Post by Gustavo Rocha, lawyer and consultant in management, IT and quality for law firms. He’s the author of Gestão.Adv.br (content in Portuguese only):

Some issues ought to be addressed prior to choosing your law practice software:

1. Ask yourself: where, when, what and who?
2. Is it the appropriate one for your management?
3. Who will be in charge of it?
4. Is it safe?

1. Ask yourself: where, when, what and who?

Where should it be installed: in servers at premises or over the internet? The first means that  its maintenance, servers, newer and better equipment, its all up to you and your firm; while as the latter all is lodged on servers in data centers and all maintenance and backing up is up to the vendor. Being the experts as they are it stands to reason this is the best choice.

When: What’s the firm budget to invest on such a  solution? The best and cheapest? Wrong! The app’s quality should match the needs of your practice. It’s better to start up with a simpler and leaner one rather than one that enables with lots of features but doesn’t meet your needs.

What: or which are your actual demands from the application? Since no software will ever solve all your problems, you’ll need to sort out it will manage for you. Is it the financial aspect of your firm? Is it he matters? Or just the office’s documents? All of the above?  There is no success without planning.

Who: once you have the  answers for the questions above, you are ready make your choice from the offer that is out there.

2. Is it the appropriate one for your management?

This question may sound a bit odd, but is has to be your own practice to dictate what are the goals to your choice of software rather the other way around. Don´t believe the hype that says that software will do it all. Pin pointing the needs in your firm will give a clear vision of what the software will handle for better results.

3. Who will be in charge of it?

It is of the essence that someone at your firm (one familiar and keen to IT) be in charge and trained to deal with the chosen app. It will not be enough that co-workers with management functions are trained to use it. Someone with a knack for IT and with law qualification is the ideal one for the job.

4. Is it safe?

Before signing up for any app, check out the following:

• Where the servers are based at?
• What are the its safety features?
• What are the requisites for your firm to access the data center?
• Should you cease the contract to using the app, how will all your data be retrieved?
• Be sure that you only sign up for the minimum services.

These and other questions are  valid when installing  software in your premises:

• How is the backing up made?
• Is there external backing up?
• How many licenses are there in the cost, for installing?
• How much will the invest cost?

Finally, I leave some tips that apply to any software:

• Always check whether or not a new client is already registered in the system.
• Do not type with just higher case, use both high and low.
• Log in the most data possible.
• Avoid misspelling and grammar glitches.
• Pdf or word format for annexed docs.
• Passwords should be altered after a given time.
• Passwords should be at least 6 characters long containing letters, numbers and special ones i.e.   #=)$(%/&
• Deadlines, tasks, diligences and so on must be logged in and scheduled so they can be searched using an array of easy and intuitive filters.
• Never forget to click the SAVE button.
• Submit data that will reflect on future reports. Logging in data just for the heck of it is a waste.
• Pay special attention when selecting data from the app’s boxes and/or columns. The mouse wheel may play tricks on you.
• Always have more than one access to the Internet at your office.
• Always save and back up the way your vendor advises to.
• Many solutions automatically issue reports. Make the most of this feature and always check data up before printing.
• Make a daily use of the app you’ve chosen. Have it running at all times and submit the most data possible.
• If by any chance you can not access the system or any feature within it, take it easy and contact the system administrator or who’s in charge of it at the office. There might     be different levels of clearance.
• How’s the client support? Does the vendor charge you for it? Do not overlook this point.

Post by Gustavo Rocha, lawyer and consultant in management, IT and quality for law firms. He’s the author of Gestão.Adv.br (content in Portuguese only):

A lot has been said on managing law firms, on how they need to organize and prepare present today’s market, etc.

Management is a wide, true and assertive word. Not the answer to everything, though.

Law practice management is like an adjective in a sentence, it needs a subject and a verb. How so?

Subject: What is the point on talking about standard procedures and results analysis when those in charge of the firm are not doing their homework? Management ought to be the first ones to be involved in any firm evolving process. They will be the driving force so all staff see changes in a serious, willing and respectful light.

Managing stands for assessing internal procedures, reviewing and change whatever it needs so the business  may thrive. This calls for the presence of all partners in this process. Executive tasks can be delegated, however, strategic ones are to be set by those who take all risks and sort the firm out i.e. the partners. A tree alone does not a forest make, of course. Everyone at the firm must be in tune with the practice and its project. For that purpose, the subject (be it a leader, a partner or a manager) has to be a constant presence so it all comes into being.

Verb: if we have subjects (people willing to face up the challenge of changing) the first step is taken. But with no concrete action (verb) nothing happens. It’s a basic law of physics: for something to leave it’s inertia something must alter that.

So, what actions are taking you presently on your practice? At least, you should invest on:

• Law marketing;
• Social networks;
• Proper software.

One has to be connected to today’s market (law marketing) and present/future market (social networks), as well as, to IT as an edge in your business (more productivity with less people by managing data).  It not enough for you to be the subject, you’ll need to have and to be the verb of change.

Adjective: it is what specifies and distinguishes within a sentence. That is exactly what management does. There is none without subjects nor actions. Even if a firm is formed with driven, self assured and leading people in the legal practice, without management all is doomed in presence of the demands of the present market reality. Management provides firms with quality, efficacy and productivity.

Those are the demands that the market wants to be met. How is your firm doing in this regard? Are the subjects who work with you driven and focused? Have you any planning for strategic results? Is management an edge at your firm? More than qualifying, management differentiates in today’s market.

To conclude, management has to go along with driven subjects and focused actions towards quality, efficiency and productivity in your practice.

Post by Gustavo Rocha, lawyer and consultant in management, IT and quality for law firms. He’s the author of Gestão.Adv.br (content in Portuguese only):

When asking themselves this, everybody has in mind a software solution that does it all: it can manage matters, it organizes the firm, it will sort all that in your practice can be delt with in the cloud and still keep your business from fallling into chaos.

Foolishness!

Prior to solving the management of your office with a software comes the need to manage your practice.

What do I mean?

Any software solution will enable you with data, swift search (assuming it is provided with a comprehensive database), issue reports, etc. However, for a streamlined performance it will need for its data to be logged  within a certain logic and pattern. Reaching this implies that an advanced acquaintance with the app is a given, i.e. understanding its features, possibilities and actual implementation cost, so that an assessment of its cost/benefit ratio can be realized.

Some myths on legal apps are:

The complete solution

All app developers claim that their soltions are the bench mark of the market, they will meet all your practice needs. The reality is that apps will only do what they were programmed to and without an in depth try out,  there’s no way to find how suited for the task they are or not. Apps will enable you with countless resources that won’t do you any good if you don’t know how to make use of them or those resources are not suited for your needs.

Before buying software ask yourself the following:

• What is my area of business?
• What sort of data will be most usefull for my clients?
• Can I access and log data at any time, from any place (from my cell phone for instance)?
• What area the areas of my practice that the app will manage (matters, fiscal, documents, etc)?
• Can I afford to invest in an ideal software solution or do I have other priorities?

The point is, before thinking of apps you should actually be thinking of management.

Managing matters versus managing your office

This could be a blurry issue. Taking matter management for practice management. Dangerous blunder.

Managing matters is a part of the legal practice. But that’s what it is: a part. Lawyers ought to be a part of their clients businesses, part of their decision making by acting preventively. Matters are important but not the sole purpose of your practice.

If they’re not your only goal, why turn them into the core of your office? No way. You got to manage  finances (bills to pay, invoices to receive, cash flow, costs, etc), e-documents (digitize everything, contracts, bills, etc)  clients and prospects management and so on.

If you still think that there is no app for that, you must have been out of the Earth for the last years. The market has to offer solutions that will serve for general office management and not just concerning matters. Don’t be dazzled with matter management, for it needs to be a complete one in order to be effective.

Implementation

This where lots of firms lose money. Believing that an app will solve all their problems, lawyers leave to the people in charge of implementing, fundamental decisions about their practices.

Not to demerit IT consultants and pros, however very few of these take business management really into their interest. The success of their app implementation in your office is their actual concern. How the data is going to be managed and used is not their aim.

This is the real issue here. Management comes before any sort of app implementation. Sort what routines in your firm are the most suited for the present reality and within a year’s time. You’ll have to know what an app can do, to assess it in your firm’s daily practice.

Once you’ve got this down, IT people can come over to train you and your employees, to implement and check on the reports that your management has previously determined and so forth.

To conclude: software will have to work for your firm and not be it to set what can be done or not. You paid for it, it should be working for you and not the other way around.

To be or nor to be web-based

Some by fear, others by prejudice and others by being oblivious of it, do not use wed-based software.

I am totally for it. More good than bad (if any) comes from it. Available from anywhere (even from your cell phone) you have data, documents, court sentences all within the reach of a LAN connection.

Is it safe? Quite safe. A hefty effort is put into web safety. To be true they invest more into safety than any one single law firm would. It is their business to be safe, isn’t it? And yours is to practice law.

So, is there such thing as “the perfect app for the legal practice”? Of course there is, but it is up to you and not to the app to say so.

Post by Gustavo Rocha, lawyer and consultant in management, IT and quality for law firms. He’s the author of Gestão.Adv.br (content in Portuguese only):

An interesting post by David Lorenzo on how to attract clients. Read it here.

Here are the 10 ways he proposes with a few comments:

• Be likeable:i.e. be thoughtful, kind, considerate. People are drawn to us when they feel related to. Cordiality and consideration have to be cornerstones on our practice.
• Think about the other person: a deal that is only good for you isn’t good enough. It ought to be good for both parties. By taking the client’s best interest at heart you’re adding value to your service.
• Do not lie: clients want to work with someone who is honest, ethical, and truthful. Lying will get you nowhere. Keep your website, blog and social network profiles truthful to your business. It will make a difference.
• Get yourself together:  People are attracted to people who are well dressed, well groomed. Don’t be just good, you’ve got to look good, too.
• Be real: Show interest on how is the client doing, ask about the family, the company, etc. People like that others show they care about them.
• Listen: you’ve got two hears and one mouth, use them in that same proportion. We all like to be listened to, we all like to talk, the real wisdom lies in listening more than talking specially regarding clients, though.
• Look for common ground: Clients ought to be able to find some common areas of interest with you, i.e. sports, friends, points of view. Having some common ground brings people together.
• Be humble: Do not argue over money nor attempt to win an argument. Just state your views plainly and avoid confrontation.
• Appear busy: Don’t the notion that you only have that one client. Though people like to feel special, if they get the notion they’re your only client it will make them suspicious of your ability. Let show the idea of how hard the work is and never say: ” Oh, that’s quite easy…” If it is so, why should they pay you for it?
• Be easy to approach:answer to clients’ questions. When clients ask you for information, give it to them. A simple information is just that: information.

These are common sense tips which, when used regularly on your practice may translate into profitability.

Give it a try.

Post by Gustavo Rocha, lawyer and consultant in management, IT and quality for law firms. He’s the author of Gestão.Adv.br (content in Portuguese only):

For quite a long time word of mouth has been the best way of getting new clients. Nowadays, with the growth of social networks, there is a new form of pointing, interacting and gather new clients.

Is it?

Social networks are an excellent means of adding new contacts and followers for our view points, yet this is just a medium, not the core reason for contracting services.

Recommendation results from good work, best client management, fair pricing and perfect service. These adjectives will make your clients to recommend your practice to others.

Adding to good work, client management, pricing, etc, there’s the need for all that to be advertised, i.e. marketing.

How can that be done? There are lots of ways! Some are ethically legitimate, others are not. Publicity alone doesn’t cut it, though. Marketing must walk along side with credibility. Such credibility is gained by stances that reflect our practice, e.g.labour law, just debating or giving tips about it isn’t enough. One must have
effective actions on this law area and its target demographics.

And how can you act toward this?

Through social networking.

Keep up with the times. The younger generation is talking to one another through social networks. Overlooking that is writing a death sentence to your practice.

So, which is best: recommendation or social networking? Recommendation along with credibility, including on the social networks.