Member Login
Get Started

Fractional Services

How to “Right-Size” Your Law Firm

by

How to "Right-Size" Your Law Firm

Some firms euphemistically call downsizing right-sizing because it enables them to alter their workforce according to the amount of business they’re currently generating. The staff-to-work ratio is deemed “right” and the workforce is the “right size” for the firm, hence the more upbeat lingo.

An even more optimistic interpretation of right-sizing is called “flexible” right-sizing.

Flexible right-sizing means providing alternative work arrangements to associates or support staff rather than laying them off or downsizing during slow periods. This method helps firms scale down or up, depending on the demand for services, without losing valuable employees.

If you’re looking to right-size, but not let anyone go, consider offering support staff the following:

  1. Sabbaticals or furloughs are unpaid time off. They may be offered to staff who would be difficult to replace or they may be suitable for seasonal employees when the firm anticipates that the slowdown in work may be temporary.
  2. Telework allows associates to work from home. Some firms find that by allowing more of their staff to make work-from-home arrangements, they can shift to smaller offices and save on leases and related expenses without sacrificing productivity. In fact, some firms find that productivity goes up. And with specialized Virtual Office phone programs, your workers can still maintain their business lines with their mobile!
  3. Reducing the number of days worked per week may shift some full-time associates and support staff to part-time hours, or it may further decrease part-time hours.
  4. Job sharing arrangements involve two employees who share one available position. Job sharing may coincide with flextime, in which your staff can work flexible hours according to their availability and job needs. This is ideal for people such as paralegals who may work with other lawyers and firms, and are not always available.

Flexible right-sizing isn’t always an option though. If you’re downsizing as you move to your own solo practice, then consider virtual assistants, who can work on-demand and allow you to maintain the right amount of support staff for incoming casework.

Copyright ©

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

Are You Concerned About Your Firm’s Cash Collections?

by

Are You Concerned About Your Firm's Cash Collections?

Chasing after clients to collect money owed is no fun. That’s why attorneys often avoid the task until their coffers reach dangerously low levels. This is not a good idea. You can’t run or grow a firm without a reliable cash flow, which not only means attracting business but devising a system to collect what clients owe.

Here are 4 simple ways to improve the accounts receivable column of your ledger

Get Involved

Nobody likes calling clients and asking for money, especially lawyers, who can’t claim collections as billable hours. That’s why most law firms assign collecting receivables to lower-level employees, like paralegals or secretaries. Although this technique frees up partners and associates to do more productive work, it often is not effective. It’s easier to dodge the call of an assistant than it is to avoid the call of the attorney who’s handling your divorce.

If attorneys in your firm balk at getting involved with collections, you could tie their compensation to the money they actually collect, rather than what they bill. Also, tell them that every dollar collected is a dollar earned without putting in extra hours.

Don’t Delay

Clients won’t pay a bill they don’t receive, so it pays (literally) to send out invoices quickly and regularly. Don’t wait until the end of a case to bill clients, who then have no incentive to pay quickly.

Invoice Often

It’s easier for a client to ignore one bill than regular, monthly statements that remind them of how much they owe. Monthly statements inform clients of the terms of your service, how much they owe, and when you expect to be paid. Make sure statements have easy-to-read contact information so clients can call or e-mail you with payment questions or problems.

Become Tech Savvy

Technology may not be your specialty, but today’s billing software is so easy to use that it pays to invest in a program that regularly invoices clients and keeps track of those who fall behind on payments. If such software makes you shutter, consider outsourcing your accounts receivable division. You’ll pay money to collect money, but when you consider the billable hours wasted while you chase receivables, or the wages you pay someone else in your firm to collect funds, outsourcing won’t seem that expensive and, ultimately, could pay for itself.

Our next CLE will address attorney billing practices and how to maximize your collections. Join us on July 30th, email us at [email protected] for more information!

Copyright ©

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

3 Reasons You Should Use On-Demand Paralegals

by

3 Reasons You Should Use On-Demand Paralegals

Work-load fluctuation is often the most frustrating aspect of running a law firm. It makes it impossible to project profits, and should you experience a large influx of work, it can be stressful. On one hand you want to be able to accept all clients that come your way, on the other, you can’t take on more than the work week allows.

People who are not in law may say “just hire more staff.” But an occasional need for support does not often justify the cost of a full-time hire. The paralegal you take on during a period of heavy casework may be eating into your profits the next quarter, when cases finish and incoming work slows.

Here are our reasons why hiring a paralegal on-demand is more than just an obvious solution, but a valuable asset to your firm.

1. Temporarily bolster the size of your firm.
Clients want to be number one on your priority list. That’s why they choose a small firm lawyer over a large firm. But if you are too small, they may not believe your firm can handle their case and another. On-demand paralegals can help bolster the apparent size of your firm. Allowing potential clients to feel at ease hiring you, no matter how particular they may be.

2. Double your firm’s working hours.
24/7. That’s all the time you have as a single lawyer each week. But with a paralegal that becomes 48/7, doubling the potential hours you can be paid. And because your paralegal works at a cheaper hourly rate for you – but not your client – you can increase your profit margin for every task you assign them versus yourself.

3. Take on more cases and keep overhead steady.
The pricing of the future is not hourly but fixed. And if you are one of the small law firms who have adopted this modern model, then you know the importance of being able to take on more work. On-demand paralegals allow this in the simplest way. When multiple cases come in, you don’t have to turn them down due to lack of help.

With the increasing popularity of small law firms, companies are popping up left and right with the sole focus on providing firms with on-demand legal support staff. If you are an Amata member, chances are you have already enlisted the help of our in-house paralegal staff in downtown Chicago. A quick search will also give you plenty of options no matter where you live, or how you choose to work. This hired help will be representing you at every turn, so be diligent in who you hire, but don’t hinder the potential of your firm by not hiring anyone at all.

Want more details on our in-house paralegal team? Contact us and see how we can help you, or ask for a pricing sheet at [email protected].

KIRSTEN MAYFIELD, DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS WITH AMATA OFFICE SOLUTIONS

Kirsten Mayfield, Director of First Impressions with Amata Office Solutions

Discover our paralegal services in Chicago.

You’re a Lawyer, Not an Office Manager

by

How many dedicated hours did you spend to become the attorney you are today? My guess is, more than you would like to remember. During those countless hours, were you also studying to become a property manager? No? Why is it then that attorneys continue to find themselves wasting time focusing on filling open law office space in Chicago for the building they’re leasing when they could be working on actual billable hours? For those in pursuit of a law office that allows you the time and financial means needed to focus on what’s important – the work of your firm – there’s a better way.

Consider the pitfalls of purchasing or leasing your own building (apart from the obvious astronomical costs involved):

1. Property Management

More than likely, the space where you house your law office also includes extra space not being used, and that space is eating a hole in your pocket every month. In order to stop losing money with empty space, you’re forced to become a property manager, taking valuable time away from your client work, and adding more to your resume than you have time for.

  • Advertise: More money and time is burned while you advertise your open space for lease.
  • Interview: Finding the right attorney to adjoin with your space can be difficult, especially when they should be someone you can look to for collaboration or sharing referrals.
  • Onboarding: There’s still time, and thus money, spent in onboarding the proper attorney in Chicago.

2. Reception

My guess is, you also didn’t go to school to spend numerous extra hours each week answering phones and taking messages instead of handling your client work and focusing your time on billable hours. If you’re a Chicago attorney in your own law office building, this is another detail you will have to handle.

  • Greet Clients: Someone has to do it, and if you aren’t putting even more of your income towards staff, that someone is you.
  • Field Calls: When you aren’t spending your time answering the phones, you’re spending it checking the messages.
  • Hiring Reception: If you do hire someone, unless you’re paying a sizeable wage, you’re likely to wind up with constant turn-over, causing you to lose even more billable hours in training new staff.

3. Revolving Door

You’ve occupied your empty space and are now, hopefully, at least breaking even on the yearly expenses for your law office space. However, there’s another major downside to leasing out space; no guarantee of your tenants staying. Once they leave, you must begin the process all over again.

The solution: Choose a Coworking Space for Attorneys instead. Aside from the considerable savings, coworking spaces offer:

    1. Pay for What You Need: Having a coworking space for attorneys in Chicago doesn’t have to mean losing your private office. In fact, you still get to enjoy a private office, but you stop wasting money that goes to the extra space you don’t use.
    2. Reception is Included: With Amata Law Office Suites, quality reception is a no-brainer. That’s why we include that service for our clients at no extra charge. Aside from not having to answer incoming calls and take your own messages, you can trust that the reception staff members are staples in our office spaces. We train and pay them well to ensure they stick around, and you and your clients don’t have to worry about turn-over.
    3. Network of Attorneys: It can be hard to find the right fit when looking for one or two other attorneys to fill your law office space in Chicago. Utilizing a coworking space for attorneys through Amata Law Office Suites allows you a large network of attorneys with which to collaborate, and we host regular networking events exclusively for attorneys to offer your firm the best chance of success in this business.

Make the move and start truly investing in your practice. Amata Law Office Suites provides you the ability to never have to worry about property management again, so you can focus on just being an attorney.

While you’re at it, check out why attorneys in Chicago are choosing coworking spaces over traditional private office buildings.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

The July Attorney Social: Attorney Marketing Tips

by

Thank you to Advitam IP, LLC for hosting yet another wonderful attorney social for the Amata attorneys Wednesday night. Plenty of new faces were seen from diverse areas of practice and at one point contact cards were being dealt like a game of poker was about to begin.

Before the event attorneys were asked to submit their best marketing tips. All submissions were printed and hung on the walls and attendees voted for their favorite throughout the night. While specific tips benefitted certain practices more than others, everyone in attendance could agree that the key for success is always the simple matter of being personable and ending the job with work well done.

That being said, a clear winner pulled ahead at the end of the night with a great tip applicable to any type of practice. Congratulations to Michele Katz of Advitam IP, LLC for her winning marketing tip on creating email templates for client follow-ups!

Michele’s tip and all the other submissions are below. Thank you to all attorneys willing to share their tricks and tips and all who attended the event. You kept the atmosphere lively and the only thing flowing faster than the wine was the conversation. We hope to see you again this August for the final attorney social, the river cruise.

July Attorney Social: Attorney Marketing TipsView more images from event.

Marketing Tips For Attorneys

  1. This tip is simple: Undercut the competition’s prices.
  2. Engage website visitors.
    Instead of a simple picture of you and your staff on your homepage:

    • Feature an engaging video (answer the questions you know they will have)
    • Offer a free book or report
    • Offer a free case evaluation
    • Provide a benefit calculator or a ‘How Much is my Case Worth’ form
    • Include a catchy headline
  3. Want referrals but don’t know how to ask?
    On your outgoing message, after you say you are unavailable, add a quick statement that says: If you were referred, please let me know who referred you so that I may thank them.It takes two minutes of your time, but allows everyone hearing the message to know that you want and accept referrals.
  4. Make your referral a concrete introduction.
    If a contact asks for a referral for a specific type of attorney, ask permission of the contact to make an email introduction between them and whomever you plan to refer them to.This extra step goes a long way toward the referral being “sticky” with the contact following up. Plus, the attorney receiving the referral will know how it originated.
  5. Add live chat and exit pop up technology to your website.
    According to American Marketing Association, live chat increases conversion by 20 percent and results in a 305 percent overall return on investment (ROI).
  6. Use Google ads.
    Google may be most readily viewed as a search engine company, but they make most of their money through advertising. With trackers on 2.2 million sites and 1 million apps, they have the data to ensure your ad is seen by the right people.Yelp ads can’t hurt, either.
  7. Do a good job, get client referrals and don’t overcharge.
  8. Get to know non-profits.
    Contact a local non-profit whose message focuses on potential clientele and see if you can do an event or presentation. Even a simple “Know Your Rights” presentation to the right group can provide you with leads.You can also partner with them to be their go-to referral if anyone asks for an attorney providing the services you do.
  9. Write a column in a local paper.
    Reach out to small, local newspapers and offer to write a weekly column about legal matters for free. The newspapers will usually allow you to add your contact info on the column so people can reach you.
  10. Michele’s Tip: Make an email template for follow ups.
    If you have to retype a follow up email every time you are less likely to get the task done. Make yourself a template with easy fill-ins for their name, where you met etc. You can save it as a signature and then quickly add it into a blank email on any platform. Or save it as an e-mail “Quick Step” on Microsoft Office.Dear ___,
    It was great meeting you at ___. We will keep in touch…
  11. Establish a strong social media presence.
    You want clients to be able to find you, and everyone has a preference on where they go for their information. So be everywhere. Make a Facebook page, update your Google business information, establish an Avvo profile.Make sure people can find you and rate you and spread the news on how you helped them.
  12. One-page newsletter sent by U.S. Postal Service to existing clients.
    We all receive hundreds of emails, sometimes in one day. Real mail has less competition. A one-page newsletter is easily skimmable; particularly if the topics talk about legal developments that interest.Your name and number should be included on the newsletter. Each time an issue goes out clients will call to ask questions or mention a relation who is having a similar problem. You will stay on their minds!

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

Amata Step Challenge Recap

by

Amata Step Challenge Recap

This year, Amata had its first ever Step Challenge! We challenged all Amata members and staff to compete for 12 weeks to earn weekly titles and prizes, culminating in four overall champion categories and an overhaul on personal health. They didn’t disappoint.

Our #AmataStepChallenge began on February 15th, while New Year’s resolutions were still pushing us to blaze trails. We’ve been working hard for the past year and a half to provide a community focused on health and wellness, and we felt like a step challenge was the perfect motivator to help us all spring into health this year!

The sign-ups began, and challenge members were placed into categories depending on their current fitness status. The four categories were Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced for solo competitors, and a Team category for groups of five individuals. Their challenge: to track their daily step count and compete for the most steps in their category. Steps were submitted weekly and every week, the person/team with the highest step count for that week in their category was awarded a motivating $20 gift card! At the end, the top three contestants in each category were awarded prizes.

During the 12 week challenge, we stuffed challenge members with knowledge and motivation! The road to health is full of distractions, so we shared weekly newsletters packed with health tips and tricks from some of our favorite sources to help keep us all on track. Here are some of our top health tips and tricks to help you prepare!

Missed out on this event?
Sign up for our weekly newsletters and catch the next one!

12 weeks doesn’t sound very long until you’re living it! When you’re counting down the days, they seem to go much slower. But spending that time focusing on your health and well-being is the best way to pass the days. We are so proud of everyone who participated in the #AmataStepChallenge. Reaching or trying to reach the goal of 10,000 steps or more daily is a great way to improve overall health- and that comes straight from the experts, folks!

What we love the most is that so many people joined something that can be a springboard to other positive life choices. Focus on walking more steps today and perhaps tomorrow you’ll decide to choose the healthy snack rather than the unhealthy one. A small start is still a start nonetheless, and it is all that is needed to get somewhere.

And boy, did we get somewhere! We were blown away with the step counts that were coming in weekly form contestants! From advanced down to the beginner category, many people were hitting marks well above the daily recommended 10,000 steps.

The #AmataStepChallenge helped over 150 people get healthier and we’ve all had a great time doing it! Some people waged personal bets, others added it to their usual workout routine, and some used it to kick-start their new fitness regime. One of the overall winners of the challenge, Kel’ley Garner, a paralegal with Bennett and Bangser, LLC, made the most out of the 12 weeks:

Wow I can’t believe we made it since February!!! I feel so accomplished.  I lost a couple of pounds and spent some good time with good peeps and some positive life reflection time with myself walking.  This challenge was fun and I appreciate all the support you guys gave from the reminders to the motivational links about the benefits of taking care of ourselves, to the smiles and thumbs up at our efforts.  Amata is much more than just an office space, it is an environment that wants each member to have peace and balance.  The things you guys do for our health don’t go unnoticed.  So kudos to you all!!

Thanks Kel’ley! That is exactly what we hoped for ☺

In a few weeks, we will announce our #AmataStepChallenge winners! Will it be you? Subscribe to our weekly newsletters and find out.

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

Client Spotlight: EquiTrade Group Inc.

by

Client Spotlight: EquiTrade Group Inc.

Since its inception in 2002, Amata has developed long-term relationships with a number of its clients, including EquiTrade Group Inc., Amata’s very first customer. After renting space from a national shared office provider, EquiTrade decided to make the move to Amata more than a decade ago to take advantage of its state-of-the-art facilities

Read more

Amata Partners with Small Business Advocacy Council to Support Illinois Business Owners

by

Amata Partners with Small Business Advocacy Council to Support Illinois Business Owners

Amata recently became a sponsor of the Small Business Advocacy Council, a non-partisan, Chicago-based advocacy group that empowers the state’s small business community through legislation and other initiatives designed to improve the Illinois economy and give a voice to the small business owners who call Illinois home.

Read more