Why Law Firms Should Use Virtual Offices and Virtual Assistants to Reduce Costs
As the business landscape evolves, the way law firms operate has to change, too. If a firm wants to stay in business amidst recessions, new technology, and global events, they need to figure out the best way to respond.
Clients are another driving force behind change. They want lawyers to provide more services at lower costs, yet they still demand the same level of customer service. Discounts on hourly rates only go so far, though — you still need to pay staff and take care of overhead expenses, after all.
If you’re wondering how law firms can face these challenges, and others, you’re far from alone. It’s a question that many firms struggle to answer.
Fortunately, there are many ways law firms can cut costs and become more efficient. Today, we’ll explore one option that is becoming increasingly popular: virtual business services.
Virtual offices and law firms: A winning combination
Many law firms have realized that they no longer need expensive commercial office space, because much of their work can be accomplished remotely.
Office space still comes in handy on occasion, though. That’s why virtual office spaces are an ideal solution for law firms that need part-time space.
With a virtual office, a firm can choose how much time and space their lawyers need. Many spaces, including Intelligent Office, even have meeting and conference rooms that can be rented for depositions, discovery review, partner meetings, and other important events.
Another avenue is outsourcing “paper pushing" to further reduce costs and free up more time to focus on strategic law work.
How virtual assistants can help lawyers get more done
A lawyer still needs to do all of the strategic legal work, but tasks such as mailing motions, answering phones, and other administrative tasks can be outsourced to a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants can be taught repetitive tasks. This eliminates the need for a full-time administrative staff member.
Virtual assistants are also excellent at fielding phone calls from current and potential clients. They can be given talking points and scripts to learn in order to provide information about the company or gather information for forms. They can make follow-up calls, schedule appointments, send reminders and handle any other administrative tasks that are needed.
While technology is excellent for reducing costs on certain tasks, most people still want to speak with a real person when they have a question or concern. A virtual assistant can provide that critical piece of customer service without the need to hire part- or full-time staff members. This can provide a helpful differentiator for your business, because customer service can make the difference between someone choosing your firm over the competition.
Another benefit of virtual assistants is that law firms only pay for the hours that the assistants work – not the time when they're making coffee or speaking with coworkers. They don't require benefits (the virtual business services provider takes care of that) and they're always available – no downtime when a staff member is sick or out on vacation. These savings can be passed on to clients in the form of lower prices that don't affect margins.
The legal landscape has changed. Clients want more for a lot less. One way law firms can respond to these challenging times is with virtual business services. If you want to learn more about how your firm can take advantage of these benefits, don’t miss this information-packed resource: How to Reduce Your Firm's Overhead, Increase Billable Hours, & Get More Done.
