I was the mediator in a mediation that collapsed after 1.5 hours.
And before you assume, no, it wasn't because I'm a bad mediator. 😉
And it wasn't because the legal arguments were weak.
And not because the other side wouldn't negotiate.
Because managing a high-conflict client is something nobody in that breakout room had been trained to do.
He was high-conflict.
Rigid. Blaming. Escalating.
He wanted a specific settlement figure.
It was never going to happen.
When it became clear he wasn't going to get it, he walked out.
The lawyer and barrister watched him leave.
Then came to tell me.
High-conflict clients are very difficult to manage in the moment.
They need to be identified early and handled with a completely different strategy from the start.
That's what the lawyer and barrister in that room hadn't been taught to do.
And he went on to the next lawyer.
Who probably didn't know what they were walking into either.
Difficult clients and high-conflict clients are not the same.
And the strategy that works for one makes the other significantly worse.
This was never part of your legal training.
This is not a legal expertise problem.
👉🏻This guide, "Why Clients Trust Some Barristers & Lawyers More Than Others", breaks down the difference between difficult and high-conflict clients — and five specific situations where client trust breaks down and exactly what to do in each one
⏳It's only available for another 48 hours.
Download HERE
