The National Creditors Bar Association Law Practice Management Blog

A lot of law firms know they’re inefficient, but don’t know why.   ( I know, it sounds like a country song. )     But, the reason is pretty simple: it’s because those law firms don’t employ systems.  By default, law firms that build and apply workflows can work faster and more accurately.   At that point, the discourse changes, from ‘why are we so inefficient’ to ‘how do we become more efficient’.  And, answering that question, over and over again, not only engenders a mindset change, but allows for law firm operations to continually be refined.  It opens up a whole new business culture.     Applying systems in a law firm also has additional, potentially unexpected benefits:     -Systems offer a more consistent customer experience, which will improve your reputation among clients.     -Systems reduce or eliminate simple errors, that can lead to malpractice claims.     -Systems make it easier to manage remote...

A lot of law firms have been sitting on hourly rates for a long, long time.     But, trends are emerging that  are  causing attorneys to reconsider that hard stance, among them the fact that legal consumers are seeking flat fees  --  they want to know the total cost of  the  representation.  Couple that with the fact that law firm rates barely keep up with inflation, and  the massive changes that the rise of the convenience economy has wrought, and there’s probably no better time to reconsider your rates than right now.   If you do decide to shift off of your standard billing practices, there are a number of options, including:     -Raising your hourly rates, even incrementally, on a schedule, can deliver significant revenue gains  over time.     - Launching flat fees on a rolling basis  works as starting point .  It’s not like you need to decide tomorrow whether you are going to move to flat fees,...

I’m fond of telling lawyers that if they’re not making enough  money  out of their practices to generate a viable living, th en they  have a hobby, not a business.     But, I don’t mean to denigrate hobbies.   Hobbies are great.  And, many lawyers are far too focused on be ing  lawyers to develop one – but, they should!  Lawyers are people, too, and need an outlet.     Sure, it’s good to be a well-rounded person; but, having a hobby can also help you to drive business.     Look, everybody’s  got  specific things they’re interested  in  – and, some of them are weird, frankly.  But, the crazy thing about it is that there is a community out there for everyone.  Like basketball?  You can find other s  who do.  Maybe scrimshaw’s your thing?  Somebody else likes it, too.  Collect state spoons?  Somebody’s grandma does, and you  two  can hang.   ...