We just implemented a new feature in LawRD: the tenths of an hour.

With this new feature LawRD users will be able to input time and invoice clients using this time measure.

If you are already a LawRD user and you want to work with tenths of an hour please follow this steps (only users with Administrator profile can perform the first step):

• Activate the 10th of an hour feature in your LawRD account settings. After clicking in Settings just check the following check box:

After enabling this option, all the users will see timesheets according to the the tenths of an hour time measure (they must sign out to see the changes).

• All new clients created after the previous change will be automatically billed with the tenths of an hour system.

• All the clients created before this features’ implementation will be billed by the 00H00m system. You must activate the Use tenth of an hour check box in every client if you only want to work in this system:

• You can work with both system at the same time. You can uncheck Use tenth of an hour in the client record and this client’s billing sheets will be issued in the 00H00m format (although time input will still be in tenths of an hour).

First and foremost we must apologise to you, Lawrd’s blog reader, for our radio silence since July 2011. Our inactivity in the blog did not meant a inactivity in the work: From August to September we have been busy with many Lawrd’s developments and enhancements. For you to be in the know:

• The process of billing is faster;
• 5 bugs reported by our clients considered to be a priority have been fixed;
• Our Amazon servers have been optimized;
• Backups are more efficient than ever so that downtime can become old news;
• PagSeguro is up and running for our Brazil readers.

During the last two months we have defined, once again through feedback of our clients, what developments to do until the end of 2011. We have 13 scheduled developments that will be reported in this blog along the way.

Today we implemented a more simple version of the Billing Tab. From now on, while accessing the Billing Tab, you can filter the data you want to view by client - being able to see the Unbilled values , the Unpaid billing sheets and those already fully paid (Paid Invoices):

In the sub-tabs Unpaid Invoices and Paid Invoices, you can add or delete payments as well as deleting billing sheets.

When deleting or issuing a payment, there are immediate implications in the client’s account, as you are able to immediately view the client’s financial position on your law firm after the accomplished actions.

When deleting a billing sheet the client’s account is updated and times and expenses included become available in the sub-tab Unbilled so they can be later included in a new billing sheet.

We are certain that you will be pleased to be able to delete a payment in such a straightforward way.

Post by Nuno B.M. Lumbrales, lawyer, partner at Lumbrales & Associados and LawRD user:

One year ago, as a partner of a newborn law office, I was confronted (relunctly and along with scarce financial resources) with the need to invest in the development of a website to the office.

At that time, our only target was to keep up along with our direct competitors, avoiding to “stay behind”, as we were resting assured that the website wasn’t going to provide us with measurable profits.

The first surprise was the budget presented to the website development and maintenance, which was quite reasonable. In fact, the competition between many of the Portuguese PME (Small and Medium Enterprises) in the computer sciences business was robust enough to assure that the prices kept reasonable and negotiable. The secret to get a good deal in computer sciences was to avoid making business with the highly acclaimed “monsters” (it only took the estimate budget of the project to get discouraged).

The second surprise was, once again contradicting our assumptions, that in our first year of existence some clients came to us stating they’d known our office through the website after performing some google searches.

At the end of the day, comparing the costs of the website and the profits coming from this specific clients, showed us that the balance was positive right in the first year, reason that led us to conclude that our investment was, in fact, profitable.

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 Nuno B.M. Lumbrales, lawyer, partner at Lumbrales & Associados and LawRD user:

The billing method is an issue that, mishandled, will cause nasty glitches in the relationships between lawyers and clients.

There are several ways of billing lawyer services, just like in any other area of business, bearing in mind the uniqueness and proper rules that apply in each country as to the legal practice.

One of the most common, and losing preference, is the hourly rate method, for billing lawyers fees. Such method has the quality of its flexibility thus enabling a balance between the service rendered by lawyers and its due compensation, overlooking the fluctuation that will occur unavoidably throughout the diligences.
On the downside, in this instance it is troublesome for clients to preview the cost of  the lawyer’s fee when a given period of time is agreed upon.

However, by demanding a specification for each of the billing invoices (as it is supposed) as to the description and time spent in each item clients can have some control. Without being utterly rigorous this will prevent costs from soaring.

A more classic method is a fixed rate that will settled upon for a matter (flat rate) or for a determined cycle of billing (retainer). This, being a quite clear method, has the advantage of eliminating almost any grounds for litigation on fee agreements (service quality and issues alike are not thus prevented, though). Its lack of flexibility regarding fluctuation of the amount of work through the procedures, come as a negative point.

One other billing method consists on agreeing to a percentage of the results that will come from the lawyer’s services on one or more legal matters. Many countries do permit this form of fee agreement in its pure sate, invoking that this will give way for the leayer to being too much as a directly interested part on the matter at appreciation in court for it will depend on the court’s decision, thus compromising the lawyer’s objectivity, impartiality and independence. A mixed form of this agreement with others is allowed, though.

These methods in their pure forms and an arrangement of different ones will give way for more ecletic and balanced billing methods.

The underlying question to choosing a billing method is the fare quantification of lawyers’ services, considering amount, quality and results they bring to clients.

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):

Social networks are the media of the present. Articles, reports, no matter where, its all that’s talked about. Analogies are drawn between social networks, labour market, legal practice marketing and new means of communication throughout society at large.

The question underlying here is: are we ready? Maybe we are. Maybe we’re not.

In order to be prepared for social networks means more than just having your practice on those networks and updating it from time to time.

It means to interact within the networks.
It means to to keep up with what  is being debated and to intervene.
It means to dedicate time and subjects to those networks.

Is this what you do or do you just update your firm’s profile? Updating is a must but not enough. Making your practice known by your interaction, reflexions and perspectives on day-yo-day issues is important.

That’s right! Day-to-day issues.

There’s plenty of empty people out there on the networks, others are just looking for some notoriety, while others just want personal gain, that is for sure.

But, is that all there is? Surely not! More and more companies are recurring to social networks in order to reach out to their targets, to their market share.

One more time: just updating doesn´t cut it.

You must interact and listen to your clients.
You have to monitor all criticism without confrontation or arguing.
Are you up for it? Are you ready?

If you are, congrats. If you’re not, you’d better think this through. Social networks are ushering the future and your business depends on it…

Post by Nuno B.M. Lumbrales, lawyer, partner at Lumbrales & Associados and LawRD user:

Recently a lot has been said on legal practice marketing i.e. the best strategies and procedures for lawyers to make their activities and services widely known.

The deontological rules that govern such practice, though they may vary from country to country, are usually prohibitive or restrictive, to say the least, publicity wise, though.

In fact, given its social responsibility and special trust issues, that any legal service contract implies, be it contentious or not,  this is not a mere commercial activity  for it obeys to specific regulations meant to ensure much tighter ethical standards than those applied to most common commercial practices.

On the other hand, the market itself, namely companies, demands for law practice to be modernized, more “commercial” as to take procedures as companies do, thus prompting standards that bring companies and lawyers closer.

As marketing and publicity are concerned, many who are unaware of the deontological regulations of the legal practice, find it strange that they’re not approached by lawyers as they constantly are by other service providers, what doesn’t bother them at all.

Publicity boundaries, or certain publicity restrictions, are quite justifiable for the legal practice considering the afore reasons. Some countries have total restriction to such publicity, thus being in need of some flexibility, though.

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):

I’d like to share with you all a situation that I was in recently, not just because it is hilarious, as well as a good example of planning (or the lack of it):

Every time I have to visit a certain client of mine, I park my car in a parking lot near by and there it stays for the entire day, every week.

One of these weeks, after leaving the client, I got to the parking lot at 5.40 PM and found no one there. The reception booth was empty. I clapped (the parking lot is next to its owner’s home), honked a few times, waited for nearly 30 minutes and still nobody showed up. I drove away without paying for the parking.

The following week I arrived at that parking lot around 9 AM and nobody was there, again. Open but no one at the reception booth.

When I got back at 11.30 AM the parking owner was there. After having paid for the previous week worth of parking, I asked him how come no one was there.

His answer: ” You see, the reception worker is away on vacation and since there’s no replacement I myself open and close the parking, though during the day only the security cameras control the cars in and out. Many of those I don’t collect the parking fees ’cause I can’t control it.”

Moral of the story: not planning ahead can change the way a company is viewed overnight (I never had any complaint regarding the parking lot up until then).

How often does this happen in companies? Not planning ahead employees vacations, just ‘fixing things’ along with someone unfit for the job.

It is paramount that companies understand every employee’s function, so that substitutions can be adequate and companies do not loose identity.

A client that quits you service for it being a bad one, won’t be back and will bring along and spread that stain on your company’s image.

Make planning a part of your company’s DNA. Now and always.

Post by Nuno B.M. Lumbrales, lawyer, partner at Lumbrales & Associados and LawRD user:

Managing time, the time each of us spend on any given task, to be more precise, is key when managing a company for it stands as an indicator of how much is demanded from that company to meet its tasks (namely what concerns human resources, which is usually seen as fixed or a general cost, rather than a specific one related to a client or project).

By managing time, it is possible to spot waste, logistics inefficiency and other obstacles that may stand in the way of productivity, slowing down its pace thus affecting the company’s results.

Paramount as it is for any company management, it is more so for law firms and lawyers at large, since they often run on a hourly cost/pricing model that is directly dependent on the enhancement of individual performance of the employees for being a successful one, when it comes to results.

Three practical tips on this subject:

• Try to limit interruptions to a minimum, there are always to many (i.e. that email that just came in, is it that urgent to the point of interfering in your present task, or any others that have been on hold for quite some time and so became urgent just because they are overdue?)

• Do not keep up for too long on tasks which have a doubtful return (is it worthy to attend every conference, when you know that the benefit you get from them is barely none? Shouldn’t you go only when that amount of time won’t hurt all the work waiting you at the office?)

• Do not tag everything as ‘URGENT’ (if all is urgent then nothing is, which leads to loss regarding work quality and organization, as well as sorting priorities. Attempt to figure when does the client actually need the work done and then ‘negotiate’ with them the deadline. Most of them realize that they will benefit from a better and more careful work, as long as the established deadline is observed).