When it comes to running a successful law office, hard work and good business sense pay off. What if you could achieve just as much (or more success) if you worked smarter instead of harder? That’s a goal all lawyers should strive for. The legal industry is stressful enough. Many lawyers hate to take time away from their offices. As a result, burnout can occur. Burnout and fatigue could cause you to face a higher than normal risk of having a bar complaint filed against you. Let’s look at some way that you can work smarter instead of harder.
Revisit Your Goals
Ultimately, you’re running a business. What goals do you have as a business? Can you reasonably meet those goals? If your law firm has a mission statement, do your actions reflect it?
Revisit your client profile. Are you taking on the right sort of clients? Do you have enough clients to meet your goals? If not, it’s time to consider what you’ll do to remedy the situation.
Setting clear goals for your law office and determining where it will be in one year, five years, and ten years is a crucial part of planning your success. Look into CLEs and retreats related to goal setting and legal marketing. Talk with your colleagues about who they use for marketing services. Consider getting the help that you need to take your law firm to the next level.
Hire and Inspire
Many lawyers handle both the substantive legal work and the administrative side of things. This is great and can save you some money, but can become an issue as your practice grows. It’s important that you remember that your focus and time should be devoted to only the things that licensed attorneys are allowed to do. Don’t be afraid to hire the right staff to help you. Having staff to take care of incoming calls, client intake, research, drafting basic documents, filing items with the court, and docketing gives you more time to handle the legal needs of your client and to visit with prospective clients.
Then, inspire your staff members. Embrace total quality management. Treat your staff with respect and fairness. Show them that you value them. Encourage them and let them share in your dream of what you want to get out of the practice of law. They can help you find innovative ways to reach your goals You never know when a small idea can turn into big profit.
Create a Routine and Use It
By creating a routine for your work day, you protect your time. It also helps you and everyone else on your staff know what they should be doing and when. This keeps your staff from having to ask what needs to be done or doing nothing. Time is money and keeping a routine for all areas will save you both time and money.
Clients ARM Helps Law Firms Get More Done
Clients ARM can help your law practice meet its goals and help you focus more of your time on growing your practice. Let us help you work smarter instead of harder. Clients ARM offers unique services for the legal industry. Contact Clients ARM today for a free consultation so that we can show you exactly how we can help your practice.
