Years ago, at an annual marketing retreat for a large law firm one of the more successful attorneys, when asked what his marketing objective was for the next 12 months responded with, "I only have one objective this year... No more *#!!-hole clients."
It can never be said too many times that the relationship between an attorney and client is personal. A client selects an attorney because they feel a trust connection. You (the attorney) need to feel that same connection as well. Focusing on mutually positive relationships definitely impacts your work/life balance. Working with people you like will significantly reduce the stress of getting the job done.
More importantly, working with clients you don't like puts you in the position of pretending to make-nice -- an incredibly stressful and unhealthy way to get through the day.
Choosing a client without considering the relationship is a high-risk gamble.
