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Practicing Law in Multiple States? These Lawyers Share How They Meet Clients Where They Are

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For estate planning attorney Michael Milliman, this is a busy time of the month. He takes a four-hour train ride, leaving his Michigan-based law firm (DeLoof, Dever, Eby, Wright, Milliman, Bourque & Issa, PLLC) for a few days, to serve his clients in Chicago. It’s only a short walk from the train before he arrives at his satellite office in the heart of the downtown area.

His days in the Loop are filled with client meetings, a total of 15 over the next 72 hours. When he finishes the first day of meetings, he’ll take another short walk and retire to a nearby hotel. The next day, he’ll do it all over again.

“It keeps me efficient,” he said about his schedule. “I love the fast pace of being in the Loop.”

Milliman has spent his nearly 20-year career in Michigan, but he has always considered Chicago a great second home. Several years ago, he became licensed to practice law in Illinois and began establishing a client base. While most of his work can be done virtually, he prefers a physical office, especially for maintaining client relationships. In 2019, he opened a satellite office with Amata Law Office Suites, Chicago’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and six Class-A downtown offices.

“I want my clients to always have a local connection to their attorney,” he said.

Fellow Amata-based lawyer, Ken Fiedler of Ken Fiedler Injury Law, echoed Milliman’s thoughts. Fiedler began his career in Chicago before moving and practicing in Colorado. He developed many connections during his time in the Windy City and always planned to resume a physical presence.

“Chicago is a great place to practice law,” he said, noting the large yet close-knit legal community. “I’ll always consider it home.”

Yet opening a satellite office in a new city can be difficult. According to Law.com, firms typically allocate around 300 square feet of office space per employee. That comes to a minimum of $14,000 for one attorney in downtown Chicago, as the average cost of Class-A office space is $48 per square foot.

To circumvent these issues and better focus on their practices, Milliman and Fiedler chose Amata. In addition to physical and virtual offices, Amata offers live reception services and an experienced legal support team.

“It’s a really economical choice for any firm that wants a presence in a large city, where it has historically been expensive to open a brick-and-mortar office,” Milliman said.

He praises Amata’s “fantastic” paralegal team, which boasts 110 years of combined work experience. He says they copy and scan documents among other tasks that he simply doesn’t have time to manage himself. Specifically, the on-staff notary is one of his favorite Amata offerings.

“It’s a huge, huge convenience for me,” Milliman said. “I never have to worry about scheduling on my notary’s availability and it’s cost-effective. When you bring a mobile notary to your office, they charge for travel.”

Fiedler appreciates Amata’s professional environment and the proximity of his office to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Once COVID-19 restrictions are further lifted, he looks forward to traveling to Chicago and meeting his clients at least one week per month.

Fiedler and Milliman aren’t the only ones taking advantage of Amata’s flexible office options. Amata also caters to Chicago-based attorneys who do business in other states.

Personal injury lawyer Sean Park of The Park Law Firm came to Amata after practicing in Georgia, where he still holds a license. He continues to virtually serve clients in Atlanta. He utilizes Amata’s live reception services and says Atlanta callers don’t necessarily know that he’s located in Chicago or frequently traveling. He attributes that to the professionalism of Amata’s receptionists, who keep him feeling grounded even when he’s working from different states.

“I hope Amata expands into other areas,” he said. “If they opened in Atlanta at some point, they would have my continued business.”

Expand your practice smoothly. Chicago is home to burgeoning startups and leading companies in various industries, making it a prime location for advising clients. With Amata’s investment in technology and support services, attorneys can feel supported anywhere.

Whether you’re based on the East Coast, West Coast or Third Coast in Chicago, call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our six Class-A law firm office spaces to learn how our legal support and live reception services can help you establish a presence in any city in which you desire to work.

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What to Look For in the Best Virtual Receptionists for Law Firms

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Vietnamese young female receptionist talking on phone

There are three traits the best virtual receptionists for law firms have in common, and we’ve listed them below. Before you go skim those bullets, however, let’s explain why your private practice law firm needs a legal receptionist in the first place. It comes down to two words which clients expect: immediacy and professionalism.

Regardless of the type of law that you practice, when a person calls a lawyer, they believe their needs are urgent. Getting a voicemail instead of a person is rarely acceptable. You may think “those are not the clients I want” but even your top-tier prospective client wants to talk to a human on the phone when they call. It’s the high-quality customer service people come to expect from a profession like law. You risk losing great clients by negating this simple request.

Yet for solo law firms and many private law firms, the expense of hiring a secretary or receptionist can be difficult to justify. Then there is the time involved with interviewing, onboarding a new employee, and training them on your firm’s processes and clients. Facing this mound of tasks, and fearing the receptionist will not provide enough value to outweigh the additional overhead costs, many firms choose to opt-out of such a hire.

Live Legal Receptionist Options

Thankfully, another option is available: virtual receptionist services. A virtual receptionist acts as an extension of your law office, without the costs of hiring, training, and retaining an employee.

The downside? With hundreds of virtual receptionist services available on the market, finding the right option for your firm and budget takes some research and they are not ‘one-size-fits-all.’ Below, we consider three traits that the best virtual receptionists for law firms have and what makes them different from other receptionist services.

3 Qualities of the Best Virtual Receptionists for Law Firms

Professionalism (That Matches Your Own)

Yes, we covered this a bit already, but in a day and age where so many services are on offer, we think it’s pertinent to repeat. Receptionists serve as the gateway to attorney-client legal relationships. They are likely to serve as the first impression of your company. When a legal buyer is looking for options, professionalism serves as the number one selling point.

Hold them to the same rigorous standards by which you hold yourself. They must be competent, efficient, and able to get the right answers when onboarding new clients so that your time is not being wasted with bad leads.

Keep in mind live legal receptionists are also an extension of your law firm’s brand. While virtual receptionists may serve a variety of clients throughout the day, their messaging should be personally customized around your firm’s needs and the image you want the firm to convey. This sets the groundwork for what clients can expect moving forward.

Before signing up with a provider:

  • Ensure you can customize everything you’d (from hold-music to the greeting to the “they are not available” language) to match your firm’s brand. Also ask for them to handle this set up at your direction, instead of having you do it yourself in the software backend.
  • Ask if you can test their services to ensure professionalism. If there is a free trial period, that’s even better! The last thing you want is to commit to a provider who mishandles your calls.
  • PRICING TIP: Figure out how they bill for time spent on the phone. Many providers round up to the full minute, instead of charging you only for time used.

Efficiency (That Improves Your Firm)

Taking on more overhead, even if it’s via a cost-effective option, should result in an improvement of your firm. Otherwise, save the money!

The best legal answering services will eliminate bottlenecks in your onboarding pipeline by:

  • talking with new and potential clients,
  • vetting them based on your firm’s standards, and
  • filling out the correct forms (if you like those and/or have a CRM) or
  • sending you a streamlined email with complete information

Many people point to the billable hour as reason enough for a receptionist: every minute spent on the phone with a prospective client equates to less billable hours for existing clients.

At Amata, we like to look beyond the billable hour, however: every interruption takes you away from practicing law. No matter how your firm’s fees are structured, you will find legal answering services are vital to assisting you and your firm’s attorneys with managing time. Better managed time leads to less stress.

Before signing up with a provider:

  • Verify their systems can handle the exact client intake, call screening, and call-routing procedures your firm needs, no matter how complicated.
  • Never worked with a receptionist before? Ask for guidance! A high-quality answering service will be able to assist you and your firm with setting up the right processes even if you’ve never had any in place before.
  • PRICING TIP: Ask if they have fillable form options available or if you have to provide your own. If they are available, check if there is a limited amount included in the base-program and get pricing if you need more.

Availability (Without Excessive Fees)

The hours that a legal practice is open don’t always coincide with the hours when clients and potential clients will be contacting your firm. Like you, your clients and potential clients are at work during business hours and they may not be able to call until closer to dinner time. Virtual receptionist services can help resolve this problem.

Unlike employees you hire in-house, the best virtual live legal receptionists operate outside of the normal 9-5 business hours to account for the needs of legal buyers.

Before signing up with a provider:

  • Ask who is answering the phone. Many people outsource to other countries after the regular 9-5, but if you have certain language demands you’ll want to make sure someone who can meet them is always available to answer calls. In Chicago for instance, Spanish is very common and may not be known by overseas receptionists.
  • PRICING TIP: Go over the billing for extended hours as many answering services consider it a premium service. What’s the additional cost to have extended hours? Is it fixed fee or variable? Additional line items can quickly add up.

By hiring a legal answering service you are giving your clients access to the professionalism they need, at an immediacy they will appreciate (and help your firm stand out among the crowd), without overtaxing your own work day.

The best virtual receptionist for law firms is available when clients need them, and legal practices should only be billed for the time for which calls are taken, as opposed to a full-time receptionist who is either salaried or billed hourly.

What Makes Amata The Best Virtual Receptionist for Law Firms

Amata Law Office Suites is more than just an office space – for over 20 years, we have offered live legal receptionist services to help support and grow solo and private law practices by holding ourselves to the highest standard.

Amata’s Live Legal Receptionists use customized greetings and onboarding messaging to seamlessly fit into your law firm. We bill for the time our services are used and never round up. With extended operating hours from 7AM to 10PM, your law firm can be optimized around billable hours and client needs, at affordable prices.

Contact us today to learn more about our live legal receptionists, on-demand expert legal staff, office space, and more!

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How a Virtual Legal Receptionist Can Benefit Your Private Practice

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Charming young Asian woman working at reception of spa center, talking on phone with client and taking notes

Great legal practices are often defined by their high quality of service. Not only via their attorneys’ legal acumen, but through the strong attorney-to-client legal relationships they build. Timely responses, seamless communication, and the ability to take calls after hours show a client you are putting them first.

This is also where many private practices fail in running their law firm as a business. The attorneys answer all of the firm’s incoming calls. Before you get on the line to give a first-rate legal consultation or assist a client through the legal process, consider having your potential client speak to someone else: a legal receptionist.

A legal receptionist helps facilitate a client-centered approach for private practice law firms and keeps the business of the practice running smoothly, taking over client intake and helping with time consuming tasks.

However, hiring a full-time legal receptionist is a difficult expense to justify for solo and partner practices. Finding the best legal receptionist is a resource-intensive activity that involves hiring and training that many lawyers don’t have the time to do. Overhead for dedicated personnel – paychecks and employee benefits like healthcare – can also be well outside a lawyer’s budget.

Hiring a virtual legal receptionist is a great way to provide receptionist support while keeping overhead low. You can provide attentive service, manage your time, and stay competitive by passing your cost-savings onto your clients.

What is a virtual legal receptionist?

A virtual legal receptionist is more than just an answering service. They are live professionals, who handle calls almost exclusively for law firms. Live legal receptionists answer calls with customized greetings unique to your firm, can help you qualify leads, fill out client onboarding forms, and send all information to the appropriate personnel. Moreover, they operate outside of the traditional 9-5 business hours, allowing your clients and potential clients to be taken care of by your firm, even if you’re at home enjoying dinner or deep in work for another case.

Many solo practitioners, partner law practices, and boutique law firms are hiring virtual receptionists, saving themselves the hassle and cost of hiring a full-time employee. This allows attorneys at the firm to work more billable hours and do what they do best: practice law.

As a solo or private legal practice, you need every asset available to keep your business ahead of the competition.

How can you benefit directly from an attorney virtual receptionist?

More Leads

Every prospect that calls your law firm is a potential client, but many variables go into whether they are a good fit for your firm. Do you specialize in the type of law they are looking for? Does the workload their case require match the resources at your firm? Have they worked with a lawyer before? These questions can be nuanced, and require a specialized type of receptionist to produce the best results.

Virtual legal receptionist services are specifically designed to benefit attorneys. While they may not work in your office, they work with you to craft greetings, information collection forms, call-handling procedures and more, all aspects designed around your law firm’s processes. They’ll provide callers a great impression of your law firm from the first call, and you’ll know whether a contact is a good-fit or if you should ready a referral before you return their call.

In the legal profession, every case you take on is important. Smaller legal practices need not only case volume to keep the doors open, but quality cases. A virtual legal receptionist can help qualify these leads on your behalf.

Professional Image

Timing matters for legal buyers. If a prospective client calls your law firm and reaches an answering machine they are likely to look elsewhere for prompt and immediate service. Even if you’re a hard-working attorney who happened to be in court at the time.

A virtual receptionist at a law firm helps callers immediately and shows prospects that their legal problems matter to you. This makes them less likely to dial another firm.

For a stressed out legal client, punctuality and professionalism trump all and first impressions matter. Make sure your first impression is conveyed through the receptionist services that you use and not your voicemail.

Time Management

As a legal professional, your schedule is likely to be complex and unpredictable. A virtual legal receptionist will help you navigate your time commitments without sacrificing the high-quality and personal service you pride yourself on offering to clients.

For lawyers and attorneys who operate on billable hours especially, every minute counts. You should be in charge of your day, not your telephone.

Amata Law Office Suites: The Best Virtual Receptionist for Law Firms

Amata Law Office Suites is more than just a shared legal office space – we offer a full range of services designed directly around your needs, such as mail processing services, on-demand paralegal and notary services, and live legal receptionists.

As the world moves towards digital solutions, our idea of what a traditional office space looks like has changed. Virtual receptionists for legal services offer an optimal, professional, and cost-effective solutions to communicating with existing and future clients.

How can Amata help your practice? Contact us today to learn more about our range of legal services.

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Struggling to Work From Home? These Law Firms Safely Returned to Their Offices Amid a Pandemic

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On March 23, 2020, Chicago personal injury attorney Tim Rhatigan of Rhatigan Law Offices, LLC found himself like many other attorneys across the state: working from home. This marked the first working day of Illinois’ “stay-at-home” order, issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in an effort to flatten the curve of spiking COVID-19 cases.

Rhatigan doesn’t have a home office, so he set up a makeshift desk with his laptop and scanner in his bedroom. But he struggled to write a brief due to intermittent Wi-Fi. In another room, his wife tried to help their children with remote learning. Emotions quickly ran high. Before the morning was over, he decided that the only way to be productive was to return to the office.

“I was back in the office by lunch time,” Rhatigan said. “I didn’t even last half a day.”

Since last March, 84% of law firms had at least three-quarters of their attorneys working remotely, according to a Bloomberg Law survey. While some lawyers have successfully transitioned to at-home offices, a separate survey from design and architecture firm Gensler found that 74% of U.S. lawyers at large firms want to return and work from their physical offices for a majority of the week. The lawyers polled indicated that they miss face-to-face interaction and socializing with colleagues as well as scheduled client meetings. Nearly half also found it more difficult to avoid distractions at home.

But before attorneys rush back to work, even if only for a few days a week, they want office spaces to make specific safety adjustments. In addition to stricter policies preventing sick workers from coming into the office, 45% of attorneys want their offices cleaned more frequently and 38% want air purification systems added. More than 30% would also like to see provided hand sanitizer and touchless bathroom fixtures/doors.

While many of these safety measures are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health, air purification systems and touchless doors are expensive to install, and some firms in traditional commercial spaces simply wouldn’t be able to afford them.

“My business is contingent upon a case resolving, and there are no trials right now,” said Rhatigan, who has three full-time team members. “So, there’s an income hit because of the pandemic.”

But if attorneys return to work without safety adjustments in their offices, they risk exposing themselves, family members, coworkers and visitors to the virus. If someone gets sick, it could pose legal issues. One employment law attorney at an Am Law 200 firm told the Wall Street Journal that he has advised roughly 600 companies on COVID-19 questions. Of those considering reopening, one-quarter decided against it due to challenging legal requirements.

So, what’s the solution? Upgrading home Wi-Fi and working around family distractions for the foreseeable future? Moving physical files and equipment to a makeshift home office?

There’s a better option, and law firms are jumping onboard. Since 2018, Rhatigan has housed his firm at Amata Law Office Suites, Chicago’s first legal community of 700-plus attorneys operating out of seven Class-A downtown offices. Early in the pandemic, Amata CEO, Ron Bockstahler, recognized that attorneys wouldn’t want to completely abandon office space.

Amata quickly contacted O’Malley Construction Co. and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement important safety measures, ensuring attorneys would feel as safe and comfortable as possible when returning to the office. Now, each location is equipped with glass sneeze shields, touchless entry doors and bathroom fixtures, directional signs, touchless temperature guns, sanitation stations and more.

“It’s been reassuring to see what Amata has done because it has taken every possible step,” Rhatigan said. “How quickly the team got it all in was remarkable.”

Along with building improvements, Amata scanned lawyers’ mail for 90 days and handled document preparations (free-of-charge) to encourage firms to make choices based on safety, not financial concerns. They even waived some related fees on items that needed to be shipped. Fellow Amata attorney Sarah LeRose of the Law Office of Leonard J. LeRose Jr., Ltd. found the complimentary mail services to be extremely helpful during the stay-at-home order.

“As a small firm, it’s an obvious issue if you don’t get your mail for months,” she said. “We all have bills to pay.”

LeRose returned to her office in late August and has been coming in a few times a week. She “absolutely” visits frequently because she feels safe with Amata’s installations. Both LeRose and Rhatigan have also noticed other Amata-based attorneys return to their offices over the past several months.

Although COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed, most Illinois residents won’t be able to get their shots for months. But in the meantime, Rhatigan thinks Amata has successfully created a safe culture.

“They always have a tenant-first approach, so they’re always asking if there’s anything they can do to help your practice or even you personally,” Rhatigan said. “Even these COVID-19 implementations … they were implemented not only to comply with CDC recommendations but definitely with us in mind. Amata does a terrific job of fostering a comfortable environment without compromise to safety or other resources. It is their commitment to the providing of these resources that puts its tenants in a position to succeed. I love it here.”

Don’t struggle with productivity and challenging work-from-home conditions any longer. Whenever you are ready to return to an office outside of your home, Amata prioritizes your safety and offers other services to help you focus on practicing law, including virtual offices, live reception and paralegal support.

Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our seven Class-A law firm office spaces to learn how our COVID-19 safety measures will help keep you safe as you return to work.

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For This Father-Daughter Law Team, Communication and Serving the Vulnerable are Top Priorities

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As Sarah LeRose studied to become a Chicago lawyer, she planned to work at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office upon graduation. But once she started working as a law clerk at her father’s boutique probate law firm, that plan shifted. She quickly fell in love with probate law and joined his team as an associate attorney after passing the Illinois bar exam in 2014.

“It’s funny because it was an area of law I never thought I would practice in,” Sarah said. “It definitely wasn’t planned.”

Sarah, her father, Leonard, and longtime legal assistant, Cindy, are the forces behind the Law Office of Leonard J. LeRose Jr., Ltd. For the past two years, they chose to office at Amata Law Office Suites, Chicago’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and seven Class-A downtown offices.

Leonard has practiced probate law in the Chicago area for more than 35 years, specializing in decedent’s estates, guardianships and estate cases for minors. Sarah focuses on contested guardianships as well as estate litigation and administration. Both Sarah and Leonard serve older clients, minors and those with mental or developmental disabilities, an aspect of the work they find most appealing.

“You’re taking some of the most vulnerable people … who can’t really defend themselves,” Sarah said. “It’s nice to be their voice because they may not have one or know what’s going on.”

Since joining the firm, Sarah has been elected to the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly, the “supreme policy-making body of the Association,” and the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors for Cook County. She was also named an emerging lawyer by Law Bulletin Media, an accolade reportedly given to fewer than 2% of Illinois lawyers who are under 40 years of age or have been practicing for 10 years or fewer. But Sarah’s most meaningful achievements are the times when she and her dad have returned property to older individuals who have been financially exploited.

“Any time when we can correct something that’s been really wronged for somebody, that’s always pretty rewarding,” she said.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 90% of American businesses are family-owned or controlled. While running a law firm with family members can be enjoyable, various factors, such as the inability to separate work and personal life, can put a strain on family dynamics. Experts cite communication as a top tip for running a successful family business, which is a strength for Sarah and Leonard.

As a father-daughter team, they spend plenty of time together. Before the COVID-19 pandemic surged, they made daily joint court appearances. Now, they call to confer with each other at least 10 times per day.

“We get along really well,” Sarah said. “Even on the bad days, we can speak honestly and still be okay by the end of the day.”

When things get hectic, Amata’s amenities help their relationship run even smoother. The on-demand live receptionists and experienced paralegal team compliment longtime assistant Cindy’s work of answering phones, scanning documents and more. The fact that their Class-A downtown office is just steps away from the Circuit Court of Cook County is an “amazing” convenience too. Before Amata, their firm was located in the south suburbs, creating a daily, hour-long commute to court.

Amata allows attorneys to easily upgrade or downgrade office space as needed. Sarah and Leonard chose offices down the hall from each other, making it convenient to discuss something by simply walking over. For Sarah, it’s truly a “collaborative environment.”

Don’t let work-related stress ruin family relationships. Amata strives to eliminate lawyers’ daily stress so you can spend more time with family and practicing law. Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our seven Class-A law firm office spaces to learn how our legal support and live reception services allow your business to run smoother and help keep your relationships intact.

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How Shared Office Space for Attorneys Benefits Solo Practice Law Firms

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Young lawyer business man working with paperwork on his desk in office.

Between running your partner or solo practice from your home and leasing individual commercial space, there’s an attractive middle ground: renting shared office space for attorneys.

Attorneys who have been working from home have seen the perks as well as the drawbacks. It is extremely convenient to walk from your bed to your home office but doesn’t provide any of the benefits of having an office. Conversely, partner and solo practices that rent out traditional office space find that their offices lack the amenities of a full firm, such as stocked cafes, top technology, receptionists, and paralegals. If they want these items, they have to take on the overhead and manage them themselves.

The concept of sharing office space among solo attorneys and partner practice firms has been around for many years, but is it the right decision for your law practice? In this blog, we give three benefits of why shared office space for lawyers works well.

3 Ways Shared Office Space for Attorneys Helps Solo Practices

Expanding your Expertise

Lawyers often require a network of trusted peers in other complementary practices to assist their clients.

A shared office space for attorneys helps lawyers access a wide network of legal expertise. Connections can be fostered across specialties, and firms can recruit assistance from another lawyer with specific knowledge for an existing case, or even just advice over a cup of coffee.

Additionally, some spaces (like Amata) staff legal professionals such as legal admins, law clerks, and paralegals. These professionals are knowledgeable in the micro-details of legal work and can help lawyers get their paperwork processed, go through e-discovery, medical record retrieval, research and more at a faster speed.

Less Money for More Services

Traditional commercial leases crush budgets. When you rent a conventional office space, you have to spend a lot of money on rent and taxes. Furthermore, many direct-to-landlord arrangements require a five-year lease agreement with a large down payment. The firm takes on a large overhead and has no flexibility once the contract is signed. In the pandemic especially, many firms and lawyers are discovering just how time-consuming negotiations with a landlord can be, and how little they receive for their efforts.

A shared office space offers many amenities that help attorneys and law firms save on expenses. For example, a solo attorney may not easily swing the costs and management time related to having office equipment, internet, support staff, and a telephone service. However, in shared office space, many of these amenities are part of the package, helping attorneys save money and time.

Amata offers a range of services paid on a fixed or per-use basis, to help meet your law firm’s individual needs. From on-site paralegal assistance, mail services, and live legal reception to a full virtual office with conference rooms and private office space, which can be rented out as needed, a shared office space adapts to an attorney’s unique requirements.

Building Out Your Book of Business

How is shared space different from conventional commercial arrangements? In short: new business is right next door. Practicing law is a profession, and many attorneys take pride in assisting their clients through every legal aspect, even if it’s as simple as giving them a reference for another attorney or firm.

When another lawyer meets you because they office down the hall, they get to know you, and you them. The usual time and energy – spent after hours in social clubs, bar associations, networking groups etc. – is no longer essential to finding and building a referral network. Shared office spaces allow attorneys across practice areas to office next door to one another, develop relationships while making a cup of coffee, and many even provide online communities for virtual networking (Amata has the Amata Community and Member Directory site, for example).

Being part of a powerful referral network, which can be tapped into for new business, is how attorneys can become rainmakers. Shared office space makes this easier than ever.

Amata Law Office Suites: A leading shared office space provider for private practice attorneys

Exclusively catering to the shared-workspace requirements of solo attorneys in Chicago, Amata Law Office Suites offers private office space to lawyers looking for more adaptive solutions than working from home or leasing expensive traditional office space. Our shared  law office space comes with all the amenities and services required for supporting lawyers, at a price that won’t break the bank.

With seven premium shared office spaces in Class A buildings across Chicago, our law office space includes both unfurnished and furnished offices, as well as virtual law office programs with professional reception and business address services. Our shared offices are available on flexible leases that can be scaled up and down depending on an attorney’s requirements. Additionally, our members have access to all the necessities, including on-site legal staff—admins, paralegals, and notaries—and other essentials such as top of the line printers, a varied selection of coffees and teas, and café and lounge space.

Our shared office space for attorneys has already helped solo and partner practice lawyers become part of an extensive community of more than 700 attorneys. Schedule your next visit to one of our shared law offices today and take a confident step toward establishing and growing your Chicago legal practice.

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4 Ways Private Practice Law Firms Benefit from Virtual Law Office Space

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handsome lawyer in eyeglasses using laptop at workplace

Virtual law office spaces are becoming the ideal choice for many legal practitioners in the 21st century. A virtual office enables attorneys across a variety of practice areas to gain access to crucial support services and essential technology letting them work from anywhere while providing office necessities like manned reception, legal admin staff, a business address, and more.

These spaces are affordable and provide flexible lease terms to suit your unique legal needs. The best part? When you go virtual, commuting to the office is no longer mandatory.

With a multitude of benefits, virtual office space is ideal for solo and partner practice law firms. In this blog post, we’ll focus on the top four benefits that every law firm can realize from virtual law office space.

What is a virtual law office?

Unlike a standard office, a virtual office only requires that you pay for the services you use, versus services and space. Virtual office space resources and benefits vary depending on the subscription package a lawyer takes, but will normally provide ready access to it’s the office address, meeting space and day office space to receive clients and work, live receptionists, and a range of administrative services.

In some states, lawyers can practice law only when they give a corporate address of their business. A virtual office fulfills this recommendation without adding the same overhead of standard space. Virtual law offices can give lawyers a corporate address where their mail will be sent, handled, scanned, and even forwarded on to a home address. The team will collect it and pass it on to you as requested. Day-offices and meeting rooms can be rented out as needed, and you are free to work from any common space.

The law office of the past depended on dedicated spaces to provide an air of legacy and stability, at an astounding cost to legal firms. Moving towards the future, clients care more about flexibility and results than image. For solo practice law firms and partner practice law firms, the costs of renting out this space has proven an enormous hurdle – virtual office space erases these unnecessary expenditures.

The advantages of moving to virtual office space

Office Space Without the Commitment

Virtual office spaces can benefit any type of law firm or attorney, particularly those whose time rarely involves staying in one place.

For instance, a family law attorney usually spends the lion’s share of their time in meetings out of the office or in court. Yet having access to an office space in a central area offers a place to reconvene and work from. With the help of a virtual law office provider, it’s possible to rent space as needed, while side-stepping the commitment and expense of a conventional office lease.

Big Firm Benefits for Private & Boutique Legal Practices

Virtual law offices offer more than simply a place to work. At Amata, we offer a suite of services designed specifically around legal practices, such as on-site paralegals and notaries. Our legal live receptionists vet incoming calls even after normal business hours, optimizing your client intake.

As a law office designed specifically for attorneys, you will have access to our attorney referral network and legal industry events and partnerships. Conference rooms and both furnished and unfurnished office spaces are available for convenience, and can be utilized as-needed.

Easy Expansion

Virtual office space enables law firms to expand operations by opening new office spaces outside of their normal base of operations. Many leading law firms follow this strategy by having no central office space, while employing hundreds of lawyers across the country. Law firms that expand with the help of virtual office space can boost their revenue because there’s no fixed rental fee that they have to shell out monthly.

Work Flexibility

Lawyers who sign up for virtual office space can work anytime, anywhere without being confined between the four walls of a conventional office. They may decide on working from home for any number of days without having the pressure to use the office space for matching up the payment. In an increasingly digital work environment spurred by COVID-19, this can prove an immense boon.

Unlike traditional office space, virtual workspace is based on a pay-as-you-go model. That means attorneys pay a small fee to subscribe to virtual space and manage their day without the pressure of going to an office. Even better, lawyers can move their practice to any location without having to worry about lease contracts that come with traditional offices. Securing a new virtual office in a new location will also be less stressful as it’s easily available.

Virtual Law Offices at Amata Law Office Suites

Being the only shared office space provider catering to law firms and legal practitioners in Chicago, Amata Law Office Suites offers virtual law office programs. Our private office space comes with services and amenities required for supporting attorneys.

We give attorneys in Chicago seven premium spaces to choose from across the entire downtown loop. Additionally, we offer furnished and unfurnished offices; scalable lease terms; office necessities such as water, coffee, and printer; and on-site admins, notaries, and paralegals.

With our shared office space, you’ll easily establish your Chicago practice and keep it running smoothly without worrying about dedicated office space’s maintenance. Schedule a tour of your next virtual law office with us and become part of a growing community of over 700 attorneys. Visit our website today for more details.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Expanding Your Team Nationwide? This Law Firm Shares How It Hung a Satellite Shingle in Chicago

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As a leader in multiple industries, from health care and technology to food manufacturing and transportation, Chicago is known for its diverse economy. It also offers a robust yet “close-knit” legal community. All of these factors make the third largest U.S. city a top choice for law firms of all sizes to open a satellite office and build prospective clients. In fact, four of the world’s 10 largest law firms have Chicago branches.

But starting a firm in a new city is no easy task. According to commercial real estate company SquareFoot, the average cost for office space in downtown Chicago is $48 per square foot, while Law.com says firms typically allocate 300-400 square feet per employee. That means space for one attorney in a satellite office would cost no less than $14,000. There are plenty of other costs to consider as well, such as additional computers and insurance.

Earlier this year, Veteran Legal Group, a California-based firm representing armed service members and their families, wanted to expand. The firm needed an attorney to take on an influx of veteran disability claims and recruited Chicago-based attorney Edward Farmer, who has specialized in veteran disability law for the past 10 years.

“Chicago is a big-size market,” Farmer said about the Windy City’s appeal to Veteran Legal Group, adding that the city lacks stiff competition in veteran disability law. “There aren’t many attorneys who do what I do.”

Farmer has built his Chicago presence through Amata Law Office Suites, the city’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and seven Class-A offices in downtown Chicago. When Veteran Legal Group began searching for Chicago office space, Farmer steered the team toward Amata, where he operated a solo practice from 2017-2020.

“What you get for the price is much better than setting up an office from scratch,” he said. “You have the support of the staff … If I was here by myself, my workload would be five times as much.”

In less than two weeks, Farmer had his office arranged and started practicing with his new firm. In addition to a furnished office, he has access to Amata’s experienced paralegal team, live receptionists, copy machines and WiFi, all of which are necessary for communicating with his out-of-state team.

Amata also provides a built-in community of 700-plus legal colleagues, a support system that can be lacking for attorneys working out of satellite offices. Farmer is currently the only Veteran Legal Group lawyer in Chicago and therefore has little in-person interaction with coworkers. But he credits Amata for his relationship with Jim Thompson, a now-retired personal injury attorney, who informally mentored him while Farmer was starting his previous practice. They are still friends today.

As Veteran Legal Group continues to grow, Farmer expects another attorney to join him at the Chicago branch. When the time comes, he said the firm will simply need to lease another office. Amata will take care of the rest and allow them to focus on hiring the right attorney.

“It’s a great place for lawyers to work,” Farmer said. “I really believe that, especially if you’re in a private practice.”

Marc J. Bern & Partners LLP, a New York-based firm specializing in personal injury law, medical malpractice and more, also has a Chicago satellite office through Amata.

Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our seven Class-A spaces to learn how our legal support services can help quickly set up your satellite office and establish your Chicago presence.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Want to Grow Your Law Practice? This Firm Says Live Receptionists are Key

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From reviewing cases to administrative work, it’s no secret that attorneys juggle multiple daily tasks. In fact, the average lawyer only spent around three hours per day on billable work last year.

A missed phone call might not seem like a big deal. But according to a 2018 report from NewVoiceMedia, now Vonage, businesses lose $75 billion each year due to poor customer service, such as missed phone calls. In addition to that, cloud-based voice platform Aircall reports that 85% of callers won’t follow up if their calls are not returned.

Joshua Haid

In 2018, Joshua Haid and his firm, Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group by Haid and Teich LLP, moved to Amata Law Office Suites, a community of more than 700 attorneys with seven Class-A offices in downtown Chicago. He liked the flexibility of Amata’s business model, as it would allow him to expand or downsize office space to match the needs of his 16-attorney team.

He saw direct value in Amata’s reception services, as having a designated professional fielding calls was a clear way to dedicate more time to his cases. Haid’s firm immediately began utilizing Amata’s live receptionists to handle its call screening and fielding. Amata also offers personalized incoming call and client intake forms.

“It ensures our clients always have a live person answering the phone, so they’re not forwarded to a voicemail during business hours,” Haid said. “Even if an attorney is not available, clients always appreciate speaking with a person.”

Amata’s receptionists answered calls for 270 firms and managed 15,000 calls in October. As of Oct. 5, Haid and his firm also gained access to extended live reception from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. without incurring a premium price for non-business hours, for which other live reception companies often charge.

The service relieves management stress from partners’ plates. If one of Haid’s team members is at home and feeling sick or taking a lunch break, he no longer has to pull others away from their responsibilities to answer phones or worry about shuffling staff. Live reception instead helps Haid and his team focus on building the practice.

“Having the depth of Amata’s live reception staff makes it one less of a headache,” he said. “It provides us a huge financial advantage. It’s one less thing that I have to worry about.”

Lawyers are only charged for used reception minutes and unlike other phone-answering services, where receptionists are outsourced, Amata’s receptionists are part of the team and have strong customer service backgrounds. Gwen Waters has been with Amata for 15 years. Along with handling clients’ calls, she is sometimes tasked with scheduling conference rooms, sending a fax and even calming clients’ nerves on their first lawyer visit.

“That is what I’ve always liked about Amata,” Waters said. “There is no routine.”

Fellow receptionists Tara Krkljes and Natalie Gonzalez, who joined Amata earlier this year, enjoy building a connection with callers and playing a role in lawyers’ practices.

“The attorneys need important information from these callers … and I do my best to get it to them,” Krkljes said.

Amata Live Receptionists

Krkljes’s favorite part of the job is working with each lawyer to customize caller forms and greetings so the information is straightforward when presented to clients and helpful for the firm’s intake procedure.

“Amata feels like family,” Gonzalez said. “They try their best to make sure their clients and employees are taken care of.”

Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our seven Class-A spaces to learn how our live reception services can help you successfully grow your law practice.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.