Ask a room full of Nigerians about their experience with lawyers and you’ll hear stories. A trader in Onitsha who paid for a land search and is still waiting for the result. A family in Ibadan who didn’t understand a single word of the letter their lawyer sent on their behalf. A small business owner in Abuja who was told the case was “very strong” and is now three years and several adjournments into it.
Lawyers don’t always enjoy hearing these stories. Many of us work hard, deal with courts we can’t control, and face clients who sometimes expect miracles. But as a profession, we should listen to the complaints, because some of them are fair.
Here are five of the most common ones. For each, we’ll look at where it comes from and what lawyers can do about it.
1. They Make Simple Things Complicated
A client asks a simple question and gets a lecture full of “notwithstanding,” “pursuant to” and “without prejudice.” A straightforward tenancy agreement grows to fourteen pages. A matter that could have been settled with a phone call becomes a formal process with several stages and bills to match.
Sometimes the complexity is real. Land matters in Nigeria really can involve layers of title, family interests and documentation problems that a client can’t see at first. But often the complication comes from habit, from wanting to sound like a lawyer, or from a belief that simple advice doesn’t look worth paying for.
What helps:
- Explain the matter as you’d explain it to a smart friend who didn’t study law. If you can’t, you may not understand it well enough yet.
- Match the solution to the problem. Not every dispute needs a writ; sometimes a well-written letter or a meeting is enough.
- Draft for the reader. A client should be able to read the document they’re signing.
2. They Won’t Tell You What It Will Really Cost
Most people accept that legal services cost money. What frustrates them is not knowing how much. They pay a fee to start, then there’s filing, then appearance fees, then “logistics,” then a request for more money before the next hearing. By the end, many clients feel they were drawn in one payment at a time.
To be fair to lawyers, it’s often hard to predict how long a matter will run, especially in litigation, where adjournments are outside your control. But uncertainty is a reason to explain the costs, not to avoid talking about them.
What helps:
- Put the fee arrangement in writing at the start: what’s included, what isn’t, and what could change the cost.
- Give a realistic range instead of saying nothing. “This could take between six months and two years, and here’s what each stage typically costs” is far better than silence.
- Explain any new request for money before you make it, not after.
3. They Tell You What You Want to Hear
“Don’t worry, your case is very strong.” Many clients have heard this at the first meeting. Then the case runs into trouble and the confidence fades into excuses.
The pressure to reassure is real. A worried client wants comfort, and a young lawyer wants to keep the brief. But false confidence is a short-term kindness that causes long-term damage. A client who expected certain victory will feel deceived by an ordinary loss, even if the lawyer did good work.
What helps:
- Give an honest assessment early, including the weak points. Clients respect a lawyer who tells them the truth.
- Use measured language: “we have a good argument” is honest, while “we will win” is a promise you can’t keep.
- If something changes, tell the client straight away and explain what it means.
4. Whose Side Are They Really On?
This is the most uncomfortable complaint. Some clients come away feeling that their lawyer’s interests came first: a matter stretched out because each appearance brings a fee, a settlement discouraged because a trial pays better, or advice that seems to serve the lawyer more than the person paying for it.
Most lawyers would never knowingly do this, and the Rules of Professional Conduct are clear that the client’s interest comes first. But the perception exists because some cases give it reason to. And once a client starts to doubt whose side you’re on, every delay looks suspicious, even an innocent one.
What helps:
- Present every realistic option, including settlement and alternative dispute resolution, even when it means less work for you.
- Where your fee structure could look like it rewards delay, address it openly or consider structuring fees differently.
- Ask yourself a simple question before giving advice: would I give the same advice if I weren’t being paid by the stage?
5. You Never Know What’s Happening With Your Case
A client travels to court, finds out the matter has been adjourned, and goes home without knowing why or when it’s coming up next. Weeks pass with no word. The client calls, the lawyer is busy, and the silence starts to feel like neglect.
Often it isn’t neglect at all. The lawyer may be waiting on a registry, a judge’s availability or the other side. From the lawyer’s point of view, there’s nothing new to report. From the client’s point of view, “nothing new” is still news they want to hear.
What helps:
- Send a short update after every court date, even if it’s two lines: what happened, the next date, and what happens in between.
- Agree at the start how and how often you’ll communicate, whether by WhatsApp, email or a monthly call.
- When delays are caused by the court or the other side, explain them. A client who understands a delay is far less likely to blame you for it.
A Final Word
None of these complaints means lawyers are bad people or that the profession is failing. Many of them come from pressures that are real: overloaded courts, unpredictable timelines and clients who sometimes expect more than the law can give.
But reputation isn’t built on what we intend. It’s built on what clients experience. A lawyer can be brilliant in court and still leave a client feeling confused, overcharged and ignored.
The good news is that most of these problems can be fixed without changing the law or the courts. They’re fixed by plain explanations, honest assessments, clear fees and regular updates.
People may never love lawyers. But they can learn to trust the ones who make the effort to be understood.
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