negative ambulance-chasing personas sometimes portrayed on social media or fictional movies and televisions shows.

“In the personal injury field, I have learned the most effective way to earn a client’s trust is not to be that kind of guy,” he said.

“I believe in helping people...,” Payne said. “By showing genuine care (and) a quiet confidence that I have their best interest at heart.”

Communication is also a key element to building trust, according to Payne.

“I talk them through each phase of a case, so they know what to expect. It can make the process a lot less scary,” he said.

Paul J. Singerman, an attorney at Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., L.P.A. in Beachwood, said that communication is essential to build trust, but that “it goes both ways.”

In a typical first meeting with a client, Singerman said he explains the company’s philosophy, including the firm’s motto or tagline, used in marketing, “Experience… Peace of Mind.”

“Our job is not just to give legal advice, but to provide peace of mind that our clients want,” Singerman, who practices real estate law and business litigation, said.

“If there any issue, we want our clients to pick up their phone and call us to get it resolved,” he said.

In such a relationship-driven interaction that exists between an attorney and client, there needs to be trust and confidence “but it goes both ways,” Singerman said. “A client has to give fair and accurate information. You can’t be a good lawyer without a client you can trust.”

A. Kevin Corvo is a freelance journalist.

Publisher’s note: Paul J. Singerman is the immediate past board chair of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company.