Case Management, Client Relations, and Business Practices
What this domain tests
The business side of licensure: written agreements, scope control, billing integrity, file security, and insurance. Examiners test whether you can run a compliant agency, not just work a case.
Engagement
- Put it in writing: parties, scope, exclusions, deliverables, fee structure, retainer, expense policy, billing cycle, confidentiality, termination, and a clear statement that no outcome is guaranteed.
- Identify the client precisely. When an attorney retains you, the attorney is the client; work product flows through that attorney.
- Run a conflict check before signing.
Operations
- Assign case numbers and keep a single file: agreement, notes, evidence log, correspondence, invoices, final report.
- Secure storage for evidence and client data; restrict access; plan retention and destruction.
- Bill accurately and separately for time and expenses; hold client funds in a trust account where required.
- Carry general liability, errors and omissions, and commercial auto coverage; verify subcontractor insurance and licensure.
- Refer legal questions to the client's attorney; never give legal advice.
Worked example
A client wants a discounted rate paid in cash with no paperwork. Reasoning: unrecorded cash work destroys your ability to prove scope, invites a licensing complaint, and leaves you uninsured if the subject sues for surveillance misconduct. Decline and offer a written retainer at a reduced hourly rate instead.
Traps
- Scope creep: the client adds "just one more" target with no written change.
- Guaranteeing results to win the engagement.
- Accepting a percentage of a recovery as your fee.
Key points
- Every engagement begins with a signed written agreement.
- Scope changes are documented in writing.
- Files and evidence are secured and retained on a defined schedule.
- Never guarantee an outcome or give legal advice.
- Insurance and subcontractor verification protect the license.