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Month: October 2023

5 Things Law Firms Should Consider When Choosing Office Space

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The legal industry is changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way lawyers work, with some embracing the flexibility of remote work while others emphasizing the importance of in-person collaboration.

But for most small firms, office space rental is a big expense that needs to be considered carefully. As the legal industry continues to evolve, so do the needs and preferences of law firms when it comes to office space. Is there a solution in-between costly office spaces and having no office at all?

Before you sign that lease, consider these 5 factors that will help you select an office space that meets your unique requirements.

1. Location, Accessibility, and Client Convenience

Having an office with strategic proximity to courthouses, government offices, and clients can significantly impact your firm’s daily operations and client relationships. A conveniently located office not only reduces travel time for attorneys but also makes it easier for clients to reach the firm for meetings and consultations.

Deciding where your law firm will be located also plays a huge role in attracting and retaining the best employees. A recent study by Thomson Reuters of solo and small law firms found that work/life balance is a top priority for attorneys, and your office location can significantly impact this with commute times.

Top clients AND talent are attracted to Class A office buildings in the Chicago area. And with Amata, you can access them in a way that suits your growth needs and budget.

2. Space Design and Layout

When selecting office space, consider the layout and design to ensure it aligns with your specific needs.

For example, most lawyers do not need to come into the office on a regular basis, but they will occasionally require a conference room. Whether it is for client meetings, gatherings with your team, or space to focus outside of home, your office space should have conference rooms available for the day.

With Amata’s hybrid office model, solo and small law firms can have on-demand conference rooms for up to 18 people. You can book a room with tech capabilities for presentations and lots of coffee, so you can impress clients without the fixed cost of a traditional office space.

3. Technology and Infrastructure

A well-equipped office should provide the necessary technology to seamlessly run your law firm. This includes high-speed internet, secure networking, video conferencing, and reliable phone systems to support your legal teams. 

This is why at Amata we provide a full-service law firm space with the flexibility you require. More than 800 law firms and professional services companies benefit from the following (either directly or through our vetted partnerships):

  1. A client in-take process
  2. Support staff (on-site paralegals, live receptionists, docket clerks)
  3. Practice management software and/or a CRM
  4. Billing software
  5. Computers/printers/copiers/mail equipment/phone
  6. Private and virtual offices
  7. Networking opportunities

In today’s competitive environment, reducing your office costs is vital to investing more in technology, automation tools, and compensation. As international lawyer Sandra Chiarlone realized, the result is effectively servicing your clients and growing a successful law practice.

4. Flexibility and Lease Terms

With today’s fluctuations in caseloads and staffing needs, having flexible lease terms becomes a must. Ideally, you would find a comfortable space with a short-term lease that is not costly to terminate.

At Amata, we focus on affordable AND scalable plans. After all, cheap rent may not lead to a reduction in costs. For example, without having the ability to add or drop offices during the term of the contract, you may not know the true cost of hiring a new associate.

But with Amata, if that associate leaves the firm for any reason, that office and the associated costs are terminated — protecting your profitability from incremental overhead expenses.

5. Health and Safety Measures

A home-based work setting may pose challenges in ensuring adherence to post-COVID-19 health and safety protocols. A professional workspace will ensure proper ventilation, sanitization protocols, and established contingency plans for emergencies and crises.

This not only protects the firm from potential liabilities but also strengthens the trust and confidence of both clients and personnel in the firm’s dedication to their well-being.

Conclusion: Selecting the right office spaces comes down to flexibility

It is hard to predict all the factors that may impact your office space. Will you require extra offices? A conference room? New technology?

That is why choosing the right office space for your law firm comes down to flexibility. Location, accessibility, space design, technology, and health and safety measures are all key factors. By having flexibility around these aspects, law firms can create a workspace that not only meets their current needs but also positions them for future growth and success in the ever-evolving legal landscape.

At Amata, we have traditional and modern designs to choose from. All locations are professional, in prestigious locations, and within walking distance from major public transportation. Find the true office flexibility you seek.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

The Most Dangerous Number for Law Firms

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The Most Dangerous Number for Law Firms

Keeping your law firm resilient and prepared for change is critical for its long-term success. This resiliency relies, in part, on your ability to pivot and stay agile in the face of change. But how can you achieve this resiliency in practical terms? Start by avoiding the number one.

 

The most dangerous number in business

What is the average client worth to your firm? If you take into account not one case but the lifetime revenue each client represents to your firm, it might be a lot.

The problem arises when one client represents so much of your firm’s earnings, that their departure would be catastrophic. This is known as single-client dependency, and it is one of the most critical factors that can affect your law firm’s valuation. For example, if you’re considering selling your company, banks will inquire whether you have any clients worth more than 5% of your revenue.

That is why marketing author Dan Kennedy used to say, “The most dangerous number in business is ONE.” When an entire business depends on just one market, client, or partnership, it is always one stroke of bad luck away from failure. With so many circumstances beyond your law firm’s control, it is better to set your business to be resilient from the start and avoid single-client dependency.

 

How to keep your law firm agile and profitable in the face of change

The world is changing fast and, in order to adapt, modern law firms require a better model that allows them to grow with peace of mind. This means having flexible expenses that can scale up and down as your law firm grows, in order to maintain profitability regardless of the circumstances.

This is the model Amata is proud to provide. Our scalable solutions help modern law firms access everything that they need to support their growth — virtual assistants, trained paralegals, professional offices, and networking spaces — but without the rigidity that can undermine your law firm’s resiliency.

Law firms should be able to evolve as the needs and expectations of their clients change. Take, for example, the size of the average law office. In the past 20 years the average space allocated per attorney has gone from 1,400 sq. ft. to 700 sq. ft. today, and that number continues to shrink every passing year. Law firms are taking a hard look at their office costs and would prefer to allocate those funds to technology, automation tools and compensation.

The extreme are the law firms who opted for a fully remote environment. No dress code, no commute, and flexible hours. But while remote work can have some perks, some recent studies are finding that going “fully remote” can create new problems such as feelings of isolation and decreased productivity. Many of our clients have come to the conclusion that working from home simply didn’t work for them – personally or professionally.

So, is there a balance? How can law firms remain flexible in their costs, while keeping a professional image that leads to increased clientele?

 

A new model for growth

When a law firm loses a significant client, the immediate challenge is maintaining cash flow. This is where the importance of flexible office plans becomes evident. In an industry where expenses can quickly pile up, having flexible arrangements can be a lifeline.

This is what happened with one law firm serving the Chicago area since 1997. The team was forced to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, and started to question the necessity of a high-maintenance lease they had been paying for the past 13 years.

When this firm contacted Amata’s team in 2021, they were ready to try a new approach. They hired virtual office services, including phone answering, call forward and automated receptionist features. This allowed them to enjoy the benefits of a brick-and-mortar office, such as reliable customer service and confidential lines for client calls, without the need for an in-house physical presence.

As a result, this firm was able to drop its monthly expenses from over $21,000/month to about $550/month. And they did it while maintaining a professional office space, receptionist services, and the ability to add or drop offices without penalty. 

Flexible office plans provide law firms with the agility to adjust their expenses according to fluctuations in their client portfolio. This law firm is an example of how flexible solutions can reduce costs, cut operational inefficiencies, and unlock growth without the risks of fixed costs.

Amata gives law firms everything they need to grow in today’s changing landscape. We provide a range of solutions, from phone answering and virtual office management to document filing and legal research. Our objective is to free up your time, resources, and staff so you can focus on doing what you do best – winning cases!

Inquire here about our tailor-made solutions that can ensure profitability, even in the face of change.

Need marketing support? Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Why Your Law Firm Needs a Professional Legal Answering Service

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Why Your Law Firm Needs a Professional Legal Answering Service

 

Growing a small law firm is no small feat. Attorneys and paralegals are stretched thin, and most clients expect an immediate response whenever they need them.

Think about the last time a client called your office. Were they happy to wait a few days for a reply? Or did they expect to talk to a professional on the phone immediately?

Customer service standards are high in the legal profession, and negating immediate attention comes with the risk of losing great clients. Yet for solo law firms and many private law firms, hiring a full-time, in-house receptionist can be out of reach. After all, you require a professional receptionist who understands the legal terminology and procedures, and has outstanding communication skills to enhance the client experience.

Finding, interviewing, onboarding and training such a person can require a lot of resources. But thankfully, another option is available.

 

Never Miss a Caller and Keep Generating Business — Even When You Can’t

Gone are the days when small law firms maintained full-time, in-house receptionists at the office. The changing dynamics of the modern workforce have paved the way for more flexible and cost-effective solutions. The alternative? Professional legal answering services that act as an extension of your law office, without the costs of hiring, training, and retaining an employee.

At Amata, we provide you with a Live Virtual Receptionist who will ensure that you never miss a caller. You can free your time to focus on billable hours, while your receptionist screens calls, schedules appointments, replies to messages and returns phone calls for you. All the information is updated in your database, so you can follow up at your own pace while clients are taken care of.

There are many reasons to keep your company phone number the same, which is why we use a proprietary app that allows your receptionist to reply from your phone, while you keep full ownership over your phone and all your information private. In this way, clients can feel the personal touch of your replies, while you maintain the phone number that you’ve worked so hard to promote.

Access to this app can be shared with as many members of your law office as you require. Voice mails are organized in a firm directory, so they reach you or your associates. You can easily transfer calls, manage your availability, and receive daily reports from the call activity of the day within the app.

 

Legal Answering Services vs Generic Answering Services

Should you choose a legal answering service or a generic answering service?

Legal virtual receptionists understand legal terminology and the inner workings of law firms like yours. They are trained to address legal inquiries, identify the urgency of each case, and assist clients when they need it most.

Our US-based, focused legal virtual receptionists understand your unique needs and can be trained with special handling instructions and scripts that represent your firm. They create a welcoming experience for your callers, and filter calls so you never have to deal with unwanted robocalls again.

It is also more cost-effective to outsource to a professional receptionist service than a full-time receptionist who is sitting in the office all day. Our scalable plans are designed to suit your exact needs: We can handle after-hours calls, assign a full-time or part-time receptionist, and become a true extension of your team that builds long-term relationships with clients on your behalf.

 

Seamless Integration: Outsource Without Legal Ramifications

One overlooked benefit of hiring an outsourced legal receptionist is the decreased legal ramifications for your law firm. Business owners intimately know the significant costs and complexities terminating an employment relationship can carry. In contrast, letting go of an outsourced virtual receptionist can be justified through simpler contractual terms.

A professional virtual receptionist will be able to sort out problems and pull things together for you to review, but they will not be experts at everything. Their role is to be your point of contact and coordinate the best resources for the work that you need to be completed.

Amata’s virtual receptionists are trained to be a part of your team. They will learn your preferred greetings and adapt to your firm’s culture. And with our streamlined arrangement, you can remain agile without fearing any potential legal ramifications for your law firm.

 

10 Benefits of a Virtual Receptionist for a Law Firm

A full-time receptionist sitting in the office is no longer necessary. There are more cost-effective solutions today. Your outsourced virtual receptionist can take calls and do client intake for a fraction of the cost, providing an agile solution that enhances your client experience, frees your time for more billable hours, and streamlines your operations for growth.

The list below sums up 10 benefits of hiring a well-trained legal virtual receptionist:

  1. Take care of urgent client calls, even when you’re busy
  2. Never miss a new client intake
  3. Schedule appointments
  4. Free your time for billable hours
  5. Filter robocalls
  6. Quickly respond to clients
  7. Cut down costs
  8. Provide client support beyond business hours
  9. Protect your availability and productivity
  10. Remain professional and accessible

A virtual receptionist can be an invaluable gatekeeper for your law firm, saving you time and reducing the anxiety and stress of running a law practice. This translates into increased ROI, word-of-mouth referrals, and more business for your firm.

Learn more about how Amata’s Virtual Legal Receptionist can assist your Firm here.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Achieving True Office Flexibility — An Underlooked Factor for Growing Your Law Firm

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Achieving True Office Flexibility — An Underlooked Factor for Growing Your Law Firm

 

Growing a business of any size can be hard. You need to generate new clients, serve the ones you already have, and constantly control your costs in order to ensure a profitable operation.

And when it comes to growing your law firm, the challenge can be even harder. Take, for example, an office. Most lawyers know the importance of having a professional office. The problem is that, according to a study conducted by BCG Attorney Search, Office Spaces can represent up to 50% of the expenses a small to medium-sized law firm has to incur.

That is why today we want to share what has helped more than 800 of our clients save money and achieve what we call Office Flexibility. You will understand how to access professional offices that adapt to your needs as a business owner, and that scale up and down with your operations.

 

The Support You Need, on Your Own Terms

Most lawyers started their own firm for one reason: Freedom. Freedom to work on meaningful cases, with clients they enjoy working with, controlling their hours, and at rates that truly compensate for the long hours they invest into providing an exceptional service.

The problem is that working in a small to medium-sized firm might come with the freedom, but at the expense of stability. This means that many of the support mechanisms that large firms take for granted are now impossible to afford, including:

  • Administrative assistants to delegate tasks to
  • Receptionists to take calls
  • Paralegals to assign law tasks to
  • A physical office space

So law firm founders find themselves in a conundrum: Should they sacrifice the quality of life they started their firm for in the first place, by trying to do all of the work themselves? Or should they hire other professionals to support them, but at the risk of facing a low cash flow month with high fixed expenses?

That’s where Office Flexibility comes in. Forget about having to choose between a professional, fully-staffed office AND labor costs so high that they erode your profitability.

Because if there’s a recurring trend in the legal world, it’s flexibility. From outsourced legal services to Fractional General Counsels, companies demand more flexibility in their costs to meet their exact growth needs. And having served the legal industry for 21+ years, Amata brings the flexibility you need to the office.

 

Professional Offices With the Flexibility You Need

At Amata Law Office Suites, we offer agreements that allow clients to drop or add offices during the term of the contract, without penalty, resulting in true office flexibility.

Whether you just started your law firm, have a team of 10-20, or are ready to expand your big law firm with the flexibility to scale up or down, we are here for you. No more letting long-term leases or a small staff hinder your ability to make the scalable impact you envision.

Our flexible support services mean more impact and less stress. Paralegal assistants can go to City Hall, the Recorders Office and deliver courtesy copies to judges for you. Live receptionists can screen your calls, handle new client in-take, and greet your guests. Our senior paralegals can research local court procedures, investigate cases, and draft motions on your behalf.

Our team acts as an extension of your law firm and scales up and down as you need to, so you never have to pay for under-utilized staff.

Besides these on-demand, professional support services, Amata provides you with a physical or virtual office that grows with you. Some of our clients have described their Amata office spaces as untouchable, pristine, and “a place for relationships worth its weight in gold.”

In today’s economic environment, the ability to add or remove office spaces without penalty is paramount. That is why our plans provide flexible pricing, short-term agreements with options to adjust, and conference rooms that can accommodate every need, including live depositions, in-person meetings combined with video meetings, in-person client lunches and after-hour gatherings.

Most lawyers do not need to come into the office on a regular basis, nor do they need a large office with a lavish library. You can strategically grow your firm by allocating your resources to technology and talent, while still having a professional office that establishes your professionalism and provides all the support needed to thrive.

Because for most law firms, the two largest expenses are office space and compensation. Amata helps you reduce both with a fresh solution that scales as you do, without penalizing you for changes along the way.

After all, flexibility in your costs means more ability to serve clients, build a thriving firm, and enjoy the quality of life you started your business for in the first place.

Inquire today to learn how our flexible solutions can help your law firm reduce costs, simplify your growth, and scale.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.