09 Mar 6 Areas Your Law Firm Can Outsource to Make Life Easier
Law firms are busy hives of activity. A lot of work goes into an attorney’s work, but not all of it has to be done by the lawyer. Legal outsourcing is an excellent way for law firms to save time and money. It leaves their team of attorneys time to do what they need without worrying about tasks that they can outsource. Some of the tasks that can be outsourced are best left to people who are professionals in that area, like marketing. Your law firm will be more efficient and yield better results overall with the help of outsourcing.
Why Law Firms Should Outsource
There are several reasons why law firms should consider outsourcing some of their work. Things like marketing and IT can take away from time that attorneys could be spending on other tasks. Plus, law firms should consider hiring experts in those fields since it’s out of their realm. Other outsourcing can help to save time, like medical record retrieval for law firms and document reviews. Here are just a few reasons law firms should outsource:
- Manage work overflow
- Reduction in costs
- Qualified team on hand
- Save valuable time
- Smooth litigation process
- Allow employees to focus on deep work
- Enhance quality of service
What Can Be Outsourced
This article will cover six different areas your law firm should consider for outsourcing. Some are obvious choices, like marketing and IT. By outsourcing tasks like that, which lawyers aren’t necessarily familiar with or comfortable doing, you will save so much time and have a much better result. Other tasks are ones that lawyers might be good at doing, but they take a lot of time. To be more efficient, law firms should try outsourcing things like record retrieval and administrative tasks.
1. Administrative Tasks
Daily administrative tasks are one of the first things that law firms should outsource. Think of all the time your team of attorneys could save if they didn’t have to do tasks like invoices, scheduling, and taking phone calls. So many lawyers end up working overtime because they don’t have enough time in the day to get their work done. A secretary or administrative assistant could do everything from bookkeeping to transferring information to recording time entries. Outsourcing your administrative tasks will save your law firm time and probably money in the long run.
2. Marketing
Marketing is a critical aspect of any business, especially law firms who want to attract new clients. The world of marketing has changed a lot over the years. Gone are the days when law firms could put up a billboard or an advertisement in the local paper and drum up new business. Now firms need to work on a forward-focus marketing strategy, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and email marketing. Information should be available on the law firm’s website for access 24/7. In short, marketing legal services is a lot more work than you might expect. Thankfully, there are experts who can assist you with it. A few strategies an outsourced marketing expert might use when working for a law firm include:
- Create and manage a website that is mobile-friendly and visually appealing.
- Respond to reviews and client comments quickly.
- Invest in SEO, so your law firm comes up in Google search results.
- Write blog posts and landing pages for your website.
- Create an FAQ page for future clients who are curious about your services.
- Manage social media accounts and engage with clients and associates on the platforms.
- Send out regular email marketing campaigns to new and existing clients.
3. Medical Record Retrieval
In many legal cases, lawyers need help retrieving medical records. This is a task that law firms should outsource for several reasons. Medical records often provide vital information to a case but can be challenging to collect and manage. Law firms can save time and money by hiring a document retrieval service. Once the documents are retrieved, they have to be secured and organized. If anything goes wrong, it could put the whole case in jeopardy. Managing records will take time away from your staff as well. They have to navigate authorization, be specific on what they’re looking for, and track and manage everything effectively. For all of these reasons, law firms should consider outsourcing medical record retrieval.
4. IT Services
Law firms should consider outsourcing for their IT service provider in order to remain fast and efficient. Even if your building provides IT help, you may be stuck waiting for the IT guy or dealing with malicious software. IT doesn’t just cover WiFi or printers anymore, but all of your technological services. You’ll want to ensure your firm is protected against viruses and other attacks on your server or devices. An IT service provider can make sure you’re covered and keep your law firm running smoothly with no wasted time.
5. Legal Writing and Research
Law firm associates spend a lot of time researching cases and litigation. They are typically working on demanding deadlines, making research time a precious resource. If your attorneys are spending more time doing clerical or paralegal work than actually drafting motions or documents for clients, then it’s time to outsource your legal writing and research. This decision could save costs too, because your lawyers will be able to focus on billable hours.
6. Document Review
Document review is another task that is very time-consuming for law firms. Document review can include coding of documents, preparing deposition summaries, and other tedious work. If you are looking to expand your law practice, outsourcing document review can be a significant step in helping you grow. Document review services offer competitive rates without compromising on quality, which will save you time and money.
Choosing to Outsource
The choice to outsource some tasks can help your law firm be more efficient and successful. Taking tasks out of your attorneys’ hands will free up their time to be more focused and client-driven. Outsourcing marketing, IT, and other time-consuming tasks will help cut costs and keep your lawyers from wasting time on busywork. Even using document retrieval services can help your firm. When you make a choice to outsource, you will be taking advantage of services that will help your practice grow and find success.