Reboot Your Law Practice

After Scott is knocked out for the count by a bad cold, the hosts discuss ways that a solo practitioner can get some back up in the case of an emergency. You must have something in place for contingencies, vacations, sick days or double-booked court dates you can't attend. Per diem lawyers, office shares, joining websites and listservs that provide that coverage are ways you can build a safety net for yourself and your practice.

We recognize that we push networking a lot – an awful lot. But we bring it up again because it is vital to growing a practice. We have given lots of suggestions about ways to "Get yourself out there" and we do not expect that anyone can do all of them. But in this episode, we talk about ways to explore opportunities for networking in places or in groups that you are already spending your time – Little League, Volunteer Firehouse, Place of Worship. All of these could be a chance to talk about your business and find referral partners. So keep an open mind and look around you for a way to help you network your practice in your community

Rome wasn't built in a day and the same will be true for your practice. The hosts discuss how they started this podcast after their individual "Reboots" have blossomed and after many ups and downs. Listeners are encouraged to remember that it may take a while for the fruits of their efforts to be noticeable. You may have to adapt, modify, re-tool or even start over completely along the way. It's hard to keep your chin up while you wait for it to happen, but don't sit idly by during that period. Keep at improving as many elements of your practice as you can and you will then be ready and in a better place once business starts to come in.

Steven Funari from Law Office Suites wrote a recent article that discussed 7 important things that solo practitioners should do. Steven recognizes how overwhelming it can be to be a small or solo attorney and gives this tips to help attorneys with time management, become lean, grow professionally and personally and just be able to deal with the every day stress of running your own practice. We chime in with our opinions about each of the activities. You can check out Steven's website at http://lawfirmsuites.com/

When Scott discovers that one of his main phone number somehow stopped working, it leads to a discussion about the need to continually check and update your social media. When you have a small or solo firm it can take very little to derail a month of revenue if something is wrong with your social media or marketing presence. Vigilance is everything. Periodically check your webpage, your phone system and your marketing to make sure things are working. Also, check to see whether the information you are putting out there about yourself and your firm are stale. Finally, a website you put up two years ago will look old-fashioned and send a message to your client that you are dated and out of step with current tools and technology.

Lisa Solomon discusses how attorneys can use nowcounsenletwork.com. Specifically how to initiate contact and get a quote, how billing works and the parameters of the attorney/freelancer agreement. We then discuss how working with an experienced freelance lawyer can help you provide the service that your clients are accustomed to while gaining back time for yourself to build your practice. We also discuss how she vets the attorneys who do work for nowcounsenletwork.com and how an attorney can become a freelancer.

Lawyers who become busy have traditionally had only one option. Hire an associate. But due to technology and shifts in the marketplace, hiring a freelance lawyer is now easier than ever. This week, Scott talks to Lisa Solomon from Now Counsel Network who discusses how hiring a freelancer can help solo and small firms, increase profits, lessen stress and grow their practices. Lisa can be reached at http://nowcounselnetwork.com and @nowcounselnet

Lawyers likely get inundated with ads for client management or practice management software that make numerous promises that will revolutionize your practice. Look past the promises and investigate the validity of the claims made. You need to find the proper program that is streamlined to your needs. Some programs specialize in email drip campaigns; some help you with intake forms; others help you set up an intake system right from your website. It's not one size fits all and you can spend a lot of money on programs and systems that will give you things you don't need and won't fulfill the needs for your practice. The host discuss experiences with these systems and some of the issues they have come across.

Getting properly paid for your time is essential to a successful practice but also one of the most difficult goals to obtain. How do you set the right price? How do you get clients to commit to paying right at the initial consultation? Oscar and Scott discuss what has worked in the past for their practices and provide some concrete tips in dealing with getting retained by prospective clients. You have to be comfortable in quoting fees and finding that right figure for each matter that makes sense to you and your practice. Accessing mentors and referral partners for advice and suggestions about fee ranges will help give you confidence that you are in the right ballpark. The hosts remind listeners that the core themes of authenticity and value still matter the most in that initial consultation.

In this episode, the hosts discuss how they use texting and visual voicemail to help maintain client communication. In today's world, clients expect a much higher level of connectivity and communication with their lawyer. Scott and Oscar chat about how they decided to give clients their cell phone numbers to ease communication and make themselves more productive and how they manage client expectations about contact and responding to inquiries. That leads to a discussion on how using tech to increase client intake. Without a doubt, maintaining a good flow of communication with clients is central to a growing practice.