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Litigation Firm Gives Up Office Lease And Doesn’t Look Back

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Litigation Firm Gives Up Office Lease And Doesn’t Look Back

Welcome to the second profile in our series of success stories from law firms that have chosen Amata Law Office Suites to house their practice’s operations. Covering only eight of the more than 800 law firms that have leveraged our services in Chicago, Illinois, each month we’ll feature the successes of a few firms and how they’ve used Amata to their advantage.

Can office solutions save lives? Maybe not. But at Amata, we’ve certainly seen ours make others’ easier. Case in point this story about a Chicago-area litigation firm that started with us in 2021. Their journey from suppressed potential to unbound growth is just one example of the real-life impact that the right office space provider can have.

Starting With the Basics

Founded in 1997, this practice was a revered name in Chicago’s insurance, real estate and commercial litigation scene long before it started working with Amata. It had grown steadily over the years, finding success through several high-profile cases while expanding its operations not only throughout Illinois, but also Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. The HQ team back in Chicago worked out of the same office space for 13 years before their lease went into limbo in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time, the firm – like everyone else – had been forced to take an unconventional approach to business as usual. The three principal partners, six lawyers and additional staff members on the team rarely visited the office space they had and were instead handling most matters remotely.

Taking a New Approach to Work

Of course prior to the pandemic, there wouldn’t have been a question about whether this type of “old school”, self-managed arrangement was the smartest move to make. For many, it was the only way. Business owners had come to accept the sky-high costs of maintaining exclusive office space and assumed it was unavoidable. But remote work changed things overnight to quickly reveal just how much more can be done with less.

In the latter half of 2021, Amata’s team received a call from one of the firm’s partners with questions about how managed virtual offices work. They were particularly interested in phone services, call forwarding and automated receptionist features. These options had the potential to provide all of the advantages of a brick-and-mortar office – reliable customer service and confidential lines for client calls – without actually having an in-house physical presence.

While devastating in other respects, the pandemic presented this firm the opportunity to try out a new approach, and in doing so, reduce its fixed expenses, risk, and partner liability on a short-term basis.

Reaping the Benefits of a Smarter Approach

Within days of signing onto an agreement with Amata, this once-taxed litigation firm was able to drop its monthly expenses of over $21,000/month (including a full-time receptionist) to about $550/month. For context, that’s less than a third of the average rent price for an apartment in Chicago. But they were getting so much more value – not only professionally maintained and managed office space, but also receptionist services and freedom from constraining lease arrangements.

While Amata’s services had initially been sought out in response to the pandemic, the litigation firm moved to transform its partnership into a long-term endeavor. Decision makers found that staff were just as productive in their new flex arrangement and that the cost-savings of adopting it permanently could only pay dividends. This proved true later on in 2022, when the practice added two more associates to its team. They took two additional offices with Amata so that these new partners could work with existing associates in person two to four days each week. Beyond that, no other physical space has been needed to maintain the firm’s productivity and broader operations. Flexible solutions from Amata allow them to drastically increase their monthly cost-savings for reinvestment in company growth.

How Amata’s Solutions Tailor to the Needs of Individual Law Firms

The law firm we’re discussing today is no different from others in Chicago in the sense that it had a problem with operational inefficiency that needed to be tackled. But at the same time, none in the city are identical. Each and every practice has its own story and areas of expertise. Factors like team size, client base, and funding all play into how any given law firm operates. Enhancing efficiency requires case-specific support, and that’s exactly what Amata provides.

Amata gives law firms everything they need – and nothing they don’t. We want to equip your practice to succeed in today’s changing yet competitive landscape. Our innovative services are specifically designed for budding ventures that need a cost-effective way of delivering value to their clients.

We provide a range of solutions, from phone answering and virtual office management to document filing and legal research. As-needed office space is also available so that you can scale up or down as needed. Amata frees up your time, resources, and staff so they can focus on doing what they do best – winning cases. Inquire today!

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Increasing Revenues with Existing Legal Clients

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By Ron Bockstahler

Increasing Revenues with Existing Clients

Revenues can come from net new business and from expanding services to existing clients. Most of a firms marketing efforts go towards net new business. Let’s discuss how we can increase revenues with existing clients. This is “low-hanging fruit” that can take a business from break-even to profitability with little financial investment. To take advantage of some of this low-hanging fruit we need to increase our value to existing clients and measure existing clients level of satisfaction.

“EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE” MINDSET

We spend years building firms that provide outstanding services and products to our clients. Most of us have client testimonials prominently displayed on our websites and throughout our marketing materials. These are satisfied clients, so let’s put some resources into winning more of their business. The first resource is your firms people. Happy employees create a culture of “Exceptional Customer Service”. Increase employee satisfaction by offering perks that motivate your staff.

Everyone in the organization must approach existing clients the same way they approach prospective clients. Think about how you treat a potential client the week you are expecting them to sign a $1 million contract with your firm. Providing them a little extra attention. Making sure they have everything they need. If we showing existing clients this same type of attention, maybe they too will be signing an agreement for an additional $1 million in annual revenue.

CUSTOMER SURVEYS TO CREATE RAVING FANS

Before we approach existing clients to use more of our services, we first need to measure their satisfaction with existing services. One way to do this is the Net Promoter System, created by Fred Reichheld in 2003. The Net Promoter Score is the percentage of customers who are promoters (those who rate your services a 9 or 10 on a scale of 1-10) minus the percentage who are detractors (those who score your services 1 to6). To obtain a score from a client you will need to conduct regularly scheduled client surveys.

CLIENT SURVEYS IN ACTION

Two recent incidents led me to write this article and both involve customer surveys. The first is a vendor Amata uses and the other was an unhappy Amata client. Let’s start with the vendor. For 2 months Amata requested to have an ice maker installed. The assigned representative was aloof and uncooperative. This vendor sent out a random customer survey and our manager used this survey to report our dissatisfaction with the delayed install. The companies quick response was amazing. The ice maker was installed within a week after the survey was submitted. Amata went from a customer looking to leave the company to a happy client, willing to consider this company for the next installation.

The second incident involved an Amata client. The client completed a survey 60-days after joining Amata. In the survey the client expressed dissatisfaction with a billing issue and a couple other items. Amata’s management team immediately met to plan a course of action. A response was sent to this client, addressing each of the concerns, the following day. The client’s follow up response was to praise Amata’s team for addressing the concerns. The client also commended the Amata staff for their professionalism. In both incidents, an unhappy client was turned into a raving fan, with potential for additional services in the future. These are two excellent examples of how the use of surveys help take the pulse of your clients, identify unhappy clients, and turn them into raving fans for your firm.

If you’re interested in hearing more about how you can add more flexibility to your office expenses, contact us and let’s talk.

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Office Flexibility and Cost Controls

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By Ron Bockstahler

The most common question I’m asked lately is “What is happening in the office space sector?”.  With a client base of over 800 law firms and businesses, I usually have a good read on what is happening in the office sector of the real estate industry. Throughout June we have seen an increased demand for office space, but more specifically, the demand for flexible office space has been a top priority. Clients are placing a high priority on office flexibility and cost controls in their office selection.

JUNE CONTRACTS

This last week of June alone, Amata signed 12 contracts and/or amendments with existing clients and new clients. Eight of these were to take additional or new space and four were to reduce space. One virtual client, converted to have a full-time office and a California based law firm sign an amendment to have Amata manage their phone system and answer their phones. In each conversation clients were focused on cost controls by exercising the flexibility in their agreements.

FLEXIBILITY

Not included in the above-mentioned new contracts is a 500+ employee New York based law firm, that renewed their agreement with Amata, adding additional offices. The deciding factor to remain with Amata versus signing a lease for their own space was the flexibility Amata provides. Adding or removing an office during the contract term, without any penalty is crucial in this business environment. Another firm dropped an office from their agreement the first week in June, then added a workstation this past week. Successful firms are adapting to the fast-changing business landscape and controlling costs by taking advantage of the flexible lease and staffing solutions provided by Amata.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

One of Amata’s greatest competitive advantages is the flexibility to manage expenses quickly to match changes in revenues. The cost structure with traditional office landlords makes it impractical and unprofitable to provide tenants this type of flexibility. When a company signs a lease, the landlord amortizes the cost to build-out the space, cover concessions, and brokers fees. Amortized costs do not go away when tenant downsizes and no longer requires all the space. Expanding beyond the initially leased space, without increasing the lease term, further locks in fixed expenses.

Learn more about how you can add flexibility and cost controls to your office expenses by contacting Amata.

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Paralegal Services Provider: What You Need To Know

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Today’s law firms are at no shortage of things to do. From handling an ever-increasing caseload to keeping up with the latest changes in the law, attorneys have their hands full. This is where a paralegal services provider come in.

What are Paralegal Services?

Paralegal Services are defined as the provision of legal services by a non-lawyer who is qualified to perform substantive legal work through a combination of education, training or work experience. These services may be provided to lawyers, law firms, businesses or individuals and can include everything from legal research and writing to assisting with closings, trial preparation and more.

Paralegal services give law firms the convenience of on-demand support staff to extend their operations. Through ticketing based systems, providers match clients with the right paralegal for the task at hand, making it easy to get started with little-to-no administrative hassle.

The use of paralegal service providers has increased in recent years as the legal industry has become more complex and competitive. The need for qualified support staff has never been greater, and paralegal services provide an efficient way to get the help you need without the overhead of a full-time employee.

This type of support can be especially helpful for small law firms who may not have the budget to support a full-time staff member, or for attorneys who handle infrequent legal matters.

What a Paralegal Service Provider Can Offer You

Paralegal services have become popular for good reason. They have a slew of applications and benefits to take advantage of, including the following.

Great Value at a Low Cost

What is perhaps the greatest advantage of using a paralegal service provider is the cost-effectiveness it offers. When you work with a paralegal service provider, you only pay for the services you need, when you need them. This is in contrast to a full-time employee, who you would need to pay even when there is no work for them to do.

With a paralegal, law firms can reap the full benefits of a highly trained legal professional without having to shoulder the full-time costs of salary, benefits, taxes, and more. This can free up a significant amount of money that can be used for other purposes, such as marketing or expanding business operations.

Flexibility and Scalability

Another advantage of paralegal services is the flexibility and scalability they offer. When you work with a paralegal service provider, you can increase or decrease the number of hours you need as your workload ebbs and flows. This can be a major advantage for small law firms or attorneys who handle a high volume of cases sporadically throughout the year.

Wide Range of Applications

As thoroughly trained and experienced professionals, paralegals are able to fulfill almost as many roles as lawyers themselves. The services they provide can be anything from research and writing to assisting with closings, trial preparation, and more. This makes them a versatile tool that can be used in a wide range of situations.

Virtual and Office-based Availability

If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that the traditional 9-to-5 workday is no longer the only option. With the rise of the internet and advances in technology, more and more people are working remotely. This is true for paralegals as well.

Some paralegal service providers have a physical office where you can meet with them in person, while others are entirely virtual. This gives you the flexibility to work with experienced paralegals that are based in your city or a virtual paralegal that is located elsewhere in the country.

Considering Paralegal Services for Your Law Firm?

Amata Law Office Suites is a leading provider of paralegal and administrative support solutions to law firms across the United States. Our senior paralegals boast more than 20 years of experience in the field and are adept at handling a wide range of tasks, from research and writing to trial preparation and more.
Whether you need assistance on an as-needed basis or are looking for a more comprehensive solution, we have a package that is right for you.

Contact us today to learn more about our paralegal services and how we can help your law firm operate more efficiently.

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A Look at Hybrid Work for Small and Midsized Law Firms

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By Ron Bockstahler

We are going on our third year living with Covid-19 and some of the early predictions about a hybrid work/office model are starting to become reality. But the truth is, this reality looks different for almost every law firm and is heavily influenced by personal preference, type of law practiced, and individual situations. When it comes to creating the perfect hybrid work environment, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Over the past 30 days, I have worked with five law firms helping them to create a hybrid work environment that will allow them to optimize resources, maximize profitability, and maintain firm culture. All these firms were successful prior to the pandemic and their work volume has been consistently increasing since the pandemic began. Their challenges include maintaining firm culture, developing new associates, coordinating work projects, and keeping their work force from leaving for new opportunities. I will even add my own company, Amata Law Office Suites, into the discussion since we too have experienced similar challenges during the pandemic and are now wrestling with how we move forward. Let’s look at a couple of these firms, their situation and how, at least for now, they are moving forward with hybrid work/office solutions.

Let’s start by talking about the largest of the five firms I’ve recently worked with. Since the project is ongoing, I will not mention the firm name for confidentiality purposes. The firm is based in Florida, with locations in several other states. In Chicago they have 38 attorneys and occupy two adjacent floors in the Chicago loop, about 35,000 sq. ft. in total.  I started talking with this firm about a year ago, late in 2021, as they were considering the best way to move forward with their office space. Like most of us, they wanted to see how the pandemic would play out and how their lawyers and staff would adjust to remote work before making any big decisions on their office space. With enough experience working remote and a lot of input from their lawyers, they are now ready to move forward with a hybrid work/office model they believe will work well for their firm. Their model involves giving up both floors at their Chicago office in a partnership with Amata Law Office Suites, with the firm maintaining twelve offices for lawyers and staff who have elected to come into the office regularly and four offices for hoteling among lawyers and staff that come into the office only occasionally. The firm is signing a licensing agreement with Amata and will use the common areas and conference rooms in the same way as other Amata client. The lawyers and staff without offices have elected to work remotely, only coming into the office for firm meetings or to occasionally meet with clients. By giving up their permanent office space the firm can reduce expenses by just under $800,000 each year.

Next is a three-attorney law firm with two staff members. For the partners of this firm, the remote work model did not suit their work preference. In fact, since the beginning of the pandemic, they have been coming into the office every day. It is common to see the partners meeting serendipitously to discuss a client or case they are involved in. They are all old enough to be empty nesters, so they can work at home without interruptions. Instead, they enjoy the camaraderie the office provides. If I were to rank the reasons lawyers give me for coming into the office, camaraderie and the social aspects would be at the top of the list. For years one of my favorite sayings when talking with my managers has been, busy makes busy. Create a busy environment and people will gravitate to that environment.

Want to learn more about how Amata helps law firms leverage hybrid work? We can help you find the right fit – start a conversation with us here.

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Five Things to Look for in Shared Office Space (Revised)

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By Ron Bockstahler

Recent events in the shared office space realm compel me to update this article with a couple of very important points that were not mentioned originally. Today I met with an attorney who was originally introduced to me more than three years ago when he was considering changing his office space. At the time, my company didn’t win his business because he wasn’t unhappy with his space and the perceived hassle of changing addresses for active cases just didn’t seem like it was worth it at that time. Two days ago, the shared office this attorney runs his law firm out of, a large international shared office company, provided a 13-day notice that they are closing the center and all tenants will have to relocate to one of their other locations or find new office space on their own. Now anyone that has ever looked for new office space knows that 13 days is hardly enough time to secure new office space and coordinate a move, especially if your firm has a large active caseload.

Last night I was reminded of another operator that closed their offices and gave their tenants less than two weeks notice to vacate. Many tenants believe that there is little chance of this happening if they join a large national or international co-working company or hared office provider. But almost all the large providers set up each of their locations as individual LLC’s, making it very easy for them to close the non-performing centers with little to no recourse to their parent company. When they do close a center, they provide a very short notice to force their clients to move to another one of their centers that are remaining open.

It’s impossible to eliminate the risk of a center closing, but here are a few questions to ask that will help minimize the risk of going through this very difficult experience. First, inquire about the remaining lease term at the center you are considering. If the co-working operator owns the building, ask them about future plans, what their building-hold strategy is and if the co-working operation has a lease with the building, even if both have the same owners. The next question is to find out what the current occupancy of the center is. We use 85% as a measure of full occupancy and anything under 70% is a red flag that the center could be on the block to close soon. The obvious exception to this is if the center opened less than a year ago and is in the early stages of leasing. To that point, a new center is generally a safe bet that it will remain open for the next 1-2 years, regardless of occupancy. Finally, make sure you understand if the operator is a local, regional, or national operator.

There’s no question that from time to time, offices will close for various reasons, many reasons that are out of the control of the operator. The issue is when operators do not provide adequate notice for tenants to research options and make an educated decision on a new office space. If an operator only has one center, that should be a red flag and you need to scrutinize the deal they are offering very closely. Regional operators usually have several centers, are privately owned, and generally go to extreme lengths to protect their reputation. Even if they do close a center, chances are they will handle it in a professional manner, providing as much notice to clients as possible to protect their reputation in the industry and in their areas they operate.

The last point I will make is regarding taking an office with another law firm. For example, I have worked with several lawyers that have taken an office with a law firm that has a direct lease. The comments I hear most often when a lawyer is electing this option, is the cost is cheaper than a professional co-working operator and they do not need to sign a lease. It is true that the cost is generally cheaper because the lessor law firm is looking to offset a small portion of their fixed expenses for a short period of time. However, the benefit of not signing a lease, often, becomes a liability when the law firm provides a very short notice, generally less than two weeks, that the lawyer must move out because the law firm has hired new staff and will need the office. This almost always leaves the renting attorney in a difficult position at the most inopportune time.

You still want to focus on paralegal support, professional atmosphere and amenities, private office options, the legal network opportunities, and location. But even before you consider these things, make sure you are working with a reputable operator and that the location you are considering checks all the boxes highlighted above. Doing due diligence prior to selecting your next office will save you time and money in the long run.

Looking to get the most out of your office space? We can help you find the right fit – start a conversation with us here.

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Law Firm Valuation Process and Considerations

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By Katherine A. Puffer, CPA/ABV, CPCU, MBA

Even if you’re not in the market to sell your law firm, there are several reasons to value your firm such as a possible firm merger, securing loan financing, the addition of new partners, and other business and personal matters such as your succession/exit strategy. It is not only important to know the value of your firm, but also the process analysts take to come to an estimated value. Several valuation approaches are used, and depending on your firm’s circumstances, valuation analysts may use a combination of the income, asset, and market approaches to estimate the value of the firm. 

The Valuation Process: 

To begin, the asset approach presumes that the value of the firm is best determined by the sum of the value of all the firm’s tangible assets subtracted by the liabilities, leaving the net value of its tangible assets (“net tangible assets”). Many firms maintain financial records using cash-based accounting, thus for valuation purposes, their cash-based financials are adjusted to accrual-based financials. For example, accounts receivable, work-in-progress and accounts payable are added to the cash basis balance sheet to arrive at an accrual basis balance sheet. The next step in an asset-based valuation is to adjust the accounting asset values to their market value. For example, fixed assets such as computer equipment are adjusted to their estimated market value (likely close to zero). Asset-based valuations generally do not contain “goodwill” which is the value of a firm over and above the value of its net tangible assets. As a result, the asset approach is generally used to estimate value of real estate entities, holding companies and unprofitable firms. For profitable firms, it provides a minimum value for analysts to consider. 

The income approach values a firm based on cash that can be distributed to partners (“free cash flow”, “cash flow”). Free cash flow is not net income and for growing companies it is generally less than net income. Free cash flow takes into consideration the amount of income that must be held in the firm to fund accounts receivable, work-in-progress, purchases of equipment and other capital needs. For S corporations and LLC’s, distributions to owners to pay taxes are also deducted from net income to arrive at free cash flow. There are a number of methodologies that the valuation analyst can use under the income approach. The methodology chosen depends on whether future free cash flow is expected to grow steadily, vary from year to year or can be estimated based on prior year’s results. After future free cash flow is estimated or forecasted, it is discounted back to the valuation date based on the valuation analyst’s assessment of the risk of achieving future cash flows. For example, a lack of a firm succession plan adds to the risk of achieving future cash flows, increases the discount rate and results in decreased estimated value. Conversely, the existence of a repeating income stream generally reduces risk and the discount rate, resulting in increased estimated value. The final step in the income approach is to subtract firm debt. The income approach arguably provides the most theoretically accurate estimated value for a firm as it is based on the actual firm characteristics and results. 2 

However, the accuracy of this approach is dependent on estimates of future free cash flow and the discount rate. 

Finally, the market approach involves researching the sales of other law firms and utilizing information on the sale of firms with operating and financial characteristics similar to the subject firm to arrive at an estimated value. At a minimum, seven to ten comparable sales are needed to utilize this approach. Information provided on the sale of law practices and the nature of the practices involved is sometimes too incomplete to provide a basis for calculating a value indication. 

Other Considerations: 

Many law practices have buy-sell agreements in place to avoid fighting over value in the event that a buy-out must occur. Many of these agreements contain formulas that have nothing to do with the economic reality of the situation. This frequently causes fights among the owners. In certain jurisdictions, these types of agreements will not be considered indicative of value for a marital dissolution case. 

In a law practice, there tends to be much more dependence on the professional than in other types of businesses. During the valuation process, the attributes of the professional(s) must be considered. Unusual skills, long work hours, a large referral base, and other similar factors will certainly affect the valuation, whether it ends up as a part of reasonable compensation or built into the discount or capitalization rate. 

Probably one of the most difficult assets to value on the balance sheet of a law practice is work in progress. Unless the firm keeps really good records, this can be pretty tricky. This is particularly true for a contingent fee law firm.1 

When a professional practice is being valued for transaction or litigation purposes, it may be important to identify professional and practice goodwill separately and to discuss the likelihood that a portion of the professional goodwill can be transferred in a transaction. 

Consistently high earnings do not necessarily indicate a high practice value for a number of reasons. If earnings are highly volatile, as they can be for a law firm with large contingent-fee cases, value tends to be lower based on the risk of achieving future estimated cash flows. A professional with an outstanding reputation may attract many referrals, but the resulting high earnings in the practice reflect professional goodwill, not practice goodwill. A professional may work much longer than normal hours, but the resulting high earnings may not increase the value of the practice.2 

While, rules of thumb (formulaic: expressed in multiples of revenue or earnings) may provide insight on the value of a professional practice, it is usually only appropriate to use them for reasonableness tests of other valuation approaches. 

 

For more information contact:

Katherine A. Puffer, CPA/ABV, CPCU, MBA
312-235-2866 (O)
847-477-1954 (M) [email protected]

 

1 Understanding Business Valuation, Fourth Edition, Gary R. Trugman, Copyright 2012
2 Financial Valuation, Second Edition, James R. Hitcher, Copyright 2006

 

Sources:

https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/strategic-planning/890134/what39s-your-firm-worth- understanding-law-firm-valuations https://www.olmsteadassoc.com/resource-center/law-firm-succession-exit-strategies-valuing-the- firm/

http://www.firmvaluation.net/asset-based-valuation-methods.html https://articles.bplans.com/rules-of-thumb-business-valuation-explained/ https://www.uschamber.com/co/good-company/ask-the-board/how-to-prepare-your-business-for- sale

Understanding Business Valuation, Fourth Edition, Gary R. Trugman, Copyright 2012 Financial Valuation, Second Edition, James R. Hitcher, Copyright 2006

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Six Things That Keep a Paralegal Up at Night

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A great paralegal strives to deliver work on time and accurately.

They’re also vital to law firms because they handle everyday tasks on several cases at a time to keep the caseload moving in the right direction.

What do they worry about the most? They have the skills and talents they need to succeed every day, even in a busy legal environment.

We’ll take a look at six things that keep a paralegal up at night, and how they help bring success to a law firm.

1)  Time Management

Paralegals are always busy with the daily tasks that keep law firms and solo practices running smoothly. There is plenty to do throughout the day, such as answering phones, talking to current clients, responding to emails, preparing documents, and getting ready for depositions.

With increased caseload comes increased workload, which is a good thing for your law firm.

When the daily tasks of running your practice become too much and you don’t have enough time to accomplish these tasks, perhaps it’s time to look into a paralegal to help alleviate your workload.

2)  Caseload Management

Paralegals are at the front lines of caseload management. They know what cases should have priority and which ones have looming deadlines. They also know when and how to pass along messages to attorneys regarding important developments in the case, especially if the other counsel reaches out to make a pretrial settlement and it’s time to negotiate.

Would you rather just focus on the aspect of case law to focus on your clients? Or would you rather understand what cases need your attention first and foremost?

Paralegals can help you manage cases from start to finish. They use automated tools to keep track of things (Amicus is a good one), otherwise they would spend too much time doing extra busy work.

Automated tools and platforms also store information, documents, and filings, especially with cloud-based systems. Paralegals know these systems very well as part of their daily tasks, and they can alert you when to review documents ahead of filing them with the court.

3)  Trial Prep

Preparing for a trial is a lot of work. You have to bring evidence, retrieve files, print out documents, and be ready for anything.

Paralegals can help you prep for a trial so you’re ready to follow court procedures, interview the other side’s witnesses, and learn how to talk to a potential jury.

Any paralegals you have on staff can take care of the paperwork and files. You should get ready to deliver the best possible results for your client.

4)  Deadlines

Different court systems have varying procedures and filing deadlines. Your scheduling app keeps track of client meetings and court dates, but not necessarily when filings are due to the court.

Having a paralegal on hand gives you an extra helper to work on filings and documents ahead of deadlines so you don’t miss anything. Missing a deadline can cost you a case or give your opponent leverage against you and your client, particularly when there are motions due or if there’s a pretrial conference coming up.

5)  Client Intake

How do you know what clients you should take?

There are varying levels of potential clients, from ones you know you should never take to ones that are great for your firm.

Paralegals have the know-how to understand what a good client would be for you. You can easily train a paralegal to handle client intake for you with a series of questions to ask potential clients.

Client intake interviews and questions are vital to making sure you can reasonably succeed in your case. You can’t win them all, but knowing vital information ahead of time can help you determine if you want to proceed.

Send along a list of questions (and the answers that a paralegal should know), such as:

  • What is your reason for contacting an attorney today?
  • Can you tell me more about your situation?
  • Have you ever worked with an attorney before?
  • Have you already consulted with an attorney about this matter already?
  • What outcome would you like to see from this case?
  • Do you have any documents you can show me?
  • Have you been served with court papers?
  • What expectations do you have with our firm?
  • How would you prefer we communicate with you?
  • Why did you choose to contact us?
  • What are your biggest concerns with your situation?
  • Have you considered attorney fees and your budget?

A paralegal can also answer many questions the potential client may have, such as what the next steps are, how much money should they pay, and what are any potential outcomes like.

Paralegals also understand the line between getting enough information and when talking to a potential client becomes a waste of time. Your paralegal has the panache to navigate client intake.

6)  Maintaining Accurate Information & Documentation

Accuracy and details are everything in legal work. One wrong name, place, or date, and you could end up losing a case.

Paralegals are masters at knowing details and understanding what details are important. They document everything properly, save them in the right files, and help you maintain proper filing schedules.

When you have so many pending cases on hand, the details can slip away from you. Managing all of the information can fall to paralegals who are trained to handle such tasks.

Hire a Fully Vetted Paralegal to Assist You

Amata is an attorney services firm based in Chicago. We offer a wide range of support services, including paralegals who assist you with the daily tasks of your law practice.

Your paralegal can be virtual or on-site, whichever you prefer. We have a variety of on-demand options to fit your needs, whether you require a paralegal just to maintain caseload or need one to handle all administrative tasks. You don’t even have to hire a paralegal full-time.

Even better, the paralegal you hire is on our payroll and not yours, saving you money on benefits such as insurance.

Contact us for more information. Experienced help is just a phone call away thanks to our network of paralegals.

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Simon Wiesenthal Center – The Spirit of Courage Benefit

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Amata Law Office Suites has been a long time supporter of the SWC as they combat a growing antisemitism movement around the globe. We continue our support as the SWC celebrates 45 years as a leading international Jewish human rights institution.

Simon Wiesenthal Center – The Spirit of Courage Benefit

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish global human rights organization, will be hosting its Spirit of Courage Benefit in Chicago on June 26, 2022, where we will be honoring dynamic ambassadors for peace and the Mobile Museum of Tolerance (MMOT).

Register to attend here: www.wiesenthal.com/SpiritofCourage2022

This year’s Spirit of Courage awardees are Karen and Sandy Teplitzky, recognizing their overwhelming support of the Mobile Museum of Tolerance.

The MMOT inspires people of all ages and backgrounds, empowering them to raise their voices and combat anti-Semitism, bullying, racism, hate and intolerance and to promote human dignity.

In addition, His Excellency Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Her Excellency Miss Betsy Bennet Mathieson, the Chairman and Deputy Chair of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in Bahrain, will accept Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Global Peace and Tolerance Award. In 2017, the Kingdom of Bahrain signed the Bahrain Declaration on Religious Tolerance alongside Rabbis Hier and Cooper from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. This Declaration led to the creation of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, and was a precursor to the Abraham Accords. The Global Centre recently entered into Memorandums of Understanding with Israel and the University of Haifa to promote coexistence between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East.

We will also bestow the SWC Humanitarian Award on Dr. Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer; a Community Service Award to ABC7 Chicago; and the Medal of Valor to Juliana Taimoorazy, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and President of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council.

Attendees of the Benefit will be able to experience the SWC’s Mobile Museum of Tolerance which is the first-of-its-kind in the United States.

Register to attend here: www.wiesenthal.com/SpiritofCourage2022

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What Top AM100 Law Firms Get For Law Support

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Do you dream of being at an AM 100 law firm?

The benefits are fantastic. Higher salaries. Huge offices. Challenging cases that have a lot of sophisticated details. Diverse client bases.

And perhaps, most importantly, a lot of support services to help you focus on casework rather than daily tasks.

After all, you are a hotshot lawyer who can win multimillion-dollar cases.

What if you could have the vaunted support system of an AM100 firm even though you are a relatively new lawyer just starting your practice?

What support services do AM 100 law firms get?

The largest AM 100 law firms have robust in-house infrastructure to make your job as an attorney easier. They give you the technology and research tools you need (Abacus Law and access to Lexis-Nexis full-text case law) to make sure you bring your best to every case.

You are also around other high-level attorneys who offer mentoring and tutelage as you work through your career.

Other support services make your physical life more comfortable as a top attorney.

Think these things are out of your reach as a new attorney?

Think again.

Copy & Mailing Services

You can get a virtual assistant who can handle the mail for you at an office that has a physical address. Your VA can also make copies of vital documents for you, such as birth certificates or identification, when needed for your case or client intake.

Deliveries

A lot of legal paperwork is handled electronically now. But there are some things that still require physical handling, such as evidence, old photos that don’t have digital equivalents, and if clients pay their legal fees with paper checks.

Office staff can help with deliveries when you need to make them as part of the regular course of your practice.

Research

Legal research can be exhausting when you’re trying to find the right case law precedent ahead of a trial.

Lexis-Nexis is the best legal research tool out there, with comprehensive case law (full text) of every federal case and plenty of state cases going back many decades, or in some cases more than a century. Getting access to Lexis-Nexis might be easier than you think. Rather than pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the full database, becoming a member of a university’s alumni association may give you library privileges for their Lexis-Nexis subscription.

Digging through online resources and requesting photocopies or documents from law libraries takes time.

Hiring a virtual assistant or in-office can help take care of this for you, from finding the right case law to getting access to Lexis-Nexis through a university.

Paralegals

Hiring a paralegal can give you the help you need to manage a caseload, help with new client intake, and field questions from clients when they call. A paralegal is a way to add professionalism to the office environment while helping you maintain case deadlines, filings, depositions, and answering clients’ questions when they contact you.

Paralegals are masters of organization, details, deadlines, court paperwork, and organizing your files in a way that makes sense. They can also communicate with other attorneys working on the case and give clients answers about case deadlines.

Hiring a paralegal can make a huge difference to your workload when you need it most.

Administrative Help

Office assistants, virtual assistants, and an administrative professional also help take mundane office tasks off of your hands so you can focus on the practice of law.

Administrative professionals retrieve the mail, answer emails, answer phones, manage projects, work on marketing materials, post to social media, proofread written communications and filings, and handle communications with

They can also make digital copies of documents and photos for recordkeeping.

What if you could have these same attorney support services without needing to get on with an AM 100 firm?

Enter Amata’s Lawyer Support Services

Amata is a lawyer support services firm based in Chicago. We can put you in touch with legal professionals and virtual assistants who can act as your staff, whether they are on-site or virtual.

Do you want a paralegal who has basic knowledge of cases and how to handle client intake? Amata can vet the right paralegal for you.

Do you need an administrative assistant to take some workload off of you so you can focus on cases instead? Amata has a staffing solution that can make this happen at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time staffer.

Amata offers on-demand attorney support services that rival what you can get by being an attorney at an AM 100 firm.

On-Demand Paralegals

Our senior paralegals have 20 or more years of experience, some with expertise in certain practice areas, when you need expert help. Others have three years or fewer in experience and are hired as paralegal assistants. We bill our paralegals based on their years of experience and areas of law where their expertise lies.

Along with paralegals, we also offer automated case management tools that can prepare a table of authorities outlining local rules and filing deadlines

Our paralegals are trained to handle:

  • Editing appellate briefs and other briefs per your notes
  • Handle the back-and-forth aspects of discovery, which can last for months
  • Draft simple complaints and motions
  • Assess and prioritize cases
  • Close on real estate transactions

What are you waiting for? If you need extra help with your caseload, assistance is only a phone call away. Pick only the type of work you need, and the team at Amata will only bill you for what you require.

Get started today, and we’ll talk about how we can help take your practice to the next level.

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