Deliver High Quality Legal Services with Systems
As I’ve said elsewhere on this site: It is critical that all law firms have a system in place for everything it does; basically, it needs a user’s manual. This manual can build equity in your business and allow you to go on vacation. It can also ensure that the practice does quality work.
How Legal Systems Ensure Quality Work
Without systems in place, you will never know whether you deliver consistent quality of work from one case to the next. If you do things by the seat of your pants, or worse, your staff does, you cannot effectively control the quality of the work product.
You need to determine what the hallmarks are of good quality legal work and a client-centric practice and then make sure there are systems in place for everything you do in your office. This will make sure that that quality is maintained. This means having a system in place for everything that happens on a file, or in your office, from the time the initial intake is done with the potential client to the time when you complete the work, close the file, and hope that they will refer other clients to you.
Lawyers Are Human; They Need Systems!
We are human beings; we seldom do the same task exactly the same every time. Thus, without systems, it is impossible to maintain consistency. In addition, systems help to prevent mistakes. You are far less likely to forget a step in the process if all of them have been carefully laid out for you in advance. When you are doing consistently quality work, you build a reputation with your clients, as well as your colleagues in the legal community, and that good reputation will lead to referrals, more work, and growth. In short, systems help you to build, establish, and maintain your brand.
Build Your Systems As You Go!
Don’t be intimidated by the process. As the old saying goes: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Don’t try to write the law firm user’s manual all at once. Every time you do something on a file, write down all the steps! Make them easy to follow. Put them in a binder or in a folder on your file server. This will make it easier to do, rather than all at once.
Doing this is also a good idea if any one of your staff quits or if you hire a new staff member. The manual will make onboarding the replacement or the new hire so much easier!
Don’t Know Where to Begin?
I know; it’s a daunting task to write an owner’s manual for your practice. If you need guidance and/or assistance along the way, I’m here to help. My coaching program provides a great resource for creating these systems that can make your practice run more smoothly, allow you to build equity, and enable you to retire some day!
Give me a call at 856-345-9699 or shoot me an e-mail to discuss how I can help!
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