Being able to effectively delegate is essential for attorneys and small law firms. When it comes to boost profitability at your law firm, ensuring that attorneys are able to fully focus on billable hours is one of the best ways to see an immediate, positive impact on your bottom line. Many attorneys are lucky to have the support of dedicated paralegals and legal assistants, who can be trusted to handle much of the non-billable work that needs to be performed but at a much lower cost per hour than if an attorney handled that work.
Paralegals and legal assistants are excellent resources for attorneys who want to firm up their profitability, but attorneys should be careful about what they choose to delegate in order to achieve the best possible results for their firms.
What tasks can be delegated to paralegals and legal assitants?
Generally speaking, the best tasks to delegate to paralegals are ones that do not get billed to your clients. For example:
- Research and information gathering
- Managing deadlines
- Drafting of legal documents
- Trial prep
- Scheduling
- Record requests
- Case management
- Client interviews
These tasks are best done by paralegals and legal assistants because it saves your firm money while also ensuring that the work is done by a qualified professional. However, there are some tasks that are often delegated to paralegals and legal assistants that are best suited for subject matter professionals. These tasks include:
- Necessary communication with clients
- Marketing strategy and management
- Bookkeeping & Accounting Tasks
While many law firms do, in fact, delegate these tasks, we advise clients to take caution of who these tasks are delegated to in order to get the best results.
Why Law Firms Should Not Delegate All Client Communication
The relationships you build with your clients are irreplaceable. While having your paralegals assist with things like follow up emails, scheduling, and client interviews is acceptable, you should avoid delegating all client communications to them. Your clients need to know that you’re present and actively dedicated to their case. You will earn more in referrals than you will lose by prioritizing multiple, personal touchpoints with your clients along the way. Especially if you work with businesses or other types of recurring clients, ensuring that you have a personal relationship with your clients will definitely pay off in the long run!
Should Law Firms Delegate Marketing?
You didn’t go to law school to be an expert in marketing your law firm, but neither did your paralegals. In many cases, you will spend more money having your paralegals work on failing marketing tactics than you would have if you had hired a marketing professional to help you market your law firm. In order to get the best return on your investment, we recommend working with a professional marketing firm or hiring an in-house marketer to support your firm’s marketing strategies.
Why Law Firms Should Delegate Bookkeeping to a Specialized Bookkeeping Professional
Perhaps the most important thing that lawyers avoid delegating to their paralegals or assistants is bookkeeping. This task should exclusively be delegated to a specialized bookkeeping professional. Failure to maintain compliance with your law firm’s books could result in costly fines or even disbarment. Especially if you are responsible for managing trust or IOLTA accounts, having a professional bookkeeping firm handle your finances is essential.
A professional bookkeeper who specializes in law firms is the best choice for attorneys, as law firm bookkeeping is much more complex than traditional bookkeeping. Additionally, a specialized bookkeeping professional for law firms can help you improve your law firm’s finances in order to maximize your profits long term.
