If you’re a solicitor, a lack of response can feel like it’s getting in the way. But there’s usually more going on than you can see.
When we’ve got a task to complete, we block out the time and want to get it done.
I like a ‘done list’ as much as the next person. So when a client doesn’t respond to emails or calls, it’s a loop we can’t close.
Like a browser tab left open. Not finished.
If you’re a solicitor, it’s easy to assume the client isn’t helping themselves. But the silence doesn’t mean they’re forgetting what’s important. It usually means they’re overwhelmed.
When silence stalls the process
This happened to me a couple of weeks ago.
I’d spoken with a new client on the phone and offered a choice of two appointment dates to start.
I asked them to text me back. I needed to finalise my clinic list, and then make sure they had what they needed.
It wasn’t a big ask.
But I heard nothing. For over a week.
I started drafting another message, paused, deleted half of it, and sent a simpler request instead.
This time, they replied.
When we spoke again, it was clear there was more going on.
They were already feeling overwhelmed, and even opening an email felt too much. So they’d avoided it.
That one conversation shifted everything – how I felt towards them, and what we could do next.
What’s actually going on
Claimants in PI or medical negligence cases are already juggling pain, difficult memories, fear about the future, sleep problems…
There are endless reminders of what happened.
So another call or email demands mental resources they likely don’t have.
It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a lack of band width.
A real example
Imagine dealing with:
- A painful injury that steals your attention all day
- Waiting for a prognosis
- Trying to chase scan results
- Weekly physio and exercises to practice several times a day
- Worrying about work or income
- Reading medical letters you don’t understand.
Now add intrusive memories, frustration, and anxiety spikes.
Admin becomes the last straw.
Why injured clients avoid admin
When someone is traumatised, small tasks feel enormous.
Intrusive memories and rumination drain mental reserves, focus, and concentration. Feeling on edge keeps the nervous system on high alert.
Avoidance isn’t planned. It’s protection. It’s the brain shielding them.
They’re not on form. They might feel hopeless or ashamed. They might feel scared about the next bad news. Every message feels like it could make things worse.
And they’re keeping all of this inside so they don’t burden the people closest to them.
Some days, they’re barely holding it together.
What you can do differently
You’re already a skilled communicator. Here are some adaptations that help:
- Acknowledge how tough things are. Feeling seen reduces threat, and their nervous system might just relax a tiny bit.
- Ask what gets in the way for them, and what would make communication easier.
- Agree predictable check-in times or a simple contact system.
- Discuss sending a text to flag when you’ve emailed something important.
- Sometimes that small step lowers the barrier to opening it.
- Keep messages short with one clear action.
- Before you hit send, rewrite your request in plain English.
- Reinforce their communication with a quick thanks. Let them know you appreciate it when they engage.
- Offer reassurance that slow progress isn’t failure. Shame and pressure shut people down.
- Be mindful of timing. Heavy emails late in the day or on a Friday can spark alarm and sit with them all weekend, increasing agitation and avoidance.
Small shifts that reduce overwhelm.
Understanding what’s behind avoidance gives you less frustration, fewer assumptions, and a more honest working relationship.
I’m a clinical psychologist specialising in trauma, working with clients involved in personal injury and medical negligence claims. You can read about my one to one therapy service here.