5 minute read
Grand Slam: 4 Workflows You Need in Your Law Practice
WORK FLOW
By Jared D. Correia, Esq. Red Cave Consulting
Building and managing processes is the key to managing a successful business. That includes law firm businesses, by the way. Even if attorneys have been reticent to adopt processes into their business models. Processes are rooted in workflows – which are just aggregations of tasks. Tasks within a workflow each need to be assigned to at least one individual. Entire workflows can be managed via software tools, like productivity software, task management software and/or law practice management software – which means that lawyers don’t have to be overbearing micromanagers any longer. Checking on the status of a case is as simple as logging in, and seeing which tasks are due – which have been done, and which have not. Law firms that use workflows tend to be more efficient, make fewer mistakes and offer their clients a more consistent customer experience. But, what sort of workflows do you need? At least these four types: (1) Administrative Workflows: A successful (and, by that I mean: efficient and profitable) law firm is one in which attorneys can delegate work effectively, and practice at the top of their law licenses – because you can’t pilot the plane, and pass out the pretzels at the same time. But, for administrative staff, workflows ensure that everybody is on the same page, and can quickly access specific task sets, allowing them to get back to (potentially billable) substantive work, faster. (2) Substantive Workflows: These are case workflows. While every law firm thinks their work product on each case is a special little snowflake, there are similarities among case types. And, it’s likely that, if you sat down and thought about it, you could probably generate anywhere from 5-10 tasks for each case type, that you need to do every. single. time. And, that’s the root of your case management process. Installing these means that you and your team will make fewer errors, and that your customers will have a common and streamlined experience with your firm. (3) Intake Workflow: After the COVID pandemic hit, law firms became hyper-aware of the fact that they were lacking in automated and/or virtual intake processes, as the traditional, in-person systems they relied on became suddenly unavailable. For modern law firms, then, it’s essential to develop a ‘client journey’, or a map of how a lead becomes a client, and then automate that, to the extent possible, using technology applications. (4) Closing Workflow: When a case completes, most law firms don’t do much of anything; but, there should also be a case-closing workflow in your practice. Rather than simply archiving your file (electronically or otherwise), and calling it a day – truly close out the file. If you’re a personal injury attorney, make those disbursements. If you’re a real estate attorney, get those mortgage discharges. And,
for each and every one of your closed cases, transfer an electronic version of the client file, or make it accessible to the client + add them to an email list of former clients for remarketing purposes. The next logical question, once you build your workflows, is: what software do you launch them in? As alluded to above, there are lots of options. Law practice management software or case management software is a relational database for law firms that tracks matters, and associated information: time and billing records, calendar events and appointments, and tasks. That last one is important, because, as it turns out, attorneys can build and manage workflows in case management software, and those workflows can also appear on the attorney’s preferred calendar, when the productivity software and case management software can be integrated. This includes those tasks within a workflow that have been assigned to others. The same goes for time and billing software (which focuses on time and billing data and metrics for clients, and is not a robust ‘matter management’ suite) – so long as the software can integrate with calendaring software. Or you can leave your calendar out of it entirely, as there are standalone task management tools that do not necessarily invoke a calendar, and that can be used to manage workflows, as well. These tools can also provide a nonstandard array, if you prefer, say a Kanban board, to a traditional list of tasks. There are almost as many technology tools as there are workflows options. Perhaps the best news about the effective addition of processes to the law firm environment is that it doesn’t only provide an immediate boost to law firm revenue, it’ll also have a lasting effect, and perhaps in more ways than you think. Building processes makes your law firm a more compelling acquisition target when or if you might decide to sell. Most law firm owners can only offer their thenexisting book of business plus good will in a sale; but, that only goes so far, as the selling attorney walks away, and has limited value. Instead, transferring that in addition to viable processes for substantive work, and maybe a marketing system, to boot, significantly increases the value of the law firm asset. And, as more and more U.S. jurisdictions consider alternative business structures in the legal space, it may not even be a traditional law firm that reaches out to buy your practice. Now, who knew that creating workflows could have significant effects?
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