Planning for Law Firms

Below are planning tips and resources to help implement them. Planning can achieve goals and reduce stress. Start planning with an annual assessment and then create goals like improving relationships, managing caseloads, and work/life balancing. Put your goals into action with planning tools like apps, audits, budgets, checklists, and diaries. Work on one goal at a time to avoid overwhelming yourself. 
Tips
Budgets – prepare annual budgets and monitor them monthly.
Calendars – try calendaring apps to record appointments, notes, and deadlines.
Checkups – use checklists and to-do lists to create action plans for cases and clients.
Plans –  create plans and periodically review them to identify areas for improvement.
Technologies – use apps and software to perform routine tasks. 
Analog Tools
Audits – Firm and Individual.
Budgets - Operating, Cash Flow, and Capital Expenditures.
Calendars and Diaries - Amsterdam, At-a-Glance, Day-Timer, Moleskin, and Per Annum.
Checklists - Firm, Individual, and Technology.
Plans – Business, Marketing, Personal, and Professional

Apps
Assisting - Alexa, Cortana, Google, and Siri
Calendaring - Apple Calendar, Calendly, Google Calendar, and Outlook.
Listing – Apple Reminders, Asana, Microsoft To Do, and Todoist,
Note-Taking - Apple Notes, Evernote, Google Keep, and Microsoft OneNote.
Managing – Clio, MyCase, Practice Panther, and Rocket Matter.

Articles
Julie Bays and Jim Callaway, Why Should a Solo Law Firm Budget, Law Practice Magazine, Sep. 21, 2021.
Andrea Cannavina, 10 Quick Tips to Organize Your Law Office and Control the Chaos, Attorney at Work, Oct. 7, 2022.
Christopher Earley, Creating a Marketing Budget, GP Solo, Jul. 26, 2024.
Norma Harris, Why Do Lawyers Need to Keep Up With Legal Technology, Law Technology Today, Mar. 23, 2023.
Sharon Miki, How to Set Lawyer Goals for Success, Clio, Dec. 11, 2020.
Keith Lee, Annual Planning for Lawyers – Reference Guide, Associates Mind, Nov. 24, 2015.

Books
Kelly Anders, The Organized Lawyer, Carolina Academic Press, Jan. 1, 2009.
John Iezzi, Results-Oriented Financial Management, ABA Book Publishing, May 19, 2015.
Jeremy Waymond Richter, Building a Better Law Practice: Become a Better Lawyer in Five Minutes a Day, ABA Book Publishing, Jun. 27, 2018.
Daniel Siegel, et al., Checklists for Lawyers, ABA Book Publishing, Nov. 24, 2014.
Edward Poll, Attorney and Law Firm Guide to the Business of Law: Planning and Operating for Survival and Growth, 3rd Ed, ABA Book Publishing, Apr. 10, 2014.
Daniel Siegel, et al., Checklists for Lawyers, ABA Book Publishing, Nov. 24, 2014.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Responding to Emails

Below are tips for responding to emails from clients, lawyers, and prospects, Prompt replies improve goodwill, relationships, and reputations.  For more guidance, see the articles and books listed below. And for examples, see below for sample responses to website inquiries. Tips Attachments - summarize attachments and include a list at the end of  message. Automating  - automate replies to acknowledge receipt and provide timeline. Courtesy - be empathetic, polite, and positive.  Length - keep messages short (use attachments for long messages). Promptness  - respond within 24 hours. Subject - limit to a few words to improve visibility. Articles Accelerating Replies Automating Responses Chat Tools Client Portals Designing a Contact Page Do's and Don'ts Emailing Professionally Ethics of Email Handling Unsolicited Inquiries Responding to Lawyers Sign-Offs and Signature Blocks Using Forms Books Mastering Email Writing Professional Email Samples Family Law Advocates ...
Read more

Designing a Contact Page

Contact pages are an essential part of law firm websites. They facilitate communication with prospects and clients by providing the firm's address, phone number, and a form for emailing, or texting, or live chat.  Contact pages can be linked to client relationship software to improve client intake, marketing, and case management. Consider including a disclaimer that a contact form submission or email does not initiate an attorney-client relationship. Improve your firm's contact page by reading articles about disclaimers , design , enhancement , importance , responding to inquiries , and using QR codes . Consider adding a  client relationship app  to your Contact Page with software like Capterra, Clio, MyCase, and Zola. Read  books about Getting Prospects,   Marketing Online ,  and Virtual Offices . Click here  to view examples or see below for links to sample Contact pages at law firm websites and their client relationship app. Samples of Contact Pages...
Read more

Welcoming New Clients

Make new clients welcome by providing them with a welcome kit. The kit can be posted on firm websites, physically delivered at in-person  consultations or emailed for virtual consultations. Below are tips for creating welcome kits and links to resources to help you welcome new clients.  Tips Benefits - welcome kits create favorable impressions, set expectations, and streamline the onboarding process.    Contents - include a contact page, client questionnaire, firm brochure, retention agreement, and welcome letter. Cover - put the contents in a presentation folder imprinted with the firm's name to make it memorable. Digital - create a PDF or video for the benefit of clients that consult virtually or prefer being paperless. Education - use the ki t to introduce members of the firm, billing procedures, client responsibilities, possible outcomes, and timelines.   Tools - keep clients happy by using additional tools like practice management apps and client ...
Read more