You hear a paralegal venting to a coworker in the break room: “I can’t work like this! He dumps last-minute filings on my desk and expects them done yesterday.” Meanwhile, the attorney claims the assistant “just isn’t responsive enough.”
Situations like this aren’t unusual in a law office — but they can quickly escalate if not handled carefully. As the manager, you’re often the one who has to step in and untangle it, and you need to do it without appearing to side with either party. Here’s how you can navigate these tricky moments with professionalism and fairness.
The first step is to listen without judgment. Whether someone brings a complaint to you directly or you overhear brewing tension, your job is to gather the facts quietly. Talk to each person involved privately. Let them explain without interrupting. Even if you’re mentally leaning toward one side, your outward approach should remain neutral and focused. You’re not here to decide who’s right and wrong—you’re here to solve a problem.
An associate storms into your office, saying the receptionist “keeps messing up client calls.” But when you check in with the receptionist, you find out the attorney never updated the client’s contact information after a recent move.
Conflicts like this often aren’t about attitudes—they’re about missed communication and broken systems. Your role is to peel away the emotional frustration and get to the practical details. What exactly happened? What steps fell through? What expectations weren’t met? Keeping the conversation anchored in facts — not feelings—helps lower the emotional temperature.
Reframe the conflict as a shared problem, not a personal one. It’s easy for people to get caught in a blame game. Your job is to shift their focus: instead of asking “Who’s at fault?” ask “How can we work better together next time?” For example, if tasks keep falling through the cracks, maybe the real solution is setting up a better task management system, not placing blame.
At the same time, set clear expectations for professionalism across the board. Remind attorneys that respectful communication is a leadership responsibility. Remind support staff that professionalism is essential even under pressure. A simple reminder of the firm’s standards—calm communication, mutual respect, accountability—can help reset everyone’s mindset without you having to take sides.
During a team meeting, a legal secretary voices frustration about late-night emails from a senior partner, saying, “It’s like he expects me to be on call 24/7.” The attorney looks genuinely surprised, saying he “just assumed everyone checked emails after hours.”
This is a perfect example of where policies and procedures can help. If your firm has clear guidelines about after-hours communication, task deadlines, and workload management, you can lean on them. Pointing to policies makes it feel less personal—and gives you something concrete to guide your conversations.
Lastly, know when to coach and when to escalate. Some conflicts are minor enough to solve with a little coaching and improved communication. But if a situation involves repeated disrespect, ethical issues, or risks to client service, you’ll need to escalate it—possibly to HR or firm leadership, depending on your structure.
Managing attorney-staff conflict isn’t about picking a winner. It’s about protecting the team’s ability to work together effectively. By staying neutral, focusing on solutions, and reinforcing your firm’s values, you can handle conflict in a way that strengthens trust on both sides—and keeps the firm running smoothly.
