Yet another reason to keep clutter at bay in your office - client confidentiality

Last weekend I attended a meeting of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys to participate in their law practice management day, speaking about productivity, using systems in your practice, and using your time wisely by focusing on the highest value clients and activities.

Part of my presentation focused on organizing and eliminating clutter in your law office. Among the reasons to get organized and eliminate as much clutter as possible in your office is that clutter wastes time, energy and other resources. But during a conversation with some of the participants at the conference I was reminded of one other, very important reason to stop office clutter in its tracks - client confidentiality.

The lawyer-client privilege and the lawyer's obligation to keep the client's confidences are among the most sacred responsibilities of any lawyer. In many instances, even the fact that a client is seeking the help and advice of a lawyer - particularly a lawyer in a specific practice area such as bankruptcy, criminal law or family law - is a confidence that clients would not want revealed to anyone.

Now imagine that your office is cluttered and disorganized. There are client files all over the floors (and perhaps the furniture) in your office. Those client files may very well be labled with the client's name. Or perhaps there are piles of confidential papers on your desk with client information visible. You're risking client confidentiality whenever someone (like the copy machine repair guy, your old college buddy you're taking to lunch, a referral source, another client, etc.) walks into your office.

Just another reason to clean up, clear out and organize!

Need help figuring out how to organize your office or improve your practice? Perhaps the articles and information on my Lawyer Meltdown website can help. Or contact me to schedule a consultation.