Make a fresh start this year with a focused team, a financial plan, organized files, and a decluttered computer. Here are some tasks you can accomplish this month to help keep your office running smoothly and profitably throughout the year. 1. Help staff set and achieve goals. Addressing staff issues in January gets people charged up for the year and gives you a roadmap for … [Read more...] about To-Dos: Your January checklist
Client relations
TO-DOs: Your December office checklist
Congratulations on making it through 2022! We hope it was a successful and satisfying year for you and your firm and that you take some time this month to celebrate your accomplishments. Of course, the work never stops, so here are some reminders for this month. Start thinking about the firm's taxes. Are there any bills you can pay this year to offset any unexpected income … [Read more...] about TO-DOs: Your December office checklist
Public image counts just as much as legal quality: 7 good rules
It takes more than good lawyering to make a practice a success. Just as important is a good public image. Here Trey Ryder, a legal marketing consultant in Payson, AZ, gives seven ways to make the firm look good. Rule #1: Pay up! Few people know much at all about the law firms in their community, Ryder says. They don't know the good from the bad. But what does get around … [Read more...] about Public image counts just as much as legal quality: 7 good rules
Law firm focuses on elder client needs
An elder law practice deals with non-legal issues other firms rarely encounter, says the founder of a seven attorney elder law firm in North Carolina. Often a client is accompanied by an adult child and confidentiality becomes a concern. Often both spouses are clients and one is incapacitated, opening the door to the question of whether the spouse has the mental capacity to … [Read more...] about Law firm focuses on elder client needs
Unique client communication approach gives small firm a huge marketing advantage
Like many small firms, one Michigan office operates in a precarious environment. With only two attorneys and four staff, it faces heavy competition from larger firms as well as from firms opening satellite offices. And because the city itself is small, the client prospect pool is limited, says the administrator of the office. So the firm devised a … [Read more...] about Unique client communication approach gives small firm a huge marketing advantage
Simple ways to kill every tried and true legal marketing effort
The most sophisticated marketing can fall flat from the simplest attorney mistakes. Here are five of them. They are outlined by Deb Scaringi, a Boston marketing and business development consultant to professional service firms. 1. When the follow-up becomes stalking The first mistake is too much zeal, or killing a prospect with too much follow-up. Follow-up is essential. … [Read more...] about Simple ways to kill every tried and true legal marketing effort
How to make sure your intake consultation covers all the services your firm provides
In a law firm, service counts. In fact, it's often the service more than the legal abilities that brings in repeat business, says practice management and marketing consultant Allison C. Shields of Legal Ease Consulting in New York City. For that reason, the service needs to be covered in the initial consultation so the client knows what to expect and the attorney knows what … [Read more...] about How to make sure your intake consultation covers all the services your firm provides
7 ways to improve your billings and collections processes
The financial face of the legal business has changed over the years and most firms have learned to become aggressive about collecting outstanding accounts. However, if your firm is still allowing clients to delay payment, recognize that it's costing you money, sometimes a lot of money. "An unpaid bill is an interest-free loan," says business and financial management … [Read more...] about 7 ways to improve your billings and collections processes
The engagement letter: safety comes from clarity
Six things that client needs to know An engagement letter is protection – for both firm and client. It prevents argument on what the firm is expected to do for the client and what the client is expected to do for the firm. Thus, it needs to be clear, brief, and readable. Don't give the client "a scholarly work or something that reads like an insurance policy," says … [Read more...] about The engagement letter: safety comes from clarity
17 quick tips for law firm leaders
By Robert Denney bio Here are some quick pointers to keep in mind, whether you've been a firm leader for decades or are new to the position. Have a vision. If you don't know where you're going, you'll never get there. Develop a strategic plan and follow it. Hell is paved with good intentions and business plans that were never implemented. … [Read more...] about 17 quick tips for law firm leaders