Opportunities for law firms during the COVID-19 period

This time of reduced activity presents opportunities for law firms to find efficiencies, upskill staff and switch focus to diversify into other practice areas.

Despite the encouragement to self-help with the writings of such luminaries as Stephen Covey the one habit that remains rigid is the resistance to change. Covey’s advice is to work on the practice not just in the practice. This is an ideal time to do so.

Office organisation provides the basis of profitable and worry-free practice. Profit is not necessarily related to size or location or how busy a firm may be. Busy firms are often poor profit performers due to poor managerial practices. The more profitable firms simply better organise and manage their practices. This is achievable through the use of LEAP’s matter and accounts management software and By Lawyers Practice Management Guide and Office Policies, both uniquely suitable for handling matters remotely.

Accompanying work on office organisation is the opportunity to supplement the firm’s precedents, which are generally dependent on the personal knowledge and style of the practitioner and are often accessed from previously closed files or written anew each time. This practice can now be improved and supplemented with By Lawyers professionally drafted precedent packages ensuring complete subject matter coverage and consistency.

By Lawyers resources

By Lawyers have the resources to enable advantage to be taken of these opportunities for law firms. The By Lawyers precedents are presented in sequential order in a plan for the conduct of each matter from opening to closing each file from compliant disclosures and initial letters through all required documents to final letters. All of the precedents are contained within the LEAP software and have been automated with fields and codes.

To assist practitioners in the practice and law behind every precedent By Lawyers present a unique system of integrating research commentary with the precedents with outgoing links to legislation and case law when required. This system allows even the rustiest practitioner to successfully and compliantly navigate a less familiar area of law and satisfy the client by producing the desired outcomes on time. At present it is difficult to turn away any work simply because it might be outside a firm’s normal experience. All new work creates more new work. Witness the family law client that needs new wills and the sale and purchase of a home or a business purchaser who needs a company shareholders agreement or a partnership agreement.

By Lawyers daily keeps up to date with changes to law and practice removing this concern from then firm. Ideal for staff training, undertaking new work and being more productive By Lawyers guides are only available as a companion product to LEAP Legal Software and are perfect for those working from home or in the office.