Lawyers representation of, and dealings with, clients often involve problems that need to be addressed by the lawyer. The problem could be determining that a client will not pay outstanding fees and withdrawing from the representation before it becomes too late to withdraw, perhaps because it is too close to a trial date. Sometimes dealing with a problem client or a difficult file is put off until the lawyer is up against a statute of limitations deadline, so that the lawyer is in the position of deciding whether to file to protect the statute or telling the client to find another attorney, with the possible allegation by the client that the lawyer abandoned her or him. Whatever the problem, it almost never benefits the lawyer to ignore the problem or to put it off to the last minute. If you need help deciding how to address a problem, talk to someone earlier, rather than later, whether it is your partner, a friend or your risk management attorney.