Originally published August 23, 2021. Updated May 11, 2023.
One of the biggest problems facing attorneys in a growing law firm is having too much to do. That can sometimes be a good problem to have, especially if it means your services are in demand. However, a jam-packed schedule can also become a major hindrance if left unaddressed.
The best way for lawyers to make their lives simpler and more manageable is delegation. You’ve probably heard a lot about the wonders of freeing up your schedule through delegation, but it can be challenging to know where to begin.
Let’s look at the most important aspects of finding which tasks to delegate and who to delegate them to.
Which tasks do you regularly do that don’t match your skills? If you aren’t great at doing them, and it’s not essential that you perform these tasks yourself, then you’ve just identified to-do items that should be delegated to others at your firm.
If you are constantly late on certain tasks and these delays are creating roadblocks for other team members, consider it a sign that you should take those responsibilities off your plate. Again, it’s important to ask yourself if it really needs to be you that has these duties. If the answer is “yes,” then look elsewhere to free up more bandwidth. If the answer is “no,” then feel free to delegate away!
If your role as a practicing attorney is being hampered by administrative tasks, such as filing legal documents or addressing employees’ questions, then you’re not able to fully focus on your priorities.
Many lawyers face this fork in the road as their firms grow. They can choose to either focus on the business and/or administrative side of running their firms or on the legal aspects of handling cases.
If you’re currently juggling all these responsibilities, then it’s time to decide which path to take. If you’ve made the decision to focus on casework, it’s time to delegate as many administrative tasks as possible.
If you dive into how you spend your hours every week, you might find that several “small” tasks aren’t even worth real estate on your calendar. Taken individually, these tasks are so small they might even be overlooked. In aggregate, however, they become a serious time suck.
You’ll likely notice that many of these tasks are administrative in nature, such as booking appointments. But you might also encounter basic research tasks or other responsibilities that could easily be delegated to other team members or removed from your schedule entirely. Routine phone calls and unnecessary meetings are common culprits to be placed on the chopping block.
The burden of your tasks could otherwise be greatly minimized by using practice management software to centralize and manage it all.
Some of the tasks you regularly perform might be, from your perspective, a misallocation of your time. However, those same tasks could be a great opportunity for other team members. For example, if you typically pull public records from a county clerk’s office database, it might affect your workflow. Yet, for a legal assistant, doing this task could be a chance to learn something new.
It’s not easy to change habits, and that includes performing certain duties as part of your job. You’ll be tempted to do “just this one thing” that you’d sworn to delegate. You’ll feel the urge to micromanage those you’ve trusted to take on these tasks. Barring a crisis or unforeseen circumstances, DO NOT give into this urge.
Once you surrender yourself to the process and start focusing on those tasks you deem most important, you’ll find your work life far more manageable and engaging. Stay the course and focus on what you’re best at!
Through backdocket’s customizable dashboards, you can easily see all the tasks you have on your plate. You can also communicate easily with teammates to help free up your time and focus on the work that matters most.
If you’d like to learn how backdocket can help your firm grow, contact us today to schedule a free demonstration of our practice management software.
Are you looking for ways to improve mental health and well-being in your law firm? Our free downloadable guide explains how backdocket’s practice management software can help reduce stress for your employees and promote work-life balance.
Download the PDF today to learn more about how backdocket’s software can help your law firm.
Δ
Backdocket’s automated features can help reduce workload, streamline workflow, enhance communication, improve work-home balance, and reduce stress for your law firm.
With customizable dashboards, real-time notifications, and integration with popular tools like Office 365 and Google, backdocket is a powerful solution for managing your law firm’s operations and boosting the well-being of each team member.
Schedule a demo today and see for yourself how it can transform your practice.
Practice management software has become vital for law firms seeking to streamline their workflows and attract and retain top legal talent. A survey by the American Bar Association in 2022 found 83% of lawyers would like high-quality access to office online files to feel supported for their work.
Streamlining business processes with practice management software can help law firms boost productivity and retain employees. Keeping skilled employees also means creating an efficient workplace to enhance employee morale.
Discover how a cloud-based practice management software like backdocket can help your firm stay organized and retain quality employees.
Practice management software can help firms retain highly skilled legal talent because the team is more efficient, effective, and collaborative.
When a law firm is transparent about their expectations and goals, employees are more likely to take responsibility for their actions. This accountability creates a culture of excellence, where people are motivated to perform their best work and stay committed to the firm.
Customizable dashboards in backdocket may help your new hires and tenured team members alike measure their performance across different cases for concrete results.
For example, you can set up a dashboard to show client satisfaction KPIs such as net promoter scores from customer service surveys. If you see an employee who has a low net promoter score according to your dashboard, you can offer a performance improvement plan to help them boost their score.
Many employees want hybrid work arrangements from their employers, whether for work-life balance or flexibility in their working hours. According to the ABA, 44% of young lawyers, often women and lawyers of color, would leave their current job for a better opportunity to work remotely.
Your law firm can benefit from practice management software facilitating remote working for all employees. The software enables them to access critical case updates and collaborate on files in real time. Staff members and attorneys can work together to manage client lifecycles, create and assign tasks, and track files from anywhere.
Team members can communicate more effectively when visiting a client at the hospital, at another office location of your law firm, or at home. They can stay connected and focus on the needs of your clients.
Using practice management software enables your staff to gain a deeper understanding of legal areas and practice areas. The software lets firms set up automated task workflows to ensure timely responses and high-quality communication with all employees and clients.
A task assignment helps divide the workload among team members, ensuring everyone stays on track and completes their tasks on time. For example, a team member can automate certain tasks, such as creating a new intake with one click, saving time from manual data entry and preventing human error.
Having a clear workflow roadmap also helps employees understand the steps involved in completing a task, helping ensure streamlined operations throughout the firm. This creates a more structured work environment that can retain workers who prefer standardized processes.
Legal employers who care about increasing morale and minimizing stress must ensure their workers feel valued and engaged. Through practice management software, law firms can encourage all attorneys and staff members to share ideas and work together by fostering a culture of transparency and teamwork.
For example, younger employees are often more comfortable with technology than their older colleagues. They can use practice management software like backdocket to improve communication, streamline processes, and work more efficiently. By investing in the well-being of your employees and promoting a positive work culture, you can retain them and achieve long-term success.
Law firms can benefit from practice management software like backdocket to streamline processes and enhance communication while attracting and retaining top legal talent. A cloud-based platform can help you create a positive work environment promoting collaboration, efficiency, and performance to motivate and support your staff.
Contact us today to book a free demo to learn how we can help you create an effective practice platform for your firm’s needs.
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.
Though the responsibilities of an operations manager might vary from one law firm to another, they tend to have similar job descriptions.
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.
There are a few indicators that your law firm needs an operations manager:
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.
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:
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.
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.
Keeping your billing accurate and efficient is one of the most critical aspects of running a successful law firm. A strong financial strategy plays a crucial role in this process. If done correctly, it can increase profits, improve client relationships, and create financial stability for the firm.
A vital component of this strategy is accurately tracking and accounting for all billable hours. Backdocket can help your firm better track its billable hours with integrated calendars, automated billing, and invoicing processes.
Learn how your firm can benefit from practice management software to streamline the billing process and help your attorneys make the most of their billable hours.
Many law firms struggle with tracking billable hours since attorneys may spend time on non-billable activities such as networking and ongoing legal education. These activities may be crucial to your firm’s success and inform your legal knowledge when working with clients.
However, lawyers who don’t log their hours by the end of the day may cost your firm revenue. Not logging hours as soon as they happen can result in losing up to 10% of an attorney’s billable time. A delay of even one day can result in a 25% increase in lost time.
Maintaining a steady cash flow for your practice depends on integrating your legal billing process into your financial strategy. Effective billing practices for your strategy include transparent client communication, accurate billing reports, and scheduling to track your billable hours.
A streamlined billing process using backdocket can prevent your firm from falling behind on rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and payroll. By reducing the time spent on billing and minimizing non-billable hours, you can create more opportunities for billable hours.
A law firm’s success relies on tracking billable hours, and implementing best practices for timekeeping can help streamline the billing process and increase profitability. These strategies can help you track billable hours, including automation and calendar integration with backdocket.
Encourage all staff members in your firm to track all their hours to gain insight into how they spend their time and help you make informed decisions about task management and allocation. They can take notes on their daily tasks, review incoming calls and emails, and track their time.
With backdocket, you can generate reports on your intake process, case status, and marketing KPIs. These reports can help you track individual performance and firm-wide progress on how much time employees spend managing leads and converting them into clients.
Lawyers can generate invoices based on their billable hours using backdocket. Automating billing and invoicing can make it easier to track billable hours and ensure accurate and timely invoicing based on those hours. Your firm can also use backdocket to send follow-up reminders to clients when payment is due.
Billable hours can include case-related expenses for expert witnesses, lab tests, court filing, and medical record requests. If a lawyer doesn’t track these expenses, they can add up and cause cash flow issues.
Backdocket ensures a steady flow of on-time payments, avoiding financial issues that can stall your firm’s success. You can use the practice management software to track expenses, invoice clients promptly, automate check requests, and manage claim logs.
Lawyers typically review their billable hours by examining their calendars and email communications at the end of the week or month. However, accurately recalling the time spent on a specific task or the details of a phone call can be challenging.
Backdocket’s calendar integrates all your calendar events from your Microsoft 365 or Google Calendar. No matter where you update your calendar, all your events will appear across all calendars. If you have meetings all day or want to designate time for specific tasks, you can document your billable work quickly.
Implementing the best practices for tracking billable hours can improve the efficiency of your law firm. By tracking all hours, automating billing, and using a calendar, you can optimize your time and resources for maximum profitability.
Call us today for a demo on how backdocket can streamline your firm’s billing processes and boost its profitability.
Law firms may struggle to manage administrative work, billing, and client communication, causing decreased productivity and quality of service. Attorneys who miss critical deadlines and fail to communicate with staff members can cause a law firm to lose clients.
A cloud-based practice management system can streamline your firm’s operations and prevent you from overlooking crucial client communications. Backdocket lets your attorneys and staff work together within the firm and with clients for better communication and case outcomes.
Without centralized practice management software, lawyers and staff must spend time searching for documents and information across multiple sources. Customizable dashboards can streamline the workflow by providing easy access to relevant data and documents.
Your law firm can customize your practice management software’s dashboards to see real-time updates and information to improve internal communication. Personalized dashboards can help your law firm create reports and color-coded charts based on customized KPIs from marketing campaigns and client satisfaction surveys.
The dashboards also allow attorneys and support staff to quickly locate client information and case updates, thanks to custom search fields. Easy access to the dashboard enables your attorneys and staff to keep up with internal communication and customer outreach.
An onboarding specialist at backdocket can help you customize reporting and case search results to meet the standards of your firm’s practice area and unique needs.
A practice management system is essential for recording client communications, such as phone calls, emails, and meeting notes. Law firm attorneys and staff members can easily share tasks and messages using this system to ensure they schedule consultations with potential clients and follow up with those who inquire about the law firm’s services.
Attorneys can assign tasks to different staff members, ensuring they understand the tasks to complete. Backdocket lets you track the progress of tasks by case, identifying potential bottlenecks to prevent overbooking client meetings and court appearances. This feature also helps in scheduling follow-up meetings with clients.
The task list enables attorneys to monitor the activities of the legal team and individual users on a case-by-case basis. You can also customize how to view, assign, and manage your tasks with daily emails of your task to-do lists.
Using cloud-based practice management software can help law firms improve internal communication by enabling attorneys and staff to collaborate anywhere. This flexibility allows attorneys to stay in touch with co-workers while on the go.
The software allows employees to access their work and data from different devices, including tablets, laptops, and smartphones. Attorneys can access the software to communicate with colleagues about case updates, even when they are not in the office. They can also assign a task to a legal assistant to gather forms to file for a claim after meeting a client.
Centralizing a firm’s calendar is an excellent strategy for enhancing internal communication. This approach enables easy access to daily tasks, deadlines, billing hours, and updates from anywhere. This approach keeps everyone informed about the current status of cases and fosters seamless communication between attorneys and staff members.
Synchronizing Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar calendars with practice management software allows real-time collaboration. Through the software, all employees in the law firm have a clear view of all tasks, important deadlines for legal paperwork submissions, and upcoming court appearances.
When synchronizing calendars on a cloud-based platform, your team stays on the same page for communicating with clients and updating cases. For example, a law firm operating in multiple states can use Google Calendar to schedule client meetings, which will appear in the practice management software.
Employees working on separate computers may save different versions of documents or lose files, which can lead to confusion when sending them to each other.
Using cloud-based software for storing and sharing files is crucial for effective internal communication in law firms. All team members have access to the same information within the system, promoting consistency while reducing the risk of human error. This system facilitates tracking revisions and updates to case files and provides access to real-time reports.
Practice management software can enhance the internal communication of law firms.
With backdocket, you can manage essential deadlines with dashboards and internal scheduling, boosting your firm’s productivity.
Schedule a free demo to see how backdocket can be tailored to fit your firm’s needs.
The importance of law firms having a solid document management system cannot be overstated. When a firm’s documents are securely and efficiently stored in the cloud, it allows them to locate, access, and securely share them with clients and colleagues wherever they are— 24/7 quickly and easily. Cloud-based practice management software like backdocket helps law firms do all of this while remaining ethically compliant.
Read further to learn how a secure and efficient document management system is essential to a firm’s success and how backdocket’s practice management software can assist in making it a reality.
One major threat to the security of your documents is human error. The American Bar Association says one of the most critical duties of any lawyer is to make every effort to “prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to the representation of a client.” Practice management software protects you from making errors that can lead to ethical or security issues for your clients.
Possible ethical errors include:
Also, a serious ethical concern is poor record keeping. This opens your law firm up to serious ethical issues. An efficient system for managing documents can protect your firm from data breaches and complete financial ruin if the firm is audited.
Backdocket removes the element of human error by making internal and client communication easy, offers scheduling assistance to remind of upcoming meetings, and keeps you on top of your appointments and your data. All of your information will be securely organized and stored in a centralized location so everyone at your firm is ethically compliant.
When considering investing in a practice management software for better document management, you should understand the operational benefits—including workflow and your firm’s profitability.
Here are a few benefits of adopting an efficient document management system:
Having client data at the tip of your fingers at all times is critical to running a firm efficiently. By using one system for document management, attorneys can have immediate access to every client note. This can come in handy while in communication with the client. This type of efficiency speaks volumes about your business, as clients can trust that their lawyer knows the ins and outs of their case history. It shows professionalism and genuine care for the details of their case.
Whether you’re in court, at home, or meeting with a client, it’s critical that you have the access you need to file and process client documents. This touches every element of your business. It’s essential to your firm’s overall productivity and case management. With backdocket, you can access your client data anywhere, any time, and on any device.
Some firms switch between platforms to track workflow and monitor deadlines. This switching back and forth is a recipe for disaster, as it could cause you to miss critical deadlines. But with backdocket, your firm can automate workflows and keep everyone who touches cases on the same page.
If you’re ready to provide a more efficient and secure system for managing your firm’s legal documents, backdocket is here to help. With unlimited cloud storage and a centralized dashboard for easy access to real-time client data, we can help small to mid-sized law firms create an ethically sound and efficient document management system to improve workflow and boost profitability.
Call us today for a free demonstration of how backdocket can help with your firm’s billing processes today.
Effective communication is the backbone of any successful business, and law firms are no exception. In today’s fast-paced world, legal teams must work collaboratively and efficiently to handle a high volume of cases and meet tight deadlines. This is where internal communication becomes crucial, as it can make or break a firm’s ability to meet its goals and deliver results for its clients.
With the rise of cloud-based technology, law firms now have access to backdocket, a sophisticated practice management solution that can help elevate their internal communication and collaboration to a whole new level.
When everyone on the legal team has access to the latest information about a case, they can work more efficiently and effectively, which can increase productivity and reduce the amount of time it takes to handle a case. This can in turn free up time for the legal team to take on more cases, resulting in increased revenue for the firm.
Once you elevate your internal communication, your firm can become a better environment for collaboration between team members. This means higher-quality work, better outcomes for your clients, and overall improved client satisfaction, building a positive reputation for your firm.
When legal teams are able to work together, it can foster a sense of camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose. This can lead to improved team morale and a more positive work environment, reducing the risk of burnout and turnover.
With real-time insights into the performance of the firm, managers and staff can make informed decisions about the allocation of resources and the direction of the firm. This can lead to more effective decision-making and improved outcomes for the firm.
Backdocket is a cloud-based practice management software that provides a centralized platform for legal teams to manage their cases, documents, time tracking, invoicing, and reporting.
By using backdocket, legal teams can improve their internal communication in several ways, including:
Elevating your firm’s internal communication with a cloud-based practice management solution like backdocket can provide huge benefits. From improved case management to better reporting, this software can help your firm’s legal team work more efficiently, increase their productivity, and deliver better results for your clients.
Contact us today for a free demo.
Originally published on June 8, 2020. Updated March 10, 2023.
Law firms use software to streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies, and offer better services to their clients. The right software exponentially improves the way your team works, so if you’ve been looking for solutions for your firm, know that you’ll benefit greatly from incorporating one into your law firm’s workflow.
When you consider options for a management software, you’ll notice that there are two types of systems: case management software and practice management software.
So, what is the difference between case management software and practice management software, and which is best for your law firm? Read on for more information to help you decide.
Case management software provides you with the tools you’ll need to stay on top of all aspects of your cases. Client outreach, correspondence with insurance companies, and many other vital processes can be tracked, assigned, and in some cases, automated through case management software.
Practice management software includes the same features of case management software, but it has the added benefit of managing other data and processes that are vital to running your firm. One of the most powerful tools is the inclusion of business analytics, which can help you identify how cases are impacting your bottom line.
We’re big believers in practice management software as a solution to most law firms’ problems. Practice management software offers users a more comprehensive toolkit to grow their firms.
As we mentioned, this type of software has all the benefits of case management systems. It also improves communication and efficiency across all aspects of a firm’s operations, not just those directly related to cases.
When you use practice management software, you’re incorporating business analytics into the data you use. This means that you aren’t simply optimizing the parts of your practice that relate directly to litigating cases. Instead, you’re looking at how to bring in new clients, follow up on prospects, move cases forward, and follow up on settlements or owed payments.
Although they’re more capable and powerful, practice management systems aren’t necessarily more expensive than case management systems, either. You’ll often get a much bigger bang for your buck with the right practice management software.
Ultimately, you’ll want to research the specific features of each software you’re considering to determine whether it’s the right fit for your firm. Every firm has different needs, so conducting some basic research will help you narrow the field of candidates.
Look for software that meets your needs regarding:
Some firms are granular about what they need from software. If that’s the case at your firm, consider it a good thing; you know exactly what you need the software to do. However, in most cases, a firm’s team members want their management system to be flexible. Take time to speak to representatives of the management software you’re considering to make sure it offers what you’re looking for.
At backdocket, we’ve built our software to solve the most pressing problems facing growing law firms. In fact, we are constantly collaborating with our clients to address their specific needs, and offer the option to customize any client’s software to make sure it delivers the features and functionality our clients want.
Our team centralizes all your firm’s information so your staff can quickly access a client’s information. We’ve automated processes that might otherwise be overlooked and create a backlog. Above all else, we want backdocket to meet you on your terms instead of requiring you to fit to our system.
Choosing the right management software for your law firm might seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. At backdocket, we love working with law firms to assess their needs and see how our product could solve their problems.
We also know that cost is a concern for every firm, regardless of their size or growth. That’s why we charge a flat monthly rate of $39.99 per user. This price point makes our software extremely competitive with other systems that are less accommodating to the needs of growing firms. If you’re in the market for a practice management software, give us a call to learn more about backdocket. We offer free demonstrations, so you can find out if backdocket is the right fit for your law firm.
From the second you acquire a lead, it’s important that you track and nurture it. You can do so by managing your leads in a systematic way. An effective lead management system can help you nurture interest among your firm’s prospects and streamline the client onboarding process to bolster conversions.
Backdocket’s practice management software helps you do all of that and more, as it allows you to make sure no interaction or pertinent information gets lost in the shuffle.
Whether you’re already a backdocket client or are exploring ways to improve your law firm’s lead management process, our free guide has tips that can help.
At backdocket, our practice management software considers the entire lifecycle of a case. That means we have a system for managing the pre-retention phase (before a prospect hires your firm) all the way through conversion and case management.
Contact us today to schedule your free demo.
