In my experience, your average client views litigators as at best a necessary evil and at worst as blood-sucking parasites that drain the life blood from a business or a person while giving little in return. In my experience also, there are plenty of such litigators around. I believe that when a client hires a litigator, whether the client is an individual, a firm or a company, they have four basic entitlements. First, they are entitled to the best possible advice and representation, without the fear that every minute on the telephone or in reading a document will be added to the bill. Second, they are entitled to up-to-date costs information throughout the dispute. Third, they are entitled to expect their lawyer to end the dispute as swiftly and as cost-effectively as possible, with the best possible result for the client. Fourth and most important, they are entitled to know that as the stress of litigation builds, their lawyer is always on their side and will always be willing 'go the extra mile' for them if necessary. The days when lawyers could get away with a second-rate service whilst charging the client a fortune is, thankfully, coming to an end. The future belongs to those lawyers who treat their client's business as if it were their own.