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Full-Service Virtual Offices For Lawyers

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Attorneys starting off with their own practice need an essential support system to grow and prosper.  

Sure, you have the ability to take care of your filing, administrative tasks, and answering inquiries. 

But do you have the time? 

When you devote less time to mundane yet essential tasks, you have more time to work on settling a case in your favor. 

Let us show you what a full-service virtual office can do for your practice. 

 

Various Plans to Fit Your Needs

Full-Service Virtual Offices For Lawyers

Amata offers four different levels of service, all at affordable prices that come in much lower than hiring full-time staff. 

  1. Business Address starting at $75. We handle the mail, scan the mail, notify you by email when it arrives, and forward mail to your chosen address. We also offer discounted FedEx services along with specialized messenger services.
  2. Live Receptionist & Phone starting at $49. A live person answers your phone from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT. Transcription for incoming calls and messages that we forward to your phone or document system. Listen to your incoming messages through your cellphone.
  3. Live Receptionist & Phone with Business address starting at $175 a month. You get everything from the first two plans plus access to one of seven physical locations for you to perform legal work.
  4. Virtual Office Plus starting at $275 a month. You get everything from the first three tiers plus keycard access to a physical office space 24/7 as well as 24  conference room credits/month to use whenever you wish.

The average cost to rent office space in Chicago currently sits at $37.56 per square foot.  

If you pay $275 a month to rent space at that rate, your office would be a closet with no windows! 

We offer physical space to work, meet clients and meet other attorneys, as well as staff, for much less than it costs to rent an office and hire full-time staff. 

Using our virtual office services for your law firm lets you save money while you grow your firm. Even better, it gives clients and prospective clients a professional first impression of your legal services. 

 

We Hire Knowledgeable Staff

Every Amata staff member who works for you goes through a four-person interview process at first. You have peace of mind that everyone who answers the phone understands legal terms, knows how to speak to other attorneys who may call the office, and can perform initial screenings of potential clients based on your requirements.  

Better yet, when you need expert assistance for your firm, our team of paralegals, legal administrators, law clerks and receptionists act as an extension of your business. 

 

We Know the Industry

Our team has been helping the legal community in the Chicago area since 2002, and we have nearly 75 years of combined experience helping law firms with administrative tasks. We have experienced property managers who help you with conference rooms, ordering discounted supplies and setting up your workspace.  

Over the past two decades of providing full-service legal office support, we’ve helped over 750 attorneys in 27 practice areas generate thousands of lead shares. 

 

We Own All of Our Assets

What sets Amata apart from other full-service virtual offices for lawyers is that we own all of our assets. When you need to set up a time to work in an office space or meet with clients in a conference room, you don’t have a middle manager to go through.  

Our company owns what you utilize. When you talk to us, you talk to the owners of the space, the supervisors of the employees, and the ones who provide your services.  

 

Take Advantage of This Opportunity

Are you a growing legal practice? We give you room to grow with our scalable yet customizable services.  

Our top service starts at $275 a month. Let’s say you double that for $550 a month.  

That’s still a fairly cheap overhead. The rest of your expenses can go towards billable time with clients rather than hard costs. In less than a couple hours worth of billable time, you pay for a month’s worth of office expenses.  

Even better, virtual offices may be more normalized as we emerge from the pandemic that gripped the world for two years. 

 

It’s All About Your Clients

The American Bar Association notes that some law firms returned to their offices faster than other corporate service entities following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some law practices utilized a hybrid model with some in-office staff and some virtual.  

The ABA says that it depends on the clients of attorneys as to how you should approach your office space. You are probably figuring out how to solve the in-office or work-from home paradigm of doing business. Hybrid models are emerging as the prevailing way to return to normal. 

Amata gives you a chance to wow your clients with a dynamic office space and conference room in downtown Chicago. We still have some pretty spectacular views to make a lasting first impression and creating a wow factor for your big-name clients. 

We also allow you the freedom to work from a park, your favorite lunch spot, or at home with your kids. Secure cloud-based services let you work from anywhere, whether you’re organizing files in Clio or billing a client in LawPay. Some clients can appreciate hearing the squeal of your kids playing in the yard while you work on their case because they value a work-life balance too. 

 

And It’s All About You

You worked hard in law school. You busted all-nighters researching cases and studying for the bar. You deserve to run your law firm as you choose to, not what tradition says to do as you try to pursue clients to grow your practice. 

A virtual office space gives you the freedom for more work-life balance because most or all of your administrative tasks are taken care of. You don’t have to worry about your image since we take care of those details for you as a law-focused support company that understands the legal world in America’s third-largest city. 

 

Amata, An Entire Company as Your Support Staff

Let’s get started. Call or contact us for a tour of our locations if you’re serious about growing your law firm while keeping overhead low. 

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Ways Virtual Law Firms Can Improve Communication With Clients

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Virtual law firms have seen a rise in popularity over the last several years. But, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a bigger boost in the demand for virtual legal professionals.

Will virtual firms become the “new normal” for the legal industry? Perhaps. Multiple firms across the country are seeing the benefits, as they’re able to hire and work with top attorneys with different areas of expertise. Clients can benefit, too. If a client needs an attorney specializing in a particular type of law, a quick search within a virtual law form can connect them with the expert legal advice they need.

But, as with any other type of virtual service, there are some potential drawbacks to virtual legal help. One of the biggest challenges is communication. Law firms need to adapt to improve client satisfaction remotely, and that’s often easier said than done.

But, it’s not impossible.

Whether you’re part of a larger firm or run your own, understanding how to improve communication with your clients will make a big difference in your success and trustworthiness. Let’s look at a few strategies that put communication at the forefront of your client-attorney relationship, even if you never meet each other in person.

Digitize Your Documentation

Ways Virtual Law Firms Can Improve

One of the best things you can do to improve your client communication is to stay organized. In addition to working with clients virtually, many attorneys are shifting their documents to cloud-based services. It’s a great way to “go green” and keep important files in one convenient location.

But, like any other filing system, it’s crucial to have some kind of organizational operation in place. Keeping things organized will make it easier to find information on your clients for meetings, or when they call or e-mail to ask a question. It will also make it easier to present information to your clients digitally, in an easy-to-understand format that will make communication stronger for both of you. Plus, staying organized will help you to avoid information silos and miscommunication within your firm.

Consider digitizing your documents through PDFs and creating a virtual library for all client documentation. You can store digital files by case numbers, last names, or however you see fit. In a matter of seconds, you’ll be able to search for files and pull them up, rather than scrambling for information at the last minute before your next virtual meeting.

If you create a cloud-based library, you can also choose to have it password protected. This allows you to directly share all files and information about a client’s case with them, so they can see changes and additions in real-time. It’s a small gesture, but when your client feels well-informed and updated, they’re more likely to trust the process.

Additionally, multi-factor authentication (MFA) or, at the very least, two-factor authentication (2FA) is advised. If your password is considered one form of authenticating or verifying your identity, then another form might be a text message or an email with an additional log-in code, or even the last four digits of your SSN. By protecting your clients’ documents with more than one form of authentication, you’re doing more than the bare minimum — consider MFA for all your clients’ files and data to keep them truly secure.

Set Up Multiple Communication Avenues

No matter how many clients you have, it’s important to make each one feel comfortable and heard. Not everyone will want to talk on the phone, so consider offering several virtual communication options, including:

  • One-on-one video chats
  • Email
  • Instant messaging
  • Conference calls

You can even host live streams within your office when you have to meet with more than one person. Live streaming is a great way to communicate a lot of information at once, especially when you’re working with multiple attorneys or your client wants other individuals involved. If you decide to go that route (or do any video conferencing, for that matter), it’s crucial to have the right setup. Choose your live streaming space carefully in a low-traffic area, especially if you’re working from home. Your background should be clean and free from distractions, but it’s never a bad idea to have your degrees hanging behind you.

It’s also okay to add a touch of personality to every avenue you offer. Whether you’re chatting on the phone or hosting a video conference call, be yourself. Have a few personal items in the background of your video, or connect with your client by finding a few interests you have in common. While remaining professional should be your top priority, your client will feel more comfortable and willing to open up if they see the actual person behind the attorney title.

Invest in the Right Software

With many firms across the country going virtual, keeping up with communication efforts will ensure you stay competitive. Consider developing your own online portal for clients. This has become increasingly popular in the healthcare industry for doctors and patients, but it can work just as well for attorneys. A digital portal will give your clients full access to the information they need, and they can set up meetings with you directly.

If you don’t want to build your own online portal, there are plenty of existing companies that have developed communication software. Practice management software like Clio, Practice Panther, and Smokeball can assist with things like:

  • Document management
  • Billing assistance
  • Scheduling
  • Case management

The more secure your clients feel when utilizing your virtual services, the better. Strong communication will help with that, so don’t be afraid to invest your time, money, and resources into improving your communication efforts. Virtual law firms are here to stay, and yours can continue to grow if you focus on building professional relationships with your clients, even if you’re in completely different time zones.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

How to Identify Information Silos in Virtual Law Firms

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Information silos can have a profound impact on any business, but they can be especially devastating for law firms. From inefficiencies and errors to revenue losses, the ramifications of such silos can be widespread and long-lasting. And the risks can be particularly acute in the virtual office space, where colleagues may have relatively few opportunities to engage and collaborate in real-time. But what are information silos, exactly, and how can they be prevented?

Understanding Information Silos

Information silos are a ubiquitous threat in any company because they can emerge easily but are often difficult to recognize. Silos occur when employees fail to receive the information they need to do their work properly and efficiently. 

The result can be redundant and delayed processes, workplace miscommunication, and performance declines. And that, in turn, can compromise company culture, lead to financial waste, and contribute to a poor overall client experience.

Information Silos in Virtual Law Firms

While silos are a threat to any business, they are a particular hazard in the virtual office space, where employees find themselves working largely alone. In a virtual law firm, the emergence of information silos can not only contribute to low productivity, procedural mistakes, and low morale, but they can also reduce attorney efficacy. And that may have devastating consequences for clients.

In the virtual law office, the principal contributor to information silos may simply be the failure to implement a comprehensive communication strategy that includes cohesive and transparent work processes.

For example, when employees lack a clear procedure for creating, storing, and sharing data, from documents to work schedules to appointment calendars, essential information can be easily lost. Similarly, when job roles are not clearly defined, employees may not understand who to reach out to for the materials they may need to complete their work. And that can lead to redundant work and incomplete or incorrect data.  

Preventing Information Silos

As common as silos are and as damaging as they can be, silos can also be readily prevented with a bit of strategy and effort. 

Make a Plan and Share It 

The first and most important step for avoiding information silos is to formulate an action plan and share it with the entire team. Your strategy should include a comprehensive communications protocol that outlines who owns what data, and precisely when, how, and where that data should be shared, both internally and externally.

In addition to codifying your communications plan, you will also need to ensure that the required processes are understood and adhered to by the entire team. This will likely require you to outline and routinely update processes in an easily accessible employee handbook or communications guide. 

Training in required communications processes should also be incorporated into employee onboarding and in refresher courses provided to all employees at least once or twice a year.

Standardize Processes and Productivity Tools 

Another important risk factor in the emergence of information silos is the failure to standardize the processes and tools used in creating work products. When employees are using their preferred applications and software for creating documents or storing data, for example, you risk issues with compatibility and access for the rest of the team. 

However, by defining which tools are to be used for each work product and by centralizing data and document storage through a cloud-based app such as Google Docs or Dropbox, you’re ensuring that information-sharing is always seamless, efficient, and transparent.

Hold Regular Online Meetings

As beneficial as online productivity tools like email and instant messaging apps can be, there’s perhaps no better way to prevent information silos and, thus, foster improved remote collaboration than to hold regular online meetings with the entire team. Routine virtual meetings enable the team to receive status updates, to ask and address questions in real-time, and simply to ensure that everyone is on the same page for the work days ahead. 

Leverage Business Analytics

One of the most dangerous aspects of information silos is that they can be hard to identify until significant damage has already been done. However, business analytics can be a powerful tool for pinpointing and remediating silos. 

For instance, business data can be gathered to identify departments or divisions within the firm that are not performing efficiently, areas where error rates, productivity declines, or revenue losses are disproportionate to the rest of the firm. Such data can indicate the presence of an information silo, enabling executives and stakeholders to make informed, evidence-based choices to improve the efficiency and performance of the division in particular and the firm in general.

The Takeaway

Information silos are a significant organizational risk, no matter the industry. However, they can be particularly destructive for law firms operating the virtual space. The good news, though, is that information silos may be easily prevented through the development of a clear, cohesive, and comprehensive communications plan.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

How Flexible Attorney Offices Future-Proof Your Legal Practice

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In 2021 working from home has become the new normal. For some, this may still feel like a big transition, but it’s essential to stay up-to-date with changing expectations in the professional world. This goes for all business owners, and is especially true for law offices hoping to stay relevant in a competitive legal climate.

So how can you “future-proof” your legal practice? Think of “future-proofing” as anticipating trends and adapting your law practice to embrace the newest technology. With tech updates, flexible law offices, and cloud-based solutions, your legal practice will be ready to take-on the future.

 

What is a Flexible Law Office?

A flexible law office offers attorneys the opportunity to customize their schedule. This means that attorneys select their work hours and may conduct work from any location. Although a flexible office format might seem too unstructured at first, many attorneys are eager to work in an environment that values their personal preferences and offers an adaptable schedule.

According to an article in Reuters, “a recent survey from legal recruiter Major, Lindsey & Africa found the vast majority of the incoming generation of lawyers prefer to work remotely at least some of the time.” Fostering an environment that values a healthy work / life balance and encourages flexibility is key to maintaining a thriving law practice.

 

What Tools Do You Need to Get Started?

While flexible law offices are the way of the future, it’s unrealistic to expect to transform your law practice overnight. Before you offer lawyers the flexible schedule they crave, you need to implement tools and resources to make the transition possible.

 

Update Your Video Conference Capabilities – Working remotely means relying on technology to get the job done. For lawyers working today, it’s essential to have video conferencing tools that are easy to use and provide reliable connectivity. Since client interviews and meetings need to be done remotely, it’s imperative that you use secure video conferencing platforms to keep meeting content confidential. An article in Bloomberg Law discusses the emergence of “telepresence rooms” to create a more authentic experience during video calls: “advanced audio-visual systems and large, mirror-like screens are used to make it appear that a client or colleague is in the same physical conference room, even if the person is at the other end of the globe.”

 

Use Cloud-Based Platforms

Since remote workers don’t have a centralized hub for information, Bloomberg Law asserts that “law firms are also shoring up their IT infrastructures now that a lawyer can’t simply count on their colleague down the hall to answer a question, or the filing cabinet with a particular document being nearby.”

In order to create accessible IT infrastructures, more law firms are embracing cloud-based document sharing tools. Cloud-based platforms allow documents to be securely uploaded, organized, and stored on an accessible online database. This way, lawyers have access to important files and information no matter where they are.

Flexible law firms are also implementing virtual mailbox services. Virtual mailbox services provide clients with instantaneous access to mail via a secure online platform. Mail is sent to a secure physical address and then promptly uploaded onto the database by a licensed handler. These services are an excellent option for law practices who don’t have a permanent location.

Cloud-based software also allows your legal team to optimize daily tasks. With easy-to-use communication platforms and simple scheduling and bookkeeping software, switching your systems to online services will save you time and money.

 

What are the Benefits of a Flexible Attorney Office?

Flexible attorney offices provide benefits for lawyers and clients alike.

Connect with a Wider Audience – Since lawyers who work in a flexible law office can conduct their work from anywhere, flexible law offices are able to serve a wider population and extend the reach of their business. This helps diversify caseloads, and increases client numbers.

Save Money – Attorneys who work in a flexible environment don’t need to be locked into a 12 months lease to practice the law. With money saved on rent, power, office supplies, and managerial staff, most law practices who switch to a remote model end up saving money in the long term.

Improve Retention – Remote work isn’t just a request anymore, it’s an expectation. Switching to a flexible schedule demonstrates your dedication to fostering a work environment that aligns with current demands.

 

Find Your Office Space at Amata Law Office Suites

Amata Law Office Suites provides lawyers and legal practitioners both in-person and virtual law office accommodations. With flexible pricing and unbeatable legal support services, Amata Law Office Suites has served the Chicago area by providing dedicated conference spaces, offices, and much more.

Now is the time to embrace the future of your legal practice. At Amata Law Office Suites, we’re here to help. 

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

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.

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.

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

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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.

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Choosing Virtual Paralegals vs. Freelance Paralegals

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Freelance Paralegals

A virtual paralegal is a game-changer for a legal practice that needs a second set of hands, but can’t afford to hire a full-time paralegal on staff. For solo and private practice law firms, they offer an ideal solution to many of the problems that emerge on a day-to-day basis. But are they a better option than freelance paralegal services?

Contract paralegals offer many benefits to legal practices of all shapes and sizes. These include:

  • Increased billable hours
  • Can scale as needed to your workload
  • Handles the same work as a full-time paralegal
  • Doesn’t require training – plug and play
  • No benefits, insurance, or taxes

Virtual paralegals differ from contract paralegals in that they are, by their very name, virtual. This can be a benefit or a burden to law firms. For legal practices that work remotely, or find themselves travelling often, a virtual paralegal can be as flexible as your practice, performing duties no matter where your job takes you. For those who work best in brick-and-mortar settings, freelance paralegals can be a better choice.

Should I choose a virtual paralegal or a freelance paralegal? Before making a decision, it is important to ask yourself basic questions about the nature of your practice.

Do I Have a Lot of Paperwork?

One of the primary differentiators between hiring a virtual paralegal is that they choose where they work. Paperless law firms can benefit greatly from their services, as they don’t need to physically visit an office – it can all be handled from a computer.

However, many law firms – particularly those with legacy – depend on processing a great deal of paperwork. For these firms, virtual paralegals can only function in limited capacity. They cannot visit your office, and therefore cannot assist with these primary functions.

How does your legal practice operate? If some, or all, of your documents are stored in the cloud, a virtual paralegal can serve your business. If not, you may need to consider sourcing contract paralegals locally. Determine where your needs are served best, and base your decision around your workload rather than what is most convenient.

Does My Legal Field Require Extensive Knowledge of State Laws?

State and local laws vary dramatically from place to place. Being a paralegal is more than a jack of all trades – they must have implicit knowledge of how local laws will affect the handling of your case. A virtual paralegal can help assist with general tasks, but as they work from anywhere, they may be unfamiliar with specific information that is necessary to handle your tasks.

Hiring a full-time paralegal gives you confidence that they are well-equipped to handle the caseload you give them. While contract paralegal services can assign you staff that is suitable for your field, it is essential that they are familiar with state and local laws. Before hiring, ensure their familiarity with laws around your area.

A Virtual Paralegal Works for Some Firms – Most Benefit from Freelance Paralegals

As we enter the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawyers that have been working from home find themselves re-entering the office. During this time, many brick-and-mortar paralegals found themselves working virtually, forced to adapt to new practices.

Your firm may have had to completely rewrite the playbook on how cases are managed. For offices that had gone paperless, the transition to working from home was significantly easier. Some firms had to adopt that model in order to survive.

With many Americans weighing the pros and cons of returning to the office, solo and private law firms have to make a decision that is right for their business. Virtual paralegals can provide immense benefits for those not ready to return. Before making this decision however, consider the value of in-office work. Do you need a paralegal to be physically present while you work?

Alternative Legal Service Providers (or ALSPs) can provide law firms like yours with the assistance that you need, when you need it. Hiring locally is generally more desirable, as their needs are more flexible around yours.

Amata Law Office Suites Offers Paralegal Services, and Much More

At Amata Law Office Suites, we are more than just an office space. At the core of our business, we are a leading provider of shared law office space for lawyers. We understand that providing leading office solutions for solo and private law firms also requires having tools at hand to solve common problems in the legal profession.

With features like contract paralegals and live legal receptionist services built into our model, lawyers at Amata have everything they need to generate more billable hours and meet the needs of clients. Instead of paying by the hour, our staff charges for actually time spent on work, ensuring that every dime is spent on your clients’ legal matters.

Discover our paralegal services in Chicago.