Why 24/7?

Responding to someone who says that lawyers need to be available to their clients 24/7 in order to be competitive, Dave Swanner asks: why?

Other than a rare emergency, what purpose does it serve to be available 100% of the time to your client? If you have good communication with your client and their case is up to date, why would they need to call you at 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday evening? Other than a rare emergency, what purpose does it serve to be available 100% of the time to your client? If you have good communication with your client and their case is up to date, why would they need to call you at 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday evening?

How Connected Should You Be to Your Client?, South Carolina Trial Law Blog, Jan. 14, 2007.

Dave is a very techie guy and fully appreciates connectedness, but he thinks there ought to be limits:

When I travel, I call clients and check in on them. I sometimes call clients on Sunday afternoon to see how their treatment is doing and to make certain all of their questions have been answered. I appreciate my Treo, GoToMyPC and wireless internet. But I also think it’s important to set boundaries to have a personal and family life.

Sounds like good, solid advice to me!