There’s been lots of talk about law firm efficiency of late.  And so, some folks address the value of workflows.  And others talk about how important it is to generate metrics around efficiency.  And then there’s the pressure coming from clients fed up with the inefficiencies inherent in traditional law practice and law firm billing.  So it makes sense that every law firm out there is looking to work faster, and smarter.

And the way to make sure that the right people get the right message is to create specific, segmented lists of your contacts. 

My dad, like all dads, had some choice phrases to impart.  One was that I shouldn’t step over a dime to pick up a penny.  (Not sure why I would do that, but . . .)  And that you have to spend money to make money.  It’s actually pretty sage business advice – especially for budget-conscious lawyers.

You see it all the time, but if you get too buddy-buddy with your employee and you try to act like somebody’s friend, the next thing you know, your work “friend” is taking three-hour lunches, or bagging at 3 p.m., without any kind of notice.  This kind of thing is particularly fraught in a remote work environment.

Every time you get an email message, your phone dings.  Every time you get a text, it buzzes.  And every time a new lead comes into your business, you get pinged in 17 different places.

There are a number of different factors related to the types of client work you want.  So, when you talk to your referral sources, you’ll need to keep reminding them of the type of work you want, and whether and how that ask changes over time.

Law firm accounts receivable can be gnarly – sometimes extending into the six figures. Now, there are a couple of responses to that.  The preferred option is to eliminate accounts receivable altogether, which can be done using epayment options and potentially evergreen retainers combined with stop work orders.