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The New Business Card for Lawyers

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Time is everything for lawyers and professional service providers. It is their greatest asset, and the thing that they need to protect the most.

But in today’s world, there are many more tasks beyond serving clients that need to be done:

  • Keeping your inbox clean
  • Responding to new client inquiries
  • Creating a professional website
  • Staying top of mind with social media

This blog post is for those lawyers who recognize the importance of executing those ‘business building’ tasks, but who still want to protect their time to do what they love most: serve clients, strategically lead their firms, and enjoy life.

How to Keep Up With The Digital Era

The legal industry has shifted in so many ways during the last decade. From remote work to AI legal tools and smart contracts on the blockchain, there is so much innovation that many times is it hard to keep up.

Take, for example, social media: In the last 3 years alone, Twitter became X, Facebook shifted to Meta, and 6 new platforms were launched. Yet over 80% of law firms maintain an active social media presence, according to a 2021 survey by the American Bar Association.

This is because social media has become the new business card. Clients now want to look at your website and social media posts to stay informed, read client reviews, and screen your law firm before deciding to engage you. Social media becomes a filter through which potential clients vet your firm’s reputation and expertise.

Consider this data from a 2022 survey by the National Law Review: 87% of clients surveyed said they check lawyers’ social media profiles before deciding to engage their services. Today, when potential clients consider hiring a lawyer, they are not limited to evaluating credentials on a piece of paper or a static website. 

Social media platforms provide a dynamic window into a lawyer‘s professional life, offering insights that extend beyond traditional qualifications, such as:

  • Professionalism: Clients need to trust their attorneys. That is why inconsistencies, unprofessional behavior, or a lack of presence will raise red flags.
  • Expertise and Specialization: Lawyers who actively share valuable insights on social media platforms are positioned as industry leaders — especially if they are sharing expert articles, case studies, and legal updates.
  • Client Reviews and Testimonials: Just like on Amazon, positive testimonials and reviews from previous clients can significantly influence purchasing decisions.
  • Relevance: Clients expect lawyers to stay informed about the latest legal trends and use your social media presence to signal connectivity and up-to-date knowledge.

In an era where information is readily accessible at one’s fingertips, clients WANT to find reliable information on social media to research, select, and evaluate your legal services.

But how can you post on social media while keeping up with the demanding nature of legal work?

Delegating Your Social Media Presence to Experts

Your online presence should convey your professionalism, expertise, and credibility. A well-maintained social media profile can serve as a powerful business development tool, attracting clients and enhancing your reputation.

That is where Amata comes in. Our virtual assistant service can help you take care of several tasks, including:

  • Social Media Posting
  • Email Management
  • Payroll, Billing, and Accounting
  • Database Management
  • Document Conversion and Management
  • Appointment Reminders and Scheduling
  • Legal Correspondence and Transcription
  • Legal Research
  • Live Virtual Receptionist

Most solo practitioners and small law firms do not have large teams or budgets, which is why our virtual assistants work on demand. They are carefully selected by us, and only work the hours that you need so you can save on salary and benefits.

We understand that the idea of posting on social media, building an online presence, and engaging with a digital audience can be an added layer of stress you don’t want. In fact, according to a 2021 survey by the American Bar Association, over 75% of lawyers feel overwhelmed by the demands of their profession. 

That is why our virtual assistants will curate and post engaging content on your behalf. Your law firms can keep active on social media, strengthen your reputation, and demonstrate authority, without needing to hire an in-house legal assistant or a social media marketing agency.

This is a cost-effective solution that goes beyond posting on social media. We can offload your redundant but essential tasks, such as new client intake and calendar management, without you having to worry about employee benefits, providing the requisite software or training, or bearing any infrastructure costs.

Our experienced virtual assistants will take care of all this, so you can focus more on building your practice and serving clients doing the tasks that energize you.

Enhance Your Practice With a Virtual Assistant Specifically For Lawyers

We provide virtual assistants so you can stay relevant on social media while saving time and focus. If you want someone to update social media posts, enter billing, and return client calls for you, we can help.

Contact us here and rally the support you need to grow in the digital era.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

The New Office Model for Attorneys

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The “office-as-a-service” model, often referred to as OaaS, is a flexible approach to providing office space and related services to professionals, including attorneys. This model saves costs and provides law firms with all the support they need to thrive, with the flexibility to stay competitive in today’s changing marketplace.

In this article we’ll explain eight benefits of the office-as-a-service model (OaaS) for attorneys, and why it is perfect for solo and small law firms.

Benefit 1: Flexible Workspace

Most lawyers start their own law firms seeking freedom – the freedom to have more control over how they work and to generate higher revenue from the book of business they’ve built.

Freedom and profitability. The problem is that large offices with long-term contracts give you none.

With Amata, attorneys can rent office space on a flexible basis, whether they need it for a few hours, days, or months. This flexibility allows you to adapt your office space to your specific needs, such as client meetings, research, or collaborative work with colleagues.

For example, our conference rooms can be used in 15-minute increments, and you only pay for the time you use (they are not rounded up to the nearest hour).

Most lawyers do not need to come into the office on a regular basis. You can free key resources by having a flexible workspace that adapts to your exact needs. 

Benefit 2: Cost Savings

Instead of committing to a long-term lease and incurring the associated costs of maintaining a traditional office, attorneys can save money by paying only for the space and services they use.

In today’s economic environment, the ability to adapt by adding or removing office spaces without penalties is crucial. That’s why our plans offer 12-month lease terms with a 30-day notice period for adjusting office space, allowing you to reduce costs and maintain profitability when needed.

Benefit 3: Access to Prime Locations

You probably don’t need a 240-square-foot office with a lavish library. What you need is a space that conveys professionalism and is strategically located near courthouses, government offices, and transportation routes for your team.

Our offices are located in professional and prestigious addresses in Chicago. All locations are within walking distance from major public transportation, and some are even steps away from the courthouse.

This enhances your law firm’s professional image and accessibility to clients. We have 3 locations to choose from and meet your exact needs.

Benefit 4: Fully Equipped Offices

You don’t need to be an AM250 firm yet to access top-tier support. Amata’s offices come fully equipped with essential office amenities, including furniture, high-speed internet, phone lines, printing and scanning facilities, and conference rooms. This minimizes your need to invest in office infrastructure.

Benefit 5: Support Services

One of the downsides when transitioning from a big corporation to running your own solo or small law firm is giving up the numerous support mechanisms that make life easier.

That is why Amata provides on-demand (hourly) support services in the form of admin assistants, paralegals, receptionists, and business phone/phone app services that free your time to focus on billable hours and enjoy your life.

Imagine having:

  1. Hourly paralegals that work as if they are on your staff.
  2. Administrative assistants that work with you virtually and in person, depending on your needs and circumstances.
  3. Paralegal assistants that go to city hall, the Recorders Office and deliver courtesy copies to judges for you.
  4. Live receptionists who can screen your calls, handle new clients in-take, and greet your guests.
  5. Notary/witness service program at all locations; plus a remote notary/witness service program that includes video recording.

These are all examples of what our law firms get with our Attorney Support Services.

Benefit 6: Networking Opportunities

Growing a solo firm can be, as the name implies, pretty lonely. But with Amata’s model it doesn’t have to be this way.

You’ll get to meet professionals from other industries, which can lead to new clients, referrals, or joint ventures. We also organize monthly meetings with over 600 other attorneys, where you can expand your network and business opportunities.

Benefit 7: Scalability

When your revenue goes down, as a business owner you need to reduce expenses to maintain profit. Amata allows you to drop or add offices during the term of the contract without penalty, resulting in true office flexibility.

Whether your law firm grows or downsizes, you can easily adjust your office space needs without the complications of breaking leases or finding new locations. This scalability in your office space costs (which typically represent a significant portion of expenses) can be invaluable during fluctuations in client demand.

Benefit 8: Virtual Office Services

Working from home can be phenomenal, but there’s one problem: you can’t use your home address for client services!

That is why we provide a virtual business address, so clients associate your organization with Class A, prominent office buildings in the Chicago area. A virtual business address also entitles you to receive correspondence at the location, receive phone calls, and enjoy mail processing and forwarding from the on-site staff.

The New Office Model, Perfect for Solo and Small Law Firms.

The Office-as-a-Service (OaaS) model was born to provide attorneys and law firms with flexible office terms and help them reduce costs while improving operational efficiency.

This enables legal professionals to focus on billable hours, serve their clientele, and enjoy life on their terms. You can access fully equipped offices in prime locations, along with a suite of AM250-level support services, all tailored to your unique needs.

For more than 21 years we have helped attorneys like you to serve more clients without sacrificing their health, family life, or profitability in the process. Give us a call today if you’d like to explore our flexible and scalable office solutions.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

How to Access Top Legal Support Services Without Being an AM250 Yet

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According to the American Bar Association (ABA), the average American lawyer works 50 hours per week. But what if we told you only 35% of that represents billable work?

That is what the 2022 Legal Trends Report by Clio found: only 3.5 hours of most attorneys’ long work days are billable. The rest of the time is spent booking calls, mailing clients, running meetings, and doing admin work.

This runs contrary to the reason why most small firm founders started their practice. Attorneys can easily fall into high-stress, low-pay months, daydreaming about the support services AM250 firms enjoy.

But what if you could have the support system of a coveted AM250 firm, but with the flexibility and affordability you require now?

 

Enter Amata’s Lawyer Support Services

For over two decades, our mission has been clear: Support law firms in serving more clients while enjoying a healthier work/life balance.

Let’s say you started your solo practice after leaving an AM250 law firm. You went from billing $450/hour to $325/hour, but it was okay because that convinced some of your clients to come with you. You expected less overhead, higher profitability, and more control over your time.

The problem is that without assistants, senior paralegals, and accountants, you had to work longer, non-billable hours just to keep up. A 10% drop in billable hours can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars less in potential business that could be developed. That is the opportunity cost of trying to do everything by yourself.

But what if you decide to hire support and focus on billable hours? The list of support services can be long, but very worth it depending on your case:

  1. Copy & Mail Handling: A virtual assistant can manage your office mail and make copies of essential documents when needed.
  2. Deliveries: Office staff can assist with physical document deliveries and handling paper checks for legal fees.
  3. Research Assistance: A virtual assistant can handle legal research and document requests through Lexis-Nexis.
  4. Paralegal Support: A paralegal can manage caseloads, client intake, deadlines, court paperwork, and client inquiries.
  5. Administrative Help: Office and virtual assistants can provide support with tasks like mail retrieval, email management, project management, marketing, social media, proofreading, and document scanning.

The question is, how can you afford these services without being an AM250 law firm yet?

Flexible Support Services Without the Overhead

The demand for legal services has been volatile over the last 3 years. Firms need to manage staffing and resourcing effectively to remain flexible and serve clients without the stress.

Here’s how Amata legal support services in Chicago help you do that:

1. On-Demand Paralegals

No longer do you need to worry about keeping a paralegal busy for a full eight-hour day. We vet paralegals who can act as an extension of your team and bill only the hours you require.

Our senior paralegals have 20 or more years of experience and specialized knowledge. We also can connect you with junior paralegals ready to handle:

  1. Editing appellate briefs and other briefs per your notes
  2. Handle the back-and-forth aspects of discovery, which can last for months
  3. Draft simple complaints and motions
  4. Assess and prioritize cases
  5. Close on real estate transaction

All so you can ease your caseload while paying only for what you require.

2. Legal admin support

With the right support, lawyers are able to boost their productivity, grow their practice, and do what they do best — practice law.

Amata’s legal support services include receptionists and administrators who can help scan documents, track packages, and review court filings. We also understand you don’t have time to train, and that is okay. All our staff is experienced and vetted to understand your unique needs.

3. Virtual assistants

The traditional formula for growing a law firm is billing more hours or increasing rates, but there comes a point where that approach goes against the client’s best interest.

With virtual assistants, there is a third option. Eliminate all under-utilized time and expenses, delegate administrative work, and focus on billable hours. This increases your profitability and allows you to scale, while serving your client’s best interests.

Some of the tasks virtual assistants can handle for you are:

  1. Document review, organization and summarization
  2. Data entry
  3. Calendar management
  4. Meeting scheduling and coordination
  5. Technological support
  6. Invoice preparation and payment
  7. Social media assistance
  8. Non-legal correspondence, transmittal letters, and email
  9. Case management system update
  10. Internet and public database research

4. Live receptionist

Busy lawyers require professional receptionists. And with Amata, there is a better alternative to hiring, training, and retaining full-time, in-house receptionists yourself.

Our legal virtual receptionists ensure that you never miss a caller. They can screen calls, schedule appointments, reply to messages and return phone calls for you. All the information is updated in your database, so you can follow up at your own pace while clients are taken care of.

Hiring the exact receptionist support you need for only the time you need is possible. This significantly reduces the risk when hiring staff to support your operations.

5. Office options

Amata’s revolutionary concept is that office space should be consumed and paid for the same way we use and pay for software. You wouldn’t purchase 5 licenses of your practice management software when you only need 2, so why do we sign long-term leases for space with 5 offices when we only need 2?

Modern law firms require office plans that can be scaled up and down without penalty.

Imagine a place where you can enjoy the comradery of other attorneys, meet with clients in an impressive law office setting, and enjoy coming to the office. If an associate leaves or joins your firm, you can give up or add offices as needed. It’s all about only paying for what you need, not wasting money on office space you are not using in anticipation of growing into the space.

Access AM250-Quality Legal Support On Your Terms

Amata’s paralegals, paralegal assistants, law clerks, and virtual assistants act as an extension of your law firm. Here is a list of some of the services we can give you access to:

  1. Notary/Witness Service (Amata Location or Remote, includes video recording)
  2. Court Runs (Including the assembly, print, and preparation of courtesy copies.)
  3. Mail opening/scanning
  4. Assistance with certified mailings
  5. Scanning/copying documents
  6. Faxing documents
  7. Preparation of FedEx
  8. Set up assistance and coordination of services (phone, copier codes, messenger)
  9. Bank deposit
  10. Catering support/ordering
  11. Faxing support
  12. Special orders/3rd party ordering
  13. Video conferencing set-up
  14. Hand Deliveries/Pick-Ups
  15. E-Filing
  16. Preparation of Notice of Filing, Notice of Motion, Certificate of Service, and forms.</span
  17. Review of local rules, court’s standing orders, & any temporary procedural orders in place.
  18. Spindle or piggyback motion hearing dates, and any communications with the court clerk.
  19. Confirm acceptance of filing by the court clerk.
  20. Document Translation
  21. Interpreter – Remote or On-Site
  22. Preparation of Table of Authorities
  23. Formatting appellate briefs
  24. Skip Tracing
  25. Asset Search (bank accounts)
  26. E-Recording

Inquire today to learn how our on-demand, flexible legal support services can help your law firm increase profitability without the stress.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Selecting The Best Virtual Office

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How do you select the best virtual office program? There has been a big increase in the demand for these programs recently. With the increased demand  many new players, looking to make a quick buck, have entered the playing field. Some are marketing companies, with no direct responsibility for the services you are receiving.

Others have very limited resources and experience in providing clients the services they need. When selecting a virtual office provider be sure to look into their history and to make sure they will be accountable for providing the services you are paying for. The most successful companies survive on their reputation, so providing the best service possible is how they win new clients.

Amata Office Suites has been providing Virtual office services for more than 21 years. Understanding how to take care of our clients is what we do better than anyone in the industry.

WHO USES VIRTUAL OFFICE PROGRAMS

Large firms are using virtual office programs to open in new cities. Since the pandemic began many small firms have converted to virtual office programs to reduce costs. Midsize firms that have given up traditional office leases now maintain a combination of physical office space in a coworking office, with a virtual presence for those employees that do not come into the office on a regular basis. Almost every business, regardless of size or the nature of the business, can benefit from maintaining some type of virtual office program.

SECURITY PROTECTIONS AND PROFESSIONAL IMAGE

When selecting the best virtual office, it is important they provide adequate security protections. Providing a home address and personal phone number can expose an owner to unnecessary risk. By using a virtual address for the company, an owner is better able to insulate their private lives from that of their business. In much the same way, separating an owner’s personal cell phone number from the business phone number helps to keep personal information separate from that of the business.

For most businesses a professional image influences their pricing models. Businesses with positive images in the minds of their consumers have more pricing power than those with a negative or neutral image. Companies with a prestigious address in a desirable location, immediately create a positive impression with clients.

COST SAVINGS

Renting or buying a physical office space can be a significant expense for businesses, especially startups or small businesses. Virtual offices offer a cost-effective alternative as they allow businesses to have a prestigious business address at a fraction of what a traditional office space would cost.

Virtual offices enable businesses to operate remotely and have a distributed workforce. Employees can work from anywhere, and the business can have a presence in multiple locations, creating a global presence. Firms can have local addresses and phone numbers in various countries or cities, helping them establish credibility and connect with local customers. This flexibility allows for increased productivity, profitability, and work-life balance for employees.

SUPPORT SERVICES

Virtual office services can include mail handling, a prestigious address, and many additional services that are provided a’ la carte. Many providers specialize by industry. For example, Amata Office Suites provides call answering with client in-take for law firms and professional service companies. Using a provider that provides a phone and phone app eliminates the expense of sourcing a separate business phone provider.

Administrative support can include the use of professional administrative assistants, paralegals and virtual assistants. Taking advantage of these resources will reduce a company’s fixed expenses, reducing risk.

Access to conferencing facilities is another benefit to using a virtual office service. The most prestigious virtual office providers provide access to meeting rooms, with the latest conferencing technologies to host in-person and virtual meetings. This provides businesses access to prestigious meeting rooms when needed, without the need for a dedicated office space.

Speak with an Amata team member to find out how your firm can benefit with a virtual office program. Contact us today.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Maximizing the Value of a Full-Time Employee

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Employee utilization rates may be the most ignored or misunderstood stat in small businesses and law firms. Instead of using quantifiable data, many small businesses rely on emotions or intuition to determine when it is time to hire a new employee.

What metrics is your company using to ensure an employees’ time is effectively utilized. Is there accurate data available to help determine when to make a new hire?

It is hard to imagine a law firm that generates revenue through billable hours hiring an additional lawyer if their current lawyers are only billing 10 hours each week.

EMPLOYEE UTILIZATION USING BILLABLE HOURS

We define employee utilization as the hours an employee is engaged in productive work divided by the total hours the employee is paid.

Generally, employees are paid for 2,080 hours annually (including vacation and sick time, excluding overtime). If you expect your employees to generate 1,352 billable hours each year, their utilization rate will be 65%.

Once an employee consistently reaches the utilization rate goal, it is time to hire an additional employee to continue growing your business. If the employee continuously fails to reach the utilization rate goal, it may be time to reevaluate if you have the best employee for the job.

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO MEASURE EMPLOYEE UTILIZATION

For employees that do not generate revenue through billable hours, such as my companies accounting team members, require them to maintain a work log each day detailing what they worked on and how long it took. A simple spreadsheet is easy to create for each employee to log into throughout the day. This is a valuable tool for employees that work remotely and those that work in the office.

Understanding how much time employees spend on productive work versus time spent surfing the internet, emailing friends, and shopping will help companies increase productivity. Just knowing accountability measures are in place will quickly increase productivity among team members. A Google search on office worker productivity statistics may surprise you. The average office worker is productive 31% of their workday. In an 8 hour day, employees are not doing productive work for 5.5 hours, yet companies are paying for those hours.

BEST PRACTICES

To maximize employee utilization, here are some best practices to consider:

  1. Effective Workforce Planning
    Analyze your business needs, forecast workloads, and plan your workforce accordingly. This involves understanding the demands of different projects, departments, or seasons and aligning your staff resources accordingly.
  2. Clear Communication and Goal Setting
    Ensure that employees have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations. Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals with your employees.  This enables them to prioritize their tasks and utilize time effectively.
  3. Efficient Task Assignment
    Match employees’ skills, expertise, and interests with the tasks they handle. Assign tasks based on strengths and provide opportunities for growth and development.
  4. Optimize Work Processes
    Streamline workflows and eliminate unnecessary steps or bottlenecks that can hinder productivity. Encourage employees to provide input on process improvements and implement their suggestions when possible. This will lead to increased efficiency and reduce time wasting activities.
  5. Regular Performance Monitoring
    Implement a system to track and monitor employee performance, enabling management to identify areas where employees may be underutilized or overburdened. Provide constructive feedback and offer support to help them overcome challenges and improve performance.
  6. Training and Skill Development
    Invest in training programs and provide opportunities for employees to enhance their skills. This helps them become more versatile and capable of handling a broader range of tasks, improving their overall utilization.
  7. Flexibility and Cross-Functional Collaboration
    Promote a culture of flexibility and cross-functional collaboration. Encourage employees to share their skills, knowledge, and experiences with one another. Foster a dynamic and resourceful workforce that can adapt to changing needs and fill gaps in different areas.
  8. Effective Time Management
    Work with employees on how to set priorities, avoid multitasking, and minimize distractions. Encourage breaks to maintain a healthy work-life balance and avoid employee burnout.
  9. Technology and Automation
    Deploy tools to streamline repetitive tasks, minimize manual effort, and free up employees’ time. Implementing the right tools can significantly increase overall productivity and employee utilization.
  10. Recognition and Rewards
    Recognize and reward employees for their achievements and efforts. A positive and motivating work environment can boost employee morale, engagement, and overall productivity.

Remember, maximizing employee utilization is not synonymous with overworking employees. It is crucial employees are able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. An alternative to overworking employees or hiring new employees before revenues justify them is Amata’s on-demand virtual assistants, executive assistants and paralegals. Amata can assist with overflow work, back-up when a full-time staff member is out or on a temporary basis while the company is searching for a new full-time employee.

Would you like to speak with Amata team members to find someone that is a fit for you? Contact us today.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

What Top AM100 Law Firms Get For Law Support

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

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

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

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

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

What support services do AM 100 law firms get?

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

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

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

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

Think again.

Copy & Mailing Services

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

Deliveries

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

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

Research

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

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

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

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

Paralegals

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

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

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

Administrative Help

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

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

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

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

Enter Amata’s Lawyer Support Services

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

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

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

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

On-Demand Paralegals

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

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

Our paralegals are trained to handle:

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

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

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

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Simplify Your Day With Admin Assistants

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Lawyer life is hectic, and devoting time to administrative tasks diverts your attention away from working on your cases. Amata provides administrative assistant services in Chicago that will alleviate your burden. We pair you with a knowledgeable administrative assistant to handle day-to-day administrative tasks while allowing your firm to focus on more important ones. 

How Amata Can Make a Difference In Your Practice

Administrative Assistants

Amata’s administrative assistant services are available on an ongoing or temporary basis, depending on your law firm’s needs. We are committed to providing outstanding service at a reasonable price throughout the entire time you work with our team. Our trained professionals work closely with your firm and senior staff members to achieve the best possible result.

When you need us, we deliver the following administrative assistant services: 

  • Billing & data entry 
  • Binding 
  • Copying 
  • Document delivery 
  • Document translation (uncertified)
  • Document witness 
  • Electronic filing services 
  • Interpreter – on-site (call for additional languages) 
  • Interpreter – remote (on demand) 
  • Notary services 
  • Postage services 
  • Scanning 
  • Shredding 
  • Skip Tracing 
  • Translation/Interpreter Services 

Our main objective is to free up your time so that you can focus on growing your law firm, expanding your network, and serving clients. Your administrative assistant in Chicago is highly trained to produce exceptional work that meets today’s busy law firm needs.

Start a Conversation With Us Today

At Amata, we value your work as much as you do. With our administrative assistant services in Chicago, we take the guesswork out of filling support gaps. Let’s talk today by calling us at 1.888.358.8692 or sending us a message here. 

Why Hire an Administrative Assistant?

By providing superior administrative support, Amata’s services empower law firms. Our administrative assistants in Chicago possess a unique set of skills and experience that solo and small law firms demand. This feature ensures that you don’t waste time chasing around projects or disappointing clients.

The Power of Our Administrative Support Services in Chicago

Outsourcing your administrative services needs to Amata will help you manage your budget, reduce overhead expenses, and more. We empower your firm to meet demands without having to worry about internal staffing.

Additional advantages of working with Amata include:

  • Benefit #1. Reduced stress when handling last-minute deadlines 
  • Benefit #2. Maximizing your law firm’s bottom line 
  • Benefit #3. Creates extra time to dedicate towards your caseload 
  • Benefit #4. Access to a skilled and experienced workforce 
  • Benefit #5. Ability to tailor project specifications to your specific needs 

Amata is well-suited for a variety of individual administrative assistant projects, allowing you to maintain complete control over your workflow. We offer easy modes of communication, including messenger, text, email, phone, and video chat, so that you can seamlessly let us know how we can serve you better.

About Our Administrative Assistants

How We Compensate Administrative Assistants

We compensate Amata administrative assistants according to their experience, training, and expertise. Many of them come from working in-house and directly with lawyers. As such, they are familiar with the style, tone, and cadence at which you work.

Training Closely With Senior Staff Members

Amata may also hire administrative assistants with less than three years of experience. However, we recognize these individuals as standouts among other qualified applicants with promising legal careers. Our senior staff members work with them closely to help them gain experience for future advancement within our organization.

Prefer the Same Assistant? No Problem

Many of our clients prefer to work with the same administrative assistant throughout the time they use Amata’s services. We will match your needs with the most qualified candidate so that you engage in high-quality work while lowering your operating expenses and overhead.

Amata Works as an Extension of Your Law Firm

Dedicated Administrative Assistants

Are you tired of working with assistants on a short-term basis? Team up with a dedicated Amata administrative assistant who will become familiar with your methodologies. This allows you to focus on your craft without paying too much mind to administrative details.

Administrative Assistants On-Demand

Don’t let your caseload spiral out of control during busy periods. Work with an administrative assistant who handles stress well and can reliably complete essential tasks. Amata will find the time and resources to take some of the pressure off.

Control Your Operating Budget

Administrative assistant services are more affordable than you think. We offer our services on flat and hourly rates

so that you are NEVER caught off guard. Amata bills clients transparently and by the minute, not the hour, so that you don’t pay for more services than you use.

Let Us Stand In Line For You

Have you ever needed to make a run to the courthouse but felt crunched for time?

No problem: Amata has got your back!

We send team members to the County Clerk’s Office, Recorder’s Office, Secretary of State, Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Building each day. Not only can we file or pick up documents, but we can also pay for copies, deliver courtesy copies, or handle any other task that comes your way.

Just let us know how we can help, and we’ll be there.

Do You Need Administrative Assistant Services in Chicago?

Our administrative assistant services are available to fulfill your standalone needs or as part of our other attorney support services. Amata serves law firms in the Chicagoland area and throughout Illinois. We empower our clients by offering services that they truly need and nothing more.

You do not have to sacrifice client and case management standards due to staffing issues. Connect with the Amata team to learn more about your options. Call 1.888.358.8692 to start a conversation now, or send us a message here directly and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible. 

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Appellate Briefs Legal Support

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Amata eliminates the time-consuming task of preparing, reviewing, and filing appellate briefs. Our appellate briefs paralegal services in Chicago’s legal and financial districts have years of experience that your law firm can trust. Additionally, we review briefs for compliance against local court rules to ensure your caseload doesn’t miss a beat.

Appellate Briefs

Trusted Appellate Brief Paralegal Services Serving the Chicagoland Area

Our legal brief writing service and court filing services in Chicago handle a wide range of paralegal work related to appeals in Illinois’ state courts, federal appellate courts, and the United States Supreme Court. Amata also proudly provides clients with exceptional virtual and cloud-based services to make your experience as seamless as possible.

General Appellate Brief Paralegal Services

You can rely on our Chicago appellate brief paralegal services to deliver on the following:

  • Copying, mailing, and preparation services
  • Conversion of documents and files to digital
  • Appellate brief template set-up
  • Court filing services
  • Checking for compliance with local rules
  • And more!

E-Brief Preparation Services for Appellate Courts

Our appellate briefs paralegal services in Chicago can assist you with various tasks in your law practice. No matter the need, we can help you move toward a more efficient law firm at a fair price.

Our knowledgeable paralegals can assist your law firm with the following:

  • Conducting research
  • Appellate brief editing
  • Appellate brief formatting
  • Appellate brief attorney e-filing services
  • Confirmation follow-ups
  • And dedicate paralegal services

We are the additional set of eyes your practice requires to review your appellate brief to ensure it complies with the court’s formatting requirements. Amata will work with your in-house team to provide seamless legal services that support your law firm’s needs.

Flexibility on Your Terms

We leave it up to you how you wish to utilize our appellate services. Amata will thoroughly review all rules to ensure you access the most up-to-date versions, including searching for any updates or pending rule changes on your court’s website. Alternatively, we can assist you in drafting the necessary motions.

Legal Assistance

Our seasoned paralegal staff handles appeals involving a wide variety of issues throughout Illinois. Amata is well-versed in each appellate court’s written and unwritten rules and is adaptable in handling and resolving unusual situations.

Our team also offers attorney filing and paralegal services that provide:

  • ADMINISTRATIVE, PARALEGAL & NOTARY SERVICES: Amata charges you by the minute, not the hour.
  • FIXED-FEE COURTESY COPIES & COURT FILINGS: Get back to doing what you do best!
  • SPANISH TRANSLATION: Meet today’s market demands for phone calls, meetings, and documents

Apart from being knowledgeable about the numerous technical procedural requirements imposed by each court, our paralegals confidently explain such requirements to our attorneys. Our staff will not hesitate to inform clients when an interpretation of a court policy is unclear or should be discussed further with court clerks to obtain clarification.

Appellate Briefs Legal Support in Chicago

Get in touch with Amata today by calling or completing the form here.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Residential and Commercial Real Estate Closing Services

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Amata offers residential and commercial real estate closing services to law firms in Chicago. Our office handles legal document preparation and processing that delivers superior service at a fair price. We take pride in providing professional legal and administrative services with years of experience behind us.

Real Estate Closing Services

We Offer Residential & Commercial Real Estate Closing Services in Chicago

Real estate paralegal support services at Amata contributes to a solo or small law firm’s efficiency by providing legal assistance to real estate attorneys. Our paralegals can handle a wide range of tasks that support efficiency and accuracy.

Real estate paralegal jobs require excellent communication skills, organizational abilities, multitasking abilities, and professionalism. Confidentiality is also critical, as these paralegals deal with highly confidential materials and case details.

Chicagoland law firms can rely on us to deliver on the following services:

  • National e-recording all real estate documents
  • Assistance with residential real estate closings
  • Due diligence reviews
  • Eviction proceedings
  • And more

We also offer excellent communication and organization skills so that you feel confident when Amata speaks with your clients. Our on-site team speaks Spanish fluently and works with translation services to assist in any language!

Advantages of Hiring Outside Help

Real estate transactions are time-consuming and complicated. By utilizing our service to manage your real estate closings, you can rest assured that they will be managed in the most efficient, cost-effective, and professional manner possible.

There are numerous advantages to utilizing an off-site closing service, including:

  • Lower overhead costs
  • No payroll taxes
  • Lower cost of equipment and supplies.

Our goal is to alleviate the administrative stress lawyers experience with any real estate transaction. Whether your client is purchasing, selling, or refinancing, the transaction should be effortless and painless. Amata is here to help.

Why Choose Amata?

Amata offers experienced paralegal assistance in various legal areas, including corporate and business law, real estate, transactional support, and more. Whether your firm requires ongoing help or on-demand support, Amata can provide the professional, trained paralegal support you need to succeed.

Other benefits of working with Amata include:

  • Spanish-speaking paralegals
  • Fixed-fee copies and court filings
  • Billing by the minute, not the hour

When you work with Amata, we ensure that our paralegal support staff possesses the necessary experience and expertise. Avoid being stuck with under-qualified or insufficient support staff that is incapable of meeting your demands. Amata will assist you in resolving your paralegal staffing challenges.

Get Residential and Commercial Real Estate Closing Services in Chicago

You’re in the right place if you’re looking for high-quality, personalized service. Amata will treat you with the respect and personal service that you deserve. We provide the highest quality paralegal services.

Experience

Allow us to put our many years of experience in real estate paralegal support that we can put to work for you. Our team prepares documents, handles all pre-closing work and file preparation, including coordination, scheduling, and communication. Our results are proven effective as a time and cost-saving measure.

Contact

Connect with our office today if you are ready to learn more about Amata’s residential and commercial real estate closing services in Chicago!

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

An International Perspective: How One Attorney’s Network Expanded

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Sandra Chiarlone

When international lawyer Sandra Chiarlone traveled to the United States from Italy to practice law, she immediately knew she was in for a challenge. Despite only having law experience in Europe, and a language barrier to contend with, Chiarlone was determined to make Chicago her home.

“I visited the US and came here as a nobody,” Chiarlone said. “I was a small fish in a big pond.” And it was exactly what she wanted to be.

Luckily, there was a way to make that pond feel much smaller. Chiarlone’s practice, SC International Law Offices, operates out of one of four Amata Law Offices locations and utilizes the support staff to help manage her practice.

With COVID travel restrictions loosening worldwide, the reliable support team at Amata remains a crucial piece in the growth of international law practices everywhere but especially in Chicago where most of its 700+ lawyers are based, allowing Charlione to flourish.

Reliable Legal Support Services Fit Attorney Schedules

Between juggling multiple time zones and remaining sensitive to a myriad of cultural differences, the schedule of an international attorney can be complex. Amata’s in person and virtual support services can help make working from any city feel like home.

“Amata has been very important to my career. The solutions suggested for my office have been fantastic,” Chiarlone said. “[Before COVID] I used to travel every three to four months and Amata allowed me to run my international law practice no matter where my travels took me. I rely on the wonderful staff to help me.”

Chiarlone also noted that Amata-sponsored events have helped her connect with other lawyers and grow her practice in Chicago.

“I could refer cases to colleagues and they could refer to me, I was able to expand my network through the legal community that Amata has built and the events it organized,” Chiarlone said.

Much of the work Chiarlone is involved in deals with clients who are based in the United States and have ties to Italy, or vice versa. Balancing proceedings in multiple countries requires a dedicated and reliable team, such as Amata’s team.

“When I was abroad I could count on the Amata staff for the needs I had,” Chiarlone said.

Flexibility and Support Even During the Most Unusual Times

While most of Chiarlone’s cases revolve around Italian inheritances, property management and estate planning, the past year saw a flood of clients applying for dual citizenship. In 2020, American applicants for Italian dual citizenship alone grew considerably.

This increase in demand for international lawyers as a result of the applications for dual citizenship coincided with changes in workflow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with these changes, the Amata team ensured that lawyers such as Chiarlone could continue to focus on their clients and keep things running smoothly.

“It was the best during the pandemic because I could count on the staff, as I always can, with no problem,” Chiarlone said. “Now I work virtually. During the pandemic I had to meet in-person with some clients. I felt safe because of the investment Amata made to its offices. It was prompt in thinking about the safety needs of its attorneys, our clients and their personnel.”

Choice is freedom. That’s what Amata offers–the freedom to practice in a way that suits you, your firm and your clients best, and grants you a balanced life while you watch your practice flourish and grow. Learn how Amata can support your business by filling out the form below.

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.