Does Your Law Firm Need an Operations Manager?

Originally published August 31, 2020. Updated April 10, 2023.

Sometimes a law firm’s needs are self-evident. When caseloads are too heavy, hiring another attorney can help. If your support staff spends too much time answering phone calls or greeting clients, you clearly need a receptionist. However, the need for some positions isn’t always as obvious. One of the best examples is the role of an operations manager.

An operations manager is an upper-level management role, and it includes looking at the entirety of your law firm’s operations to maximize opportunities and reduce wasteful or redundant processes.

An operations manager can turn a good law firm into a great one. But are they necessary at every firm? Our blog dives into the topic.

What Does an Operations Manager Do?

Though the responsibilities of an operations manager might vary from one law firm to another, they tend to have similar job descriptions.

• Operations managers optimize the back-end functions of a firm.
• They might help organize lead generation efforts.
• They often work closely with IT, human resources, billing, and third-party vendors hired by your firm.

Good operations managers have strong organizational and time management skills that help improve a firm’s administrative processes. They’re problem solvers, wear many different hats, and they provide a higher-level view of what a firm does effectively and where it can improve.

5 Signs Your Law Firm Needs an Operations Manager

There are a few indicators that your law firm needs an operations manager:

• Your attorneys or executives are bogged down with administrative duties.
• Your firm is increasingly disorganized, and departments are finding communication difficult.
• Team members are frequently performing tasks that aren’t relevant to their roles in the firm.
• Your firm is rapidly growing, and team members are struggling to keep up.
• No one is responsible for thinking about the big picture of your firm.

If you feel overworked, disorganized, and in need of help, it’s time to evaluate what’s missing from your firm. It might just be an operations manager.

When NOT to Hire an Operations Manager

Just because your firm struggles to stay organized doesn’t mean hiring an operations manager is the solution. There are also reasons not to create this role at your law firm:

• If you are struggling to pay employees or bringing in far less than you pay out, a new hire might not be an option.
• If your law firm’s problems are less administrative and more legal-oriented, then another attorney or paralegal could be more valuable.

Before deciding to invest in hiring an operations manager, first consider other solutions to your problems. Some challenges can be better addressed by using the right tool.

For example, practice management software could improve your firm’s organization and communication at a fraction of the price of an operations manager.

At backdocket, we work closely with small- to mid-size firms to make sure they have the tools they need to better communicate internally and with clients or third parties.

Backdocket helps team members save time and focus on their job duties through easy-to-use dashboards, centralized information, and automated tasks.

Learn More About backdocket With a Free Demonstration

If you’re unsure whether you want to hire an operations manager or if you’re simply looking for a smarter way to work, we encourage you to consider all your options.

Contact backdocket today to schedule a free demonstration of our practice management software.