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Work-From-Home Lawyer? 5 Things You Need to Outpace Your Competition

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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become more common for lawyers to implement a work-from-home model for their law practice. Working from home certainly comes with benefits like less commuting time, flexible work hours, and access to the best snacks in the fridge.

But adapting your law practice to a work-from-home model takes planning and hard work. While working from home can be a welcome transition for many legal professionals, it’s important to have the right tools in place to keep up with the competition and remain relevant in the legal sphere.

Here are our top 5 suggestions to help your law firm operate remotely and still achieve success.

 

#1 Create a Dedicated Work Space

If you don’t already have a home office, dedicating a space for work is a must. Creating a functional, private space helps spark productivity and delineates a boundary between home-life and work-life. Maintaining work / life boundaries is particularly important for your mental health, since legal work is often all-consuming and stressful. When you have a separate work-space it’s easier to set aside your professional concerns and rejoin your family when the day is over.

Although some folks have a tendency to overwork themselves at home, it’s also easy to procrastinate and do chores around the house, watch TV, or get distracted by family or roommates. Having a separate work space enables you to limit distractions and tackle the task at hand with greater efficiency.

 

#2 Focus on Marketing and Advertising

Now that your law office is operating remotely, it’s more essential than ever to advertise your skills to the public. Folks might expect you to have a brick-and-mortar location and may be confused by your lack of permanent address. To combat this confusion, it’s wise to broadcast your availability online.

You can market your law firm by:

–          Making sure your website is full of accurate and SEO keywords the target the types of things your clients are looking for. 

–          Investing in specific ways to point people to your website like advertising on spaces like law organization websites and Google Adwords or creating engaging content to post regularly on social media.

–          Starting an email newsletter with frequent updates and answers to general legal questions.

–          For more ideas on marketing strategy, just ask us! We have partners ready to help you take control of your digital marketing.

#3 Use Video Conferencing Software

Video conferences have become a ubiquitous form of communication. There’s no doubt that online meetings are the new normal and more folks are comfortable navigating online forums. To keep up with the ever-evolving legal world, it’s imperative to have the latest and fastest video conferencing software. 

Double check to make sure your camera is updated, your internet can handle video calls, and your microphone provides sufficient audio. Once you have your video-chat set-up complete, you’ll be ready to take meetings with clients and conduct interviews from the comfort of your home office.

 

#4 Embrace Tools for Collaboration

If you work in a firm with multiple partners, paralegals, and assistants, it’s crucial to maintain fluid communication even when working from home.

  •         Implement Online Chat Services – Instead of relying on text messages or phone calls to communicate, invest in online communication services to keep your team organized and on the same page. This way, you can keep communication all in one place and instantaneously send and receive messages through a secure platform.
  •         Use a Virtual Mailbox – You don’t want to receive business-related correspondence at your personal address. Aside from the obvious infringement on your privacy, receiving sensitive documents at a non-secure location may cause heightened anxiety. A virtual mailbox service provides you with all the benefits of a physical address without the need to pay any rent. Your mail will be directed to a real, secure address and instantly scanned and uploaded to an online server by a licensed courier. A virtual mailbox allows you to view your mail online instantaneously, and you don’t need to worry about packages being stolen or clients sending sensitive mail to a PO box or personal address.

#5 Employ Virtual Legal Assistance

Running a successful law firm entails completing a lot of paperwork and conducting extensive research. To help lessen the load, consider hiring a virtual legal assistant. Virtual assistants, or virtual paralegals, offer your firm the support you need on a case-by-case basis. Instead of hiring a full-time employee, virtual assistants offer all the expertise of highly trained legal professionals on a flexible scale. If you find yourself facing an increased caseload, or are going through a dry patch, you can scale-up or scale-down as needed to receive the support you need to tackle your workload.

 

Work with Amata Law Office Suites

At Amata Law Office Suites, we offer lawyers and legal professionals in-person and virtual law office opportunities. We are dedicated to fostering a community where lawyers can work, meet, and utilize legal resources to improve their business. 

Amata Law Office Suites provides the tools you need to upscale your virtual office, including virtual mailbox services, in-person conference spaces, and professional phone services. Come and join the Amata community today!

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Ryan Kimler: How a Fractional CFO can Help a Firm’s Profitability | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Ryan Kimler is the Founder of Financial Clarity, working with solo and partner practice law firms, bringing them financial clarity to grow their law practice into successful and profitable businesses. In this episode, Ryan talks about how important financial discipline and accounting is for a law firm and how invaluable the guidance of a CFO or accountant can be on that regard.

They also discuss how the CFO and accountant is not only useful for keeping your law firm financially uncompromised, but also to project future earnings and actions that must be taken to ensure the firm’s profit for each of its members.

Key moments:

  • Why does a law firm need a CFO (0:50)
  • Getting past the frustration of the financial aspect of running a law firm (10:15)
  • Reducing the time spent trying to manage IOLTA accounts (19:03)
  • Tips for saving your law firm’s funds and increasing it’s income(21:04)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Sticher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

Ryan Kimler

“Accounting and finance doesn’t have to be the scary part of your firm… we want to be your guide, help you out, give you a clear direction and clean financials and bring clarity around the numbers of your law firm” – Ryan Kimler

ABOUT RYAN KIMLER

Ryan Kimler, Founder of Financial Clarity

CFO and Accounting for Law Firms

Ryan Kimler is an Accountant and CFO. His passion is in helping attorneys run their law firm by the numbers to increase profitability and cash flow. He helps attorneys spend more time working on their business instead of in their business so that lawyers can get back to crushing their business instead of the other way around.

Website: https://www.financialclarityllc.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankfinancialclarityllc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rkimler

Blog: https://financialclarityllc.blogspot.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLyqCOvxvnnlr3_6BOGqww

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your host Ron Bockstahler runs Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week he’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. He’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Estate Planning: When you have a child with Special Needs! | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Gregg Garofalo is the Founding Partner at Garofalo Law Group, he has been practicing law for 20 years with a strong focus on probate matters and estate planning. Gregg talks about when it’s right to do estate planning and what are some basic estate planning one should have outright.

Gregg also talks about estate planning if you have a special needs child, how you can maximize their benefit to give them the best care they can receive from both your estate and the government. Lastly, he talks about how estate planning must be revisited at least annually to review how it can be adjusted to changes in the family’s life, decisions, circumstances, or just life in general.

Key moments:

  • When is a good time to consider estate planning? (7:35)
  • A guardianship estate for your college kids(12:35)
  • Setting up a special needs trust (14:39)
  • Estate planning and COVID, Cryptocurrency, and other changes (22:35)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Sticher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

Greg Garafalo

“It’s never early to start planning – literally, we tell parents that when your kids turn 18, they should come in and do the basic estate plan…” – Gregg Garofalo

ABOUT GREGG GAROFALO

Gregg Garofalo, Founding Partner at Garofalo Law Group

Estate Planning

Gregg has been practicing law for the past 20 years with a strong focus on probate matters and estate planning. As a father of a daughter with special needs, he is passionate about educating families on how they can achieve their estate planning goals. As a result of Gregg’s vast experience, character and devotion to clients, the families he serves can rest assured that he will do everything he can to meet all of their expectations. Gregg is frequently appointed by the Court to serve as a Guardian ad litem in Guardianship matters. He is also routinely appointed by the Court as a Special Administrator in complex probate matters.

Gregg is an active member of the legal community, where he is serving or has served in several leadership roles within the Illinois Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. Gregg is a past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Probate Practice Committee, where he served two years as Chair. Gregg is also a past Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, a member of the Trusts & Estates Council, and starting his third term as a member of the General Assembly after taking the mandatory one year off between terms.

Gregg serves as a member of the Illinois State Bar Association’s mentor program, and a speaker in the area of probate and trusts and estates.

In addition to his passion for law, Gregg works with professional and civic organizations. Gregg has worked with the Children’s Assistance Fund and the Illinois Bar Foundation chairing their annual holiday party, which has grossed over $150,000 during his ten-year involvement. Gregg is also a Past President of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, a past board member of the Italian American Political Coalition, and a board member of the Justinian Society Children’s Endowment Fund. In addition, Gregg volunteers for the Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue.

Website: www.glgfirm.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreggGarofalo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-garofalo/

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your host Ron Bockstahler runs Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week he’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. He’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

Inevitable Evictions In Cook County

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It’s time to proceed with inevitable evictions – even though Cook County Circuit Court issued General Orders due to health concerns with spreading the coronavirus (COVID-19) and halted enforcements of any residential Eviction Orders.

A Brief History

All Cook County evictions were suspended as of March 14, 2020 due to the pandemic and resulting in Moratorium Orders and multiple statewide extensions issued by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. However, on August 26, 2021, it was ruled by a majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court that the ordering of a nationwide moratorium on evictions was not within the authority of the Centers for Disease Control. The Illinois eviction moratorium expired on October 3, 2021 (see Illinois Executive Order 2021-23).

All defendants in residential eviction cases have had access to the Early Resolution Program (“ERP”) created in Cook County to provide free legal aid, mediation services with access to other resources including rental assistance. It is a program available to all residents of Cook County free of charge and it does not require a pending lawsuit for any resident to receive any free assistance.

Where We Are Now

Residential eviction cases are assigned to a master eviction court room and not re-assigned to a trial judge until after each defendant has been (i) served, (ii) given an opportunity to meet with an ERP case manager; and (iii) participate in scheduled appearances before the assigned Judge.

Currently, Cook County Emergency Rental Assistance is available to both renters or landlords experiencing financial hardships during the pandemic.

See if you qualify and apply online https://www.cookcountyil.gov/rent-help the deadline to apply is October 29, 2021. Tenants and landlords may apply for grant.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

5 Reasons Why Lawyers Need a Virtual Mailbox

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If you’re a lawyer in 2021, then you probably know how important it is to stay connected. With access to so many resources online, it’s easier than ever to stay in touch with clients, manage paperwork, and schedule meetings.

But what about those documents you need to receive in the mail? As a lawyer, you know that some documents need to be handled in a physical format. A virtual mailbox service enables you to view, manage, and share physical mail no matter where you are in the world. With this convenient and secure service, you won’t need to worry about missing an important piece of mail again. 

What is a Virtual Mailbox?

A virtual mailbox is a digital service that allows you to manage your mail from a secure online platform. When you sign up for a virtual mailbox, you receive a secure physical mailing address where your business will receive mail. Once the mail has arrived at the secure address, a registered agent will scan and upload your mail to a digital platform where you can view it in a matter of seconds.

Here are the top five reasons why virtual mailboxes will benefit your professional life.

#1 Stay Organized

Lawyers have to handle an enormous amount of paperwork. Each client has their own set of documents that need to be meticulously processed and may require time-sensitive attention. Plus, since some forms need to be filled out online, you may be dealing with a confusing mixture of physical and digital documents. 

A virtual mailbox helps simplify the scramble by storing digital copies of the physical documents you receive in the mail in an accessible place. Gone are the days of searching stacks of paper for a specific envelope. With a virtual mailbox, all the important information is at your fingertips, allowing you to stay productive and net more billable hours.

#2 Access Your Documents from Anywhere, at Any Time 

Since all your mail is available through a secure online platform, you can view your documents from any location across the globe. On a business trip in Europe but need to access your mail? All you need to do is log in. With remote work becoming a more common phenomenon, it’s crucial to have the flexibility to work from anywhere. 

#3 Maintain a Professional Impression

Many lawyers choose to save money by not establishing a brick-and-mortar law practice. While this is a great way to cut expenses, it deprives your business of a permanent mailing address. Although some professionals remedy this dilemma by using a personal address or PO box for business correspondence, this solution might seem unprofessional to potential clients.

Virtual mailboxes give you the freedom to work remotely while still maintaining a permanent business address. Your virtual mailbox address is a real physical address, usually located in an office building suite. Having a permanent business address lends legitimacy to your law practice, while also ensuring you maintain your personal privacy. 

#4 Uphold Security

As a lawyer, you’re often dealing with sensitive material. In some cases it would be disastrous for you and your client if documents were lost or fell into the wrong hands. Instead of feeling paranoid about receiving important mail at a PO box or on your front porch, you can rest easy by using a virtual mailbox. 

Virtual mailboxes operate out of secure, legal, locations. All mail is stored is a safe physical space and is only handled by registered agents who have gone through a thorough training process. From there, mail can only be accessed via your secure online account. If necessary, you can schedule a mail pickup to gather documents in person.

#5 Handle Mail More Efficiently

Virtual mailboxes don’t just offer the ability to view digital copies of mail. They also provide services that deal with mail once you’ve finished processing it. 

Need to shred an important document? Virtual mailboxes often offer complimentary shredding services so you can dispose of sensitive information or get rid of junk mail without the hassle of shredding it yourself. 

Need to forward mail to a client? With your virtual mailbox, you can also forward any physical mail to another address. This saves time and money by eliminating the need to visit the post office, and expediting the shipping process. 

Establish Your Virtual Office with Amata Law Office Suites

At Amata Law Office Suites, we’re proud to provide the Chicago area (and beyond) with competitively priced virtual law offices. From virtual mailbox services to phone answering and client intake services, our streamlined virtual process makes it easy to establish your online business in a professional environment. 

Plus, when you go virtual, you can set up your business from anywhere in the world. We cater to clients all over the country looking to set up their law practice in a community-based environment that focuses on connecting lawyers to the resources they need.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Outsourcing Paralegals: Why Lawyers Don’t Need Legal Assistants In-Office

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With today’s reliance on technology, and the prevalence of working remotely, it’s more common for law offices to outsource paralegal assistance. Utilizing video call capabilities, secure document sharing platforms, and instant professional messaging services, it’s easier than ever to work together even from thousands of miles away.

There are many reasons why law offices choose to outsource their paralegals. Whether it’s meeting budget goals, increasing flexibility, or promoting client satisfaction, outsourcing can open new doors for your business.

Here are some of the top reasons why more lawyers are choosing to outsource their paralegal support in 2021.

What Services Do Paralegals Provide?

Paralegals are responsible for handling administrative duties, client interviews, legal research, and drafting documents among other obligations. Although they aren’t lawyers, they are well-versed in legal procedures and provide capable support to a firm’s top performing attorneys. 

Some of the most essential paralegal responsibilities include:

  • Legal Research – Paralegals may be responsible for case-related research tasks like researching facts and gathering further evidence. They also need to be well-versed in the current law, and research any annual changes or amendments. 
  • Administrative Duties – Instead of having your top attorneys handle emails and calls, outsource these responsibilities to a paralegal. Paralegals are in charge of setting up appointments, contacting clients, and answering emails, which frees up your attorneys to focus on the important details of their cases.
  • Client Interviews ­­– In addition to legal research, paralegals may be responsible for conducting client interviews. Paralegals have the authority to complete interviews with clients and are included in your law firm’s confidentiality policy. According to an article on Time Solv, “Even though paralegals are not lawyers, they still have professional and ethical obligations that must be followed in their dealings with law firm clients. In addition, even though outsourced paralegals are not technically employees of a law firm, they are held to the same levels of confidentiality.
  • Drafting Documents – Legal proceedings require lots of paperwork. Paralegals help streamline the process by drafting documents, organizing forms, and filing papers for future reference.

What are the Benefits of Outsourcing a Paralegal?

While it’s clear that law firms benefit from paralegal support, this support doesn’t need to come from an in-person, full-time employee. In fact, choosing to outsource your paralegals might make the most sense for a number of reasons.

Outsourcing is More Cost-Effective ­– Although paying for an external service might seem more expensive, working with outsourced paralegals is actually more budget-friendly than hiring new employees. For one thing, outsourced paralegals don’t require you to provide any benefits, payroll taxes, bonuses, or insurance coverage. An article on Forbes also emphasizes the positive impact outsourcing has on your client’s finances: “delegating less specialized work to paralegals, who are paid less than staff attorneys, also benefits a law firm’s bottom line. Depending on the ways in which clients are billed, delegating certain work to paralegals can also save clients money.”

Outsourcing Enables a Better Client Experience – Aside from the monetary benefits of outsourcing, firms who hire outsourced paralegals provide clients with more consistent support, quicker response times, and increased focus from attorneys on the important aspects of their case. Because attorneys have freedom from monotonous tasks and mindless paperwork, they are able to focus all their energy into putting together a client’s case. Paralegals are there to help support the attorneys so they can offer their clients the best service possible. 

Outsourcing Provides Greater Flexibility – Since outsourced paralegals are hired as needed, law firms can tailor paralegal support to match their workload. This is particularly helpful for dealing with a sudden increase of work around a busy time of year. Forbes describes this “scalability” as one of the key benefits of outsourcing paralegals, “the need for paralegal services varies according to the needs of the firm and its staff attorneys at any given time. It can therefore be difficult to know how many paralegals to keep on staff. Hiring too many hurts the firm’s bottom line, but hiring too few creates gaps in necessary support.”

Additionally, outsourcing paralegals is a smart move for firms on a budget. Since outsourced paralegals are only paid in proportion to the work they complete, lawyers can scale down their paralegal support to save money.

Creating an Effective Team at Amata Law Office Suites

At Amata Law Office Suites, we offer lawyers a professional law office environment. Ranging from virtual law office programs to in-person private spaces, Amata Law Office Suites caters specifically to law firms and legal practitioners looking to participate in the legal community. Our virtual law offices offer paralegal services, networking opportunities, and scalable client meeting spaces.

Practice law in a way that works for you. When you work with Amata Law Office Suites, we can facilitate paralegal solutions to help your law firm succeed.

Discover our paralegal services in Chicago.

Megan Mathias: Lawyer, Single Mom, Chicago Alderman | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Megan Mathias is the Founder of LOPP Mathias Law, she represents business owners with challenges relating to corporate governance, employment issues, shareholder disputes, Family Law disputes and contract issues. Megan talks about how entrepreneurial knowledge and creating a united culture is important in building a good law firm.

She talks about how her law firm started out as a virtual service and how that benefit both the clients and lawyers. Megan also talks about how she was able to manage her time in a season where she had to juggle a lot of responsibilities. They also talk a bit also about political issues that need to be addressed and Megan’s stand as an elected Alderman.

Key moments:

  • How it’s like to start a legal office virtually (4:03)
  • Educating yourself on entrepreneurship even as a lawyer (9:03)
  • Time Management techniques – delegating tasks and investing on people (13:01)
  • Political philosophy and issues that must be resolved (16:54)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Sticher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

Megan Mathias

“It’s not that I’m a superwoman although there are days I feel like I had to be a superwoman to get through that. But it’s also about hiring the right people… outsourcing the things that you’re not good at. I know what I’m great at. I know what I’m not great at. I’ll still get it done but it may not be my hands on it.” – Megan Mathias

ABOUT MEGAN MATHIAS

Megan Mathias, Founder of LOPP MATHIAS LAW 

Family Law

Bio: Megan Mathias is a fierce advocate and compassionate defender of the rights of entrepreneurs, women, children, and BIPOC. After 14 years lawyering for mid to large size law firms, becoming a Partner, and winning over $70 million in commercial and family law cases, Megan knew it was time for a change. Increasingly frustrated with the inefficiencies she saw in large law firms, and not happy with their prioritization of billable hours over-delivering value and results for her clients, Megan knew she could do much better.

She decided to create her own firm, Lopp Mathias Law, driven by her values, her standards, and her integrity. To that end, Megan created an innovative and fast-growing firm of like-minded attorneys. She incorporated state of the art technology for document automation and assembly, better billing practices and alternative fee arrangements to reduce legal fees for her clients. Driven by efficiency and effectiveness, Megan also designed her firm to provide a wide array of specialized legal services through her unique Affiliate Network without the typical law firm overhead and passes those cost savings onto her clients. She is committed to being a loyal and long-term partner for her clients, as she guides them through challenging legal periods in their lives with skill and compassion.

Megan has been recognized for her sophisticated representation in trade secret and other cases involving complex e-discovery issues and forensic analysis of electronically stored information. Megan co-chairs the Seventh Circuit Council on Data Privacy and Digital Information.

Megan is dedicated to her community. She serves on the Boards of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, FLASH (Force of Lawyers Against Sexual Harassment), and the Filament Theater.

Website: https://www.loppmathiaslaw.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoppMathiasLaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmathias/

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your host Ron Bockstahler runs Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week he’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. He’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

3 Considerations for Becoming a Virtual Law Firm

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The COVID-19 pandemic has offered a hard reset to the legal profession. No longer are lawyers confined to big firms in big offices, and clients are happier than ever to take meetings from the comfort of their home computer. Becoming a virtual law firm comes with a host of benefits that can not only benefit your business, but makes your clients more satisfied.

But what does a virtual law firm need to succeed in today’s legal landscape? In this blog, we examine three pivotal considerations when deciding to make the switch to becoming a virtual law firm.

What is a Virtual Law Firm?

A survey conducted in an ABA Legal Technology Survey Report shows that the term “virtual lawyer” means many different things to many different legal practitioners. The most common consensus is that a virtual lawyer lacks a traditional office space. As lawyers have entered the 21st century, the common notion of a law firm has developed and evolved, particularly for solo or private practitioners.

Yet in the wake of COVID-19, the definition has once again evolved, as over 80% of law firms transitioned to working remotely some or all of the time. With this meteoric change, the way lawyers work has changed dramatically, and their tools with it. Nearly every law firm might now be called a “virtual law firm” to some degree.

The unprecedented shift towards virtual business across nearly every segment of the economy has also changed how customers engage with law firms. 

Minimum Requirements for Becoming a Virtual Law Firm

No matter how a lawyer defines a virtual law office, lawyers who use the internet to conduct business must make careful considerations around how they interact with clients. Failing to acknowledge certain aspects of your practice can put you in legal hot water, including:

  • Office Address Requirements
  • Client Engagement
  • Cybersecurity
  • Practicing Within Your Jurisdiction

Office Address

Two different types of office address requirements exist in the legal field: a physical office requirement, and an advertising office requirement. Depending on your state or jurisdiction, these requirements vary widely.

For instance, some states with an integrated bar requirement mandates a physical residence address necessary for Board of Governors elections. These are different from mailing addresses, which often don’t need to be tied down to a working space. In these cases, a physical office is mandatory.

An “advertising office requirement” is an adaptation of the ABA Model Rule 7.2(d), requiring that all legal marketing materials include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content. Most states have some variation on this rule.

The internet offers a robust network for expanding your client base through online advertising. By targeting online content to prospective clients, lawyers can quickly net qualified leads by leveraging digital marketing strategies based on search inquiries. Before you start practicing law virtually, ensure that you check any office address requirements in your area.

Client Engagement and Cybersecurity

At the beginning of the pandemic, the speed at which lawyers were able to adapt to a new working environment was largely contingent upon whether they were a paper-based or paperless law office.

Paperless law firms provide lawyers with tools that help streamline their day-to-day operations, such as quick retrieval of documents and electronic signature authentication, all without being present in an office setting. Not only can this help put hours back in your day, it can also be of tremendous benefit for those who work off flat fees.

To successfully pull this off in a virtual law office setting, you will need to consider how you will engage with your clients without being present in the same room. Cloud-based client portals are quickly becoming a requirement for keeping a client and their lawyer aligned on a case, provided that due diligence is taken to ensure that their information is safe from cybersecurity attacks. The Illinois State Bar Association has outlined several methods for selecting a cloud-based service provider.

Taking the time to digitize existing paper documents can be arduous, but it future-proofs your legal practice and makes it easier to serve clients in the long-term.

Practicing in Your Jurisdiction

While your practice may be virtual, your ability to practice in different states is not.  Virtual law offices need to be extremely diligent in avoiding the unauthorized practice of law, or UPL.

Even if your business is not actively soliciting clients from other jurisdictions, you can only serve clients in regions you are licensed to practice in. Marketing efforts can usually be tailored from state-to-state, but the best digital strategy you can use to ensure you can serve your clients comes from the intake process.

Whether you opt to use an online form or virtual legal receptionists, your intake process should be clear about what states you can and cannot represent. The more structured this process, the less likely you will represent a client out of your jurisdiction.

Amata Law Office Suites: Providing Tools for Tomorrow’s Virtual Law Office

With more lawyers opting out of a physical office for a virtual one, Amata Law Office Suites provides clients with all of the tools you need to succeed in today’s legal environment. We provide a community where lawyers can work side by side and access the expertise across a wide variety of specializations, which can also be accessed on a hybrid or virtual model. Come in for client meetings as-needed, or utilize our legal services to bolster your business. Virtual receptionists and contract paralegals are all a part of our services, making us the premiere legal office experience. Full program and pricing details available here.

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How to Find a Virtual Legal Assistant

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We Are A Full-Service Support Solution For Professionals

One of the biggest issues facing lawyers today is the accrual of billable hours. During the early days of 2020, lawyers were forced to work remotely and reconfigure their entire practice. This led to a decline in billable hours across the board, with legal practitioners struggling to make ends meet. One study suggests that most law firms were only able to net an average of 2.5 billable hours each day.

To make a profit as a lawyer, you must net as much billable time as possible. Particularly for solo or private practice lawyers, this task may be insurmountable with the tools at hand. The best way to overcome this problem is through delegating tasks to support staff. But in a world that has largely moved towards home offices, finding paralegals and secretaries isn’t as easy as it once was.

The cost of hiring staff has also risen. In a labor market where even the biggest corporations are struggling to procure talent, it takes more money and time to interview and train employees. According to the U.C. Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, recruiting costs for a new employee can range from $2,000 to $7000, and the cost of a bad hiring decision can cost a minimum of 30% of that employee’s salary.

For lawyers working remotely that don’t have the resources to recruit new hires, a second option exists: hiring virtual legal assistants through an alternative legal services provider (ALSP). How do I find a virtual legal assistant, and what can these services provide my law firm? Read on, as we explore how ALSPs are revolutionizing the legal practice.

What is a Virtual Legal Assistant?

A virtual legal assistant offers a vital solution to the problems faced by lawyers today. Rather than working alongside you in an office, you can delegate various tasks to a decentralized team of virtual legal assistants that work with the same efficiency as in-house staff. 

Many virtual legal assistants fall into two categories: virtual paralegals, and virtual secretaries.

  • A virtual paralegal can perform the brunt of your non-billable work. Aside from routine law firm tasks, virtual paralegals can handle billing clients, document management, client communication, and more.
  • Virtual legal secretaries can handle your inbound calls and process leads that are suitable for your business. 

Hiring a virtual legal assistant through an alternative legal services provider means you can avoid the costly process of interviewing, vetting, and training your own team. They aren’t under your payroll, meaning you don’t have to pay for their benefits. Virtual legal assistants can be utilized as-needed, meaning they can hit the ground running to help provide greater time efficiencies in your practice as well as scale with your workload.

How to Find a Virtual Legal Assistant

Finding a virtual legal assistant on your own can be just as taxing as hiring an employee in-person. You’ll have to vet their work ethic, communication, project management skills, and work history. Once you’ve selected a candidate, you’ll have to spend time better spent on billable hours training them in on your process.

Alternative legal service providers like Amata Law Office Suites do all of the hard work on your behalf, so you can start seeing immediate results. Amata’s virtual legal assistant services are designed around the most pressing needs lawyers face. We charge our services by the minute, rather than by the hour, meaning you can rest assured that you are getting precisely the value you are paying for. For small practices, this can be an immense boon – you only have to pay when they are working.

Are you ready to start delegating and net more billable hours? Contact us today for more information about our services.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Stephen Seckler: Coaching Can Make All the Difference! | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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In this episode, Stephen E. Seckler, Esq. talks about how lawyers should adopt marketing strategies that feel comfortable and how hiring a coach make a big difference in building a law practice. Steve also talks about how he coaches lawyers through career transitions.  He describes the work he is now doing with senior lawyers who are trying to decide what comes next. Steve is host of his own podcast, Counsel to Counsel. He is a lawyer who has dedicated his entire career to helping attorneys find more career satisfaction.

Key moments:

  • How young lawyers can overcome marketing challenges (3:52)
  • Marketing tips for all kinds of lawyers (15:18)
  • The importance of getting a coach and business development tips (27:44)
  • The next stage for seniors (36:54)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Sticher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“Find a niche that you really like and enjoy, really go deep with that niche, you want to be known for something. When you’re a young lawyer, again, the focus really should be on being a great lawyer giving great client service.” – Stephen Seckler

ABOUT STEPHEN SECKLER

Stephen Seckler, President of Seckler Legal Recruiting and Coaching

Legal Recruiting and Coaching

Stephen Seckler is a lawyer with over 25 years with marketing and career counseling experience working with other attorneys. He hosts the Counsel to Counsel Podcast where he interviews leading attorneys and consultants about the legal profession and his blog Counsel to Counsel has been twice named to the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100.

Connect with Stephen Seckler:

Website: http://www.counseltocounsel.com/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your host Ron Bockstahler runs Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week he’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. He’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

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