Is being short staffed losing you clients? Lawyers are continuously finding themselves being pulled in different directions. This makes it difficult to give client relations the deference they are due. Solo practices or small law firms are often disadvantaged by having to take on marketing and administrative roles in addition to litigation and casework.

Despite having more non-law related duties, many law firms are reluctant to hire supporting staff. We already discussed the importance of the paralegal to a law firm as multifaceted tools that can tackle not only administrative tasks but legal tasks as well. Keep reading to see how lack of legal support staff could be costing your law firm.

Loss of Potential Clients

As any practicing lawyer could tell you, there is a lot of competition. Leads are precious and should be treated (and followed up) with the utmost care. A sloppy email reply or phone call could jeopardize the potential client you worked so hard to get. If you get so far as to meet a potential client in person and you have a cluttered, disorganized office, you’re hurting your professional image.

Lawyers likely don’t have the necessary time to devote to interacting with clients. This makes support staff an incredibly important asset to every lawyer and small law firm. They help ensure that a potential client has a positive first impression of your firm. Having a receptionist or other type of support staff can serve to help you take control of your first impression. Paralegals and other legally-trained staff are qualified to respond to legal inquiries. They can focus on outreach and correspondence, leaving lawyers to focus on casework.

On the other hand, having poorly trained staff can be more of a detriment than having no support staff at all. Regardless of how brilliant a lawyer you may be, first impressions are incredibly powerful, and your staff is seen as an extension of yourself. If your law firm secretary or legal assistant is inciting negative first impressions, it could overshadow your qualifications and cause a potential client to lose any inclination to work with you.

Loss of Current Clients

The American Bar Association has recorded the most common malpractice lawsuits that were filed. Of the 21 types of errors listed, nearly 50% of those types of mistakes were administrative in nature:

#4 –  Failure to File Documents

#5 – Failure to Calendar Properly

#6 – Failure to Know Deadline

#12 – Failure to React to Calendar

#14 – Error in Public Record Search

#15 – Clerical Errors

#21 – Lost File & Document

Legal secretaries, legal assistants, and paralegals are invaluable for their ability to oversee the “maintenance” side of casework. These specialized legal support staff can ease law firm burdens and carry out administrative tasks related to cases. This minimizes the likelihood of any of documents going missing or the like. No matter how large or small a law firm is, every lawyer benefits from having trained staff handling the tedious – although important – clerical side of the legal field.

Client satisfaction is one of the most significant indicators that solo and small law firms use to determine whether a practice is successful or not. For good measure too: 45% of surveyed firms reported growth due to positive client relationships that led to more referrals. These numbers are a powerful indication of how important it is to seek, create and maintain positive client relationships.

Not only is making time for clients more difficult than before – pleasing them has gotten harder as well. Nearly two-thirds of small law firms report that clients are more demanding and have higher expectations for less money.

If you believe that being short staffed is causing you to lose clients, Attorney Business Consulting can help bridge the gap of not having adequate legal support staff. If you have recently hired staff for your law firm, our legal support training programs will quickly get them up to speed and prime them to become assets for law firm growth. Contact the experts at Attorney Business Consulting today for a free consultation!

When one thinks of “efficiency” in the workplace, meetings don’t usually come to mind. While meetings are intended for the sharing of ideas, collaboration, and open communication, few meeting participants ever feel that anything of value was accomplished. An unproductive meeting costs a business more than wasted time; it can hurt employee morale and also lead to decreased job satisfaction.

Lack of an agenda, off-topic tangents and criticism are just a few pitfalls that can quickly derail a meeting. If your goal as a law firm owner is improving the productivity of your workplace, keep reading. Here’s how to conduct meaningful meetings that provide value to you, your employees, and your business’ bottom line.

Start On Time

What’s more frustrating than having to break your concentration to attend a meeting? A meeting that doesn’t start on time. It may seem to be only a few minutes here and there, but with many businesses conducting meeting multiple times a week – and sometimes, even several a day –  those few minutes really add up. Not only is time being wasted, but it sends a negative message to your team that their time isn’t perceived as being valuable. Create a positive reputation for meetings by having them begin precisely when they are scheduled to be.

Keep Meetings Short

Physiological research has shown that 10 to 18 minutes is the maximum amount of time that individuals can hold their focus before becoming distracted. Setting a short time limit also encourages presenters and attendees to be precise and to the point. This is a great way to avoid time-wasting off-topic tangents. One popular method to keep meetings short is having participants stand during the meeting. With everyone anxious to get off their feet, the meeting is bound to discuss only what’s absolutely necessary.

Keep the Electronics Out

When it comes to productivity, cell phones and laptops are often more of a hindrance than they are helpful. Simply having these devices nearby can impair focus and cognitive ability. But there’s another benefit to ditching the electronics besides minimizing distractions. Research has shown that taking notes by hand (versus on a computer) greatly improves conceptual understanding and recollection.

Give Praise & Recognition (Not Criticism)

Another way to conduct more meaningful meetings is by creating a positive atmosphere that’s enjoyable for participants to attend. Company culture is a huge factor in job satisfaction. Public praise is a fantastic way to make feel your team feel appreciated and valued. Give praise for accomplishments your team has made, as well as valuable feedback in the meeting – this is a great way to encourage meeting participation and to have attendees feel invested in the topic at hand. Conversely, openly criticizing your employees creates a negative atmosphere where meetings are dreaded.

Use Video Conferencing

If face-to-face meetings aren’t possible (perhaps you are running your law firm remotely or schedules simply won’t allow for it) opt for video conferencing over phone calls. Remote participants in meetings are noted for being disengaged – many admit to multitasking on non-related tasks. Aside from that, 80% of communication is done via body language, making video conferencing that much more effective.

Ask Yourself: Is a Meeting Necessary?

The ever-increasing demands on lawyers (such as carrying out administrative tasks in addition to litigation) have made the need for improving productivity in the law firm more crucial than ever. Yet American businesses are spending more and more time in meetings – which 71% of participants feel is a waste of time.

Knowing how to conduct meaningful meanings is just one part of running an efficient law practice. If your law firm is struggling to keep up with the many duties lawyers face, the experts at Attorney Business Consulting can help. The team of experienced law consultants can help improve productivity in a number of ways: from training your staff how to properly answer phone calls to developing an entire business plan. Contact Attorney Business Consulting for your free consultation today.

Working remotely has its pros and cons for any lawyer – but how does it fare for the actual firm owner? Operating out of the office may not pose a challenge, but managing your team of lawyers (and any other support staff) is what most firm owners find to be the biggest challenge. The number of adults in the U.S that work from home has more than doubled and even the slow-to-change legal sector is changing.

Whether your small law firm is entirely remote, or you as the owner are looking to manage the firm remotely, there are particulars that every firm owner should consider. Bid the office adieu and forget the morning commute – here are the essentials on how to run a small law firm while working remotely.

Working Remotely with: Employees

Establish a VPN Connection

A VPN or virtual-private-network is a private connection that is only accessible to authorized users. These offer secure communication and data sharing within the network.  

Create Solid Performance Evaluation Criteria

You need to ensure that performance doesn’t dip because the boss isn’t physically present. Lack of face-to-face interaction with your employees or staff can make be difficult to relay expectations or provide critiques. Counter that with clear, quantifiable goals that make their actions visible and holds them accountable.

For example, every morning you could have them send you a broken down list of their most important tasks for the upcoming day. Not only does this force them to acknowledge their own tasks, but keeps you, the remote manager/business owner, informed.   

Develop an Internal Communication System (and Encourage Communication!)

Slack and Skype are just two of many popular communication platforms that businesses utilize.  Company-wide chats, video conferencing and screen sharing are fantastic methods for keeping remote workers in the loop. There’s nothing like face-to-face meetings, right? Well, according to Forbes, 87% of telecommuters report feeling more connected when they use virtual video conferencing.

Take advantage of the multitude of inexpensive communication software. Encourage communication within your firm and with you, regardless of your location. Other software tools like Basecamp, Asana, and Dropbox are great ways to manage your team’s files, documents and tasks in one place (and they can improve your day-to-day operations).

Working Remotely with: Clients

Sign (and Store) Documents Electronically

Enable clients to quickly and securely send important documents and forms electronically. There are a number of cloud software tools that not only allow you to go paperless and store sensitive information, but they often allow access for multiple team members. No matter where you are, your team will be in the loop and you’ll have your files wherever you go.vpn

Rent Virtual Office Space

If the entirety of your small law firm operates virtually, you need at least one physical location where you can meet with clients. A virtual office space is a brilliant financial option that has several benefits for specific needs. Most basic packages give the business a physical address they can list (which is great for SEO purposes). Many professionals just want to have the option to use conference rooms for meeting clients. Should you desire it, there are also options for use of a private office in the facilities.

As the legal field begins the transition into virtual space, lawyers are more equipped than ever to experience the flexibility that telecommuting offers. Even as a law firm owner, today’s inexpensive technology and auxiliary services make it easier than to run a small law firm while working remotely. If you’re looking to make that switch for yourself, Attorney Business Consulting offers support in all areas a small law firm would need. From day-to-day operations to digital marketing for lawyers, call for a free consultation and see what the experts can do for you!

What do small businesses and small legal firms have in common? Both types of owners often struggle with having to balance the practice of their craft with keeping their operation running.  In this modern age of practicing law, lawyers are continuously being pulled in multiple and new directions. To make matters more difficult, smaller legal firms often lack the administrative support to ease the burden. If your legal firm is part of the majority that needs help making more time to dedicate to cases, you need to improve day-to-day operations of your legal firm.

Streamline Your Legal Firm

The number one complaint of smaller law firms? Dealing with administrative tasks. 

In fact, nearly 40% of attorneys report spending their day on tasks that aren’t law-related. It’s a tricky balancing act. Unsurprisingly, most lawyers (who typically don’t have a business management background) find dealing with the endless administrative work, overwhelming.

In smaller legal firms, lawyers are often bill collectors, guidance counselors, as well as their own secretaries. Meanwhile, attorneys that consider their practices “very successful” report dedicating on average 62% of their time to practicing law.

Non-billable administrative tasks cost attorneys valuable time – which translate to a significant amount of lost revenue. The primary administrative tasks that small legal firm lawyers find occupying their time are:

• Acquiring new clients (marketing and outreach)
• Following up with current clients (emails, phone calls, etc.)
• Searching and submitting forms
• Keeping the team looped in
• Data entry

Here are some simple, beginner-friendly methods for improving your legal firm’s day-to-day operation for these specific tasks.

Managing Clients

Take it one step further than the “contact us” form on your site (if you don’t already, here’s why you need forms). The key to streamlining the lead generation process is by utilizing automation. Eliminating the tedious, time-wasting task of reaching out to leads, crafting individual emails, and keeping track of who replies (and who doesn’t) is a small change that can make a huge impact on a small legal firm’s time efficiency.

There are a plethora of programs designed to automatically reach out, follow up and sort leads in order to better guide potential clients through the process. While it may seem counterintuitive, using technology increases opportunities for personalized contact – which can increase conversion rates up to six times! Create drip campaigns speak to potential clients at every step of the process – and after they become clients.

Some basic email campaigns that all small law firms should have in place:

• “Thank You” or “Welcome” series that are activated when a ‘contact us’ form is filled
• Re-engaging defecting or inactive leads that have stopped responding/opening emails
• Content specific emails based on contact interests (i.e. divorce, tax, or injury law topics)

Maintaining Files (and your Team)

Increase your output and maximize your efficiency by keeping all documents, files, and records of conversations in one place. Project management programs like Basecamp or Asana enable users to create workflows, assign tasks,  and set due dates to keep teams aware of their case’s progress.

Think of these programs as digital client logs (eco-friendly bonus: save on paper and printing). These enable everyone to access and keep track of case progress, firm tasks, and cloud-based files, from any location.  

Regardless of whether you consider yourself technology savvy or not, utilizing software programs can greatly increase your law firm’s efficiency. Improve day-to-day operations of your legal firm by minimizing non-billable hours for a quantifiable monetary gain, improving work-life balance with less time spent resolving cases, and increasing overall productivity and client satisfaction with more timely outreach and better management of files and documents. Attorney Business Consulting specializes in law office management and can do all this and more for your legal firm. Visit their site today for a free consultation to make your legal firm more efficient.

Running a law firm isn’t easy. It’s often nonstop and involves not only client briefings, case preparation, time in court, managing a team of young attorneys and paralegals, client billings, and general operational concerns – but also a keen eye for avoiding financial mistakes your law firm could be making as well.

This is likely why law firm revenue has stalled in recent years. In fact, firm revenues grew only 12% between 2009 and 2014. Compare to the other industries and the need for improvement becomes clear. It’s difficult, though, because attorneys aren’t accountants and they’re not necessarily business people. They’re attorneys and the only job an attorney has – or, at least, so they think – is to worry about the law. Unfortunately, this often leads to costly mistakes.

Thankfully, you’re not alone. You have Attorney Business Consulting on your side. Keep reading for a guide of the most common financial mistakes your law firm could be making. Don’t hesitate to call us today at (339) 337-2655 for a free, personalized consultation with our premier law firm accountants.

Accepting High Operating Costs

To some extent or another nearly every law firm partner is guilty of not actively working to reduce operating costs. Of course, cutting these costs is easier said than done, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t actively work to do it.

Most attorneys are happy to keep things the status quo, as long as that status quo means steady billings. Want to take your firm to new heights of profitability? Then you should always be trying to improve your cost structure and billing strategies. You should also be working tirelessly to identify and fix underperforming areas. If your practice isn’t making money from personal injury, but the cost of running that division is substantial, then it’s time to cut personal injury in pursuit of greener pastures.

It isn’t an easy decision, and, thanks to that, most partners avoid it. Make no mistake, though, accepting high operating costs is a financial mistake your law firm could be making.

Not Saving Enough

This mistake isn’t so much one that law firms make, as it’s one that senior partners often make. According to The Biglaw Investor, attorneys should save enough to retire with twenty-five times their annual income. That’s much higher than the five to ten percent most professions are advised to save.

The reason for this financial mistake lawyers often make is that lawyers begin practicing later in life. The four years of undergraduate, three years of law school, and the time to practice and pass the Bar adds up. Not to mention most attorneys carry a substantial amount of study loan debt. The combination means that you need to save like there is no tomorrow.

Are you? If not, you should start today.  

Putting Too Much Money in Risky Investments

Another common financial mistake that your law firm could be making is investing too riskily. We’re not talking about the pump and dump stocks or foreign biomedical portfolios (though you should surely stay away from both of those) we’re talking about investing aggressively into hedge funds.

While everyone, attorneys included, has some of their portfolios in hedge funds, the majority should be in S&P index funds. These aren’t nearly as glamorous, nor do they produce the hefty returns of mutual funds, but they’re much, much safer.

Not only is this a smart move, but it’s even advised by Warren Buffett, arguably the smartest investor of all time.

Not Using Data to Backup Choices

The next common financial mistake your law firm could be making is to rely on your gut instinct alone. While very few things beat going with your gut, making data-driven decisions most certainly does.

It’s 2018 and the sheer number of software tools, algorithmic options, and even AI-based tech boggles the mind. It’s time you made use of them to quantify where your firm is excelling and where it’s being held back.

This is often overwhelming, especially for law firms that have relied on Excel Spreadsheets for years. That’s where having an experienced legal software solution consultant come in and train both yourself and your staff becomes vital.

Making Tax Mistakes

Lastly, the final most-common financial mistake that your law firm might be making poor tax management. Though many attorneys are guilty of this, precious few will admit it. This goes double for solo practitioners or small firms that aren’t making proper use of the plethora of tax deductions available to lawyers.

Ask yourself one simple question: how are you investing both your personal assets and your firm’s profit? If you answered anything other than “ineffective tax-advantaged accounts like an IRA,” it’s time to make a change.

Now that you know the five most common financial mistakes your law firm could be making, it’s time to put that knowledge into action. Call Attorney Business Consulting now at (339) 337-2655. We’ve helped hundreds of attorneys and we can help you too.

In the 1600s, the English poet John Donne wrote: “No man is an island.” In his poem, he pointed out how we are all part of something greater. He suggested that we are all in this together, and we all need each other.

We will leave the philosophical ruminations to the poets. Returning to the profitable side of things, you cannot be an island. You rely on your team to make your law firm run smoothly. As experts in legal staff training, let us show you how you can reach greater levels of profitability.

Administration

You’ve been to law school, and passed the bar. In your classes, you learned about case law, how to submit evidence, and how to litigate. What you did not learn is how to deal with the mountain of paperwork, and how to manage workflow.

That is what your support team can take care of you. Lawyers waste more than 11 hours a week working on documentation alone. This includes 2.3 hours of searching for, but not finding, necessary documents. Wasting this time can translate to a loss of $9,071 every single year. Most small law firms cannot afford to be missing out on this cash.

Compliance

Let’s say your law firm is humming along. You have a steady (and growing!) stream of clients, your administration is solid, and you see progress everywhere. Then you are hit with a fine that is 4% of your annual revenue. Would you be able to handle it?

Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, when you do not comply with the law, Uncle Sam comes to take his piece.

Complying with the law is absolutely vital to the wellbeing of your practice. Having a staff that is aware of the relevant laws, and more importantly, that knows how to make sure that you are following the law, is necessary. We can help make sure that you are within the rules.

Marketing

You can have the highest yielding search engine optimization campaign in your area of law. You can have a PPC campaign that maximizes your ROI. You can be doing very well with all of your marketing efforts, but that can be wasted if your staff does not know what to do with someone once they have stepped in the door.

You never stop marketing until they have officially come on board. And even then, you still need to do your customer service. Either way, your staff needs to be able to explain to your potential what you can do for them. One of the things that your staff has to be good at is helping your law firm boost its bottom line.

Development

You are not in this to get in and get out. A law degree means that you are going to be practicing law for a long time, and hopefully many decades. With us, your law firm will grow. Your staff needs to grow as well.

They need to be agile and prepared to take on the challenges of the future. Law firms are spending more than ever on technology. Staying ahead of the curve isn’t an advantage anymore. It is a necessity.

Attorney Business Consulting can be your experts on legal staff training. Our consultants have already helped many small law firms. The next success story could be you. Schedule a free consultation with us today.

Your receptionist has 7 seconds to make a positive impression on a client. Answering the phone is one of the most underappreciated yet effective means of turning leads into clients. At Attorney Business Consulting, we know what it takes. If you think your receptionist could use some tips on how to answer phone calls, check out our guide below.

• Not Smiling

This may sound somewhat strange, given that the person on the other end of the line can’t see you. The science, however, is fairly clear. When you smile, your body responds physiologically as if you were happy. Your receptionist’s mood will be elevated. That, in turn, will make them sound friendlier and more positive while they are talking. It is counter-intuitive, but the results speak for themselves.

• Misunderstanding What You Do

No one is saying that your receptionist should have a law degree, but the person who fields your calls needs to have a firm grasp on what you are doing at a conceptual level. They ought to be able to answer a few basic questions about what you can do for a client. When they are out of their depth, they should know who to transfer to.

If your law practice covers multiple areas of law, your receptionist should send them to the right person, every time. Wasting a potential client’s time is one of the easiest ways to lose them. Your receptionist should know who does what, and how to send clients to them.

• Being Too Formal

When someone is calling a lawyer, there is a very good chance that they are having a tough time. Whether they have been accused of breaking the law, or they have been in a car crash, they are probably stressing out about something. A friendly receptionist will put a caller at ease. It is a good idea to look at it from the client’s perspective: would you want a law firm who does things by the book, or would you want a team that has empathy in a difficult situation? For a lot of people, the answer is clear.

• Not Standardizing

Your receptionist’s greeting is not something that you should leave to chance. It may prove beneficial to create a standard way to answer the phone. Something like, “Hello, you have reached the _____ Law Firm. This is ________, what can we do for you?”

• Taking a Long Time to Answer

The phone should ring no more than two times. Remember, the person calling your law firm is probably having a very stressful time. Waiting for a secretary to answer the phone does nothing but induce more stress. Answering the phone promptly shows a great amount of care and professionalism. It can soothe the client’s mind.

• Not Having a Scratch Pad

People are going to give information to your receptionist, in one way or another. When someone calls in and has to repeat the same information a few different times, they are going to get frustrated. Retaining that information is key, and something as simple as writing everything down is a good way to transfer information from the receptionist to the people who need it. Try to jot down names, dates, and what happened.

If you have any questions about how to answer phone calls, contact us today. We are confident in our abilities to boost your law firm’s business, because we have used many of these tips to help our own receptionists. Our consultants are seasoned professionals, and we have the insight and experience you need to flourish in a tough environment.