Everyone knows that being an attorney is one of the toughest and most stressful jobs out there. Not only are there countless legal complexities to contend with, but there are also long, long hours. As a result, the related strains and stresses can have a negative impact on both your business and health.
Therefore, it’s important that you find a solution for you and your law firm. But where do you start? Hiring new employees is far from easy. And finding world-class employees is even harder. Add in the fact that finding room in your premises for more staff is a logistical nightmare and you have a real problem on your hands. Solving this problem, however, is far from impossible. Pineapple Staffing has the answer and it lies with a virtual legal assistant.
What is a Virtual Legal Assistant?
You will already know what a legal assistant is. They are an indispensable part of any good law firm. But what exactly is their virtual equivalent? Well, a virtual legal assistant is exactly the same in all but location. Part of the growing trend of virtual workers (40% of US workers are expected to be freelancers in 2020) a virtual legal assistant works from their home. All they need is an internet connection, a PC and a desire to succeed.
It’s a setup which allows a virtual assistant to help attorneys in a number of ways. Paperwork duties can be outsourced, reception tasks can be routed through a softphone and proofreading services can be provided. In fact, if your in-house legal assistant is capable of completing the task then so can a virtual legal assistant. It may sound good to be true, but this is one of those rare occasions where the hype is justified. More importantly, employing a virtual worker is one of the most important steps in growing your business.
5 Ways a Virtual Legal Assistant Can Help You Grow
The main objective of any business is to provide their clients with an excellent service and, at the same time, to grow. With around 163,000 individual law firms in the US it’s not easy to generate growth. The sheer amount of competition makes achieving any level of growth difficult. But, with a virtual legal assistant on board, this is a little easier. And here are the five ways you can achieve this growth:
Time Management
It’s estimated that attorneys spend close to 20 hours each week on administrative work such as completing court filings and legal research. This is a significant amount of time and will limit the time that attorneys can meet with any potential clients. Without time available to take on new clients your law firm will be unable to grow. But the presence of a legal virtual assistant means this administrative workload can be delegated. Time is immediately freed up and attorneys can put this valuable commodity to use by growing the firm.
Cost Effective
With a virtual legal assistant you only pay for the work they deliver. So, if they complete four hours’ worth of work throughout the day then that’s exactly what you pay for. This is in sharp contrast to in-house employees who are paid for their entire shift regardless of production. And this is most keenly put into focus when you discover that the average worker is only productive for just under three hours a day. The potential cost savings are clear to see; it’s with these labor savings that your firm can then invest in technology and services to drive growth.
Enhanced Productivity
Many employees at legal firms will finish their working day at 5pm, but this doesn’t mean that all operations should cease at this point. There are, after all, 24 hours in a day. And the legal world is one that never sleeps, so this is where a virtual legal assistant can step in. Willing to start their shifts at any hour necessary, virtual workers allow your law firm to become a 24/7 organization. Such an enhancement in availability guarantees that you can stay on top of workloads. It provides a huge boost in productivity and one that no business can ignore.
Safer Scalability
Growth is made possible by scalability, but this is a process which is far from predictable. Taking on permanent employees will work as part of a growth plan, but only if everything else falls into place. If it doesn’t then you will need to deal with severance packages and a disrupted budget. By employing a virtual legal assistant, though, you benefit from more control over your future plans. Not only are you granted the chance to tread more carefully with employment strategies, but you also know that transition periods will be less stressful.
Reduced Labor Costs
Budgetary limitations play a major factor when it comes to growing a business. And the costs of your staff can play a major factor in your potential to grow. First and foremost are their salaries. But this is not the only cost concern to consider. There are also taxes, health insurance, sick pay and compensation packages to factor into the equation. It’s estimated that each employee will cost their employer 1.25 – 1.4 times their annual salary. With a virtual legal assistant, however, there is no requirement to deliver these cost benefits. This means that there are more finances available for growth.
The Importance of a Virtual Legal Assistant
A virtual legal assistant is much more than a convenience. Naturally, they won’t be taking up precious real estate in your premises, but they have much more to offer. Growth, more than ever right now, is crucial to safeguard against the future. With growth comes a certain level of security to help you weather future storms. But growth isn’t as simple as working hard. You need to make sure that your law firm knows how to work hard and plan well. Without good planning you will lack any foundations to build upon. A virtual legal assistant is the perfect way to start putting these foundations into place.
Once installed, your virtual employee will be able to get to work straightaway. Remote workers offer a seamless transition from traditional employees into a streamlined, modern form of employee. And it’s this model which grants your law firm the opportunity to grow. Cost savings, of course are at the heart of any growth and a virtual legal assistant guarantees these can be achieved. Likewise, the enhanced productivity and improvement in time management will also help to stoke the fires of growth. Finally, the involvement of a virtual legal assistant in your law firm presents you the chance to develop scalability with the minimum risk.
By now you will understand the importance of a virtual legal assistant. But you’re not alone. Pineapple Staffing also understands how crucial virtual assistants can be. And that’s why we want to connect you with the very best that are available. We do this by applying our knowledge and experience in this sector to source world-class employees. Taking advantage of these skills and talents is straightforward and pain free. Most importantly, it could transform your law firm into the business you’ve always wanted it to be.
