It is tempting, especially early in your career, to take every client who comes. But not every client is worth taking. Some are unprofitable, unreasonable, unethical to act for, or simply a poor fit, and taking them can cost you more than they are worth in time, stress, risk and the capacity to serve better clients. Learning to say no, professionally and appropriately, is an important skill. Let me explain how to say no to bad clients and focus on the good ones.
Quick answer
Saying no to bad clients means declining, appropriately and professionally, work or clients that are not right for your practice, so you can focus on good clients you can serve well and sustainably. Clients worth declining can include those who are chronically unprofitable, unreasonable or disrespectful, a poor fit for your practice, or whom it would be improper or unethical to act for, for example, due to conflicts or other professional reasons.
To say no well:
- Recognise the signs early.
- Decline professionally and courteously, preferably before taking the client on.
- Respect your professional obligations throughout, particularly where you have already accepted the engagement.
- Focus your time and energy on clients you can serve well and sustainably.
Declining a new engagement is generally cleaner than withdrawing later, but you cannot simply abandon a client improperly. Any decision to decline or withdraw must be handled in line with your professional and ethical duties. Saying no to the wrong clients can protect your time, energy, wellbeing and capacity for good clients. Quality of clients matters, not just quantity. The keys are recognising poor-fit or improper clients, declining professionally and appropriately, respecting your obligations and focusing your practice on clients you can serve well. Done well, saying no makes your practice better, not smaller. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Why saying no matters
Taking every client sounds like good business, particularly when you are building a practice. But bad clients can cost you dearly. Chronically unprofitable matters, unreasonable or disrespectful clients, poor-fit work, and matters you should not properly act in can consume time and energy, create stress and increase professional risk.
They can also reduce your capacity to serve good clients well. A practice full of difficult or unsuitable matters is not necessarily a healthier or more successful practice than a smaller one built around clients you can serve effectively. So being willing to say no, appropriately, is part of running a healthy, sustainable and profitable practice. See “How to Run a Small Law Firm Profitably.”
Recognise the clients to decline
Learn to recognise, ideally early, clients worth declining.
Chronically unprofitable: The work will not reasonably justify the time, effort and stress involved, particularly if this pattern is repeated.
Unreasonable or disrespectful: The client is abusive, consistently unreasonable or impossible to satisfy, creating a relationship that is likely to become more difficult over time.
A poor fit: The matter falls outside your expertise, your practice model or the kind of work you want to build your practice around.
Improper or unethical to act for: There may be situations in which you should not act, including conflicts of interest or other professional reasons. Where you are required to decline, you must do so in accordance with your professional duties.
Spotting these issues early gives you the opportunity to decline before taking on a problem, which is generally cleaner than dealing with the consequences after the engagement has begun.
How to say no well (and within your obligations)
Decline professionally and courteously. Saying no to a new engagement does not require you to burn a bridge. Where possible, it is usually better to decline before taking the client on, because withdrawing after work has begun can involve additional professional and ethical considerations.
The important distinction is between declining new work and abandoning an existing client. You may decide that a particular prospective client is not right for your practice, but once you have accepted an engagement, you cannot simply stop acting whenever it becomes inconvenient. Any withdrawal must be handled in accordance with your professional and ethical obligations.
So say no professionally, ideally upfront, and always within your duties. Verify your specific obligations where necessary, particularly when conflicts or withdrawal are involved.
YLCC ACTION STEP: Learn to recognise poor-fit, unprofitable, unreasonable or improper-to-act-for clients early, and be willing to decline them professionally and courteously, ideally before taking them on. If you have already accepted an engagement, handle any withdrawal strictly in accordance with your professional and ethical duties. Focus your time and energy on clients you can serve well and sustainably. Saying no to the wrong clients can make your practice healthier, more profitable and more sustainable, not smaller.
If this is you
If you take every client out of fear: Remember that bad clients can cost you more than they are worth and reduce your capacity for good ones. Learning to decline appropriately is part of building a sustainable practice.
If you struggle to say no: Practise declining professionally and courteously, ideally before the engagement begins. You can say no without being unnecessarily harsh or burning professional bridges.
If you must decline for professional reasons: Where you are required to decline, such as because of a conflict or another professional obligation, take that duty seriously and act accordingly. Verify your specific obligations where necessary.
PLEASE DON’T DO THIS: Please don’t take every client regardless of fit, profitability or propriety. Bad clients can consume your time, energy and capacity. But equally, please don’t abandon an existing client improperly or handle a decline or withdrawal in breach of your professional and ethical duties. Respect your obligations, decline where required, and say no professionally and, where possible, before taking the engagement on.
FAQs
- Should I take every client? No. Not every client is worth taking. Some may be unprofitable, unreasonable, a poor fit or improper to act for, and quality of clients matters, not just quantity.
- Which clients should I decline? Clients who are chronically unprofitable, unreasonable or disrespectful, a poor fit for your practice, or whom it would be improper or unethical to act for, including where a conflict or other professional reason requires you to decline.
- How do I say no professionally? Decline courteously and professionally, ideally before taking the engagement on, and explain only as much as is appropriate. You can say no without unnecessarily damaging the relationship.
- Can I just drop a bad client I have already taken on? No, not improperly. Once you have accepted an engagement, any withdrawal must be handled in accordance with your professional and ethical duties. Verify your specific obligations before taking action.
- Why does saying no help my practice? It protects your time, energy and capacity for clients you can serve well, helping you build a healthier, more sustainable and profitable practice.
