Trigger Happy: Automation is the Key to Law Practice Efficiency

Efficient law firms return the most revenue, by a wide margin.  Yet, much of what law firms do cuts against efficiency: Attorneys tend to avoid modern technology.  Attorney like to do things themselves, and so they avoid effective delegation.  Attorneys want manual processes, which they feel they have more control over.  Of course, this is not the way to practice at the top of your law license: billing at your highest rates, or acquiring more work that you can bill at your highest rates. 

Too often, lawyers are trying to pilot the plane, and hand out the pretzels. 

While it’s true that delegation is a proven method for driving efficiency, law firms need not always delegate from managing attorneys to associate attorneys or staff.  Automation of rote tasks and processes is often more effective.  Consider the chain of events reflecting on law firm lead intake: scheduling, emails, contact forms, chat or text communications, contracting, ecommerce . . . Any or all of those components of the intake process can be automated: by web-based scheduling tools, by messaging applications, by esignature tools, by epayment programs.  Not only that, but each step in that process could automatically trigger the next step, all the way through to completion.  Modern software is capable of managing workflow automation without human intervention. 

By using automation technologies to trigger every step of their workflows, law firms can make time – and, a lot more money. 

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If automation’s not your bag, we can help. 

Through a unique partnership between the bar association and Jared Correia's Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, Vermont Bar Association members now have access to experienced law practice management consultants at a special discounted rate.  To get started, visit Red Cave's Vermont Bar Association landing page, and start running your law practice like a business.