The Cost of Incivility: When Lawyers Cross the Line, Published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal

Published on October 12 in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, Segal McCambridge Shareholder Richard Seely examines how incivility in litigation drives avoidable costs, delays, and professional risk. His guidance is for attorneys and legal teams seeking to protect clients while advancing matters efficiently and professionally.

“Costly litigation due to delay is one cost of incivility. Whether we are paid by private clients, public entities, insurance carriers, or others, a lack of cooperation leads directly to more costs,” said Seely. And the cost of incivility can be much more direct.

Seely urges lawyers to treat cooperation as a practical litigation strategy. By responding constructively, narrowing disputes and following civility guidelines, counsel can limit motion practice, conserve resources and keep cases focused on resolution.

“Consider civility to be a helmet for your law practice.” Seely writes. “Whereas actual helmets keep the external dangers away, civility is the helmet that prevents the internal dangers from escaping onto the page, the email, the text, or even the long-forgotten phone call.”

Read the story in full; click here (subscriber-based).