Law firms all agree that COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on how they are run in the future. You can do some things to adapt your law firm, ensuring it is even better beyond the crisis.
The coronavirus pandemic did not just disrupt businesses but turned the way professional services, especially in the legal sector. Legal services are vital to many individuals, but they are also an integral part of running companies and state entities. Firms had to adapt to the COVID environment quickly, and here are some tips for you to implement:
Physical Distancing and Your Law Firm
It is far easier for a law firm to switch to physical distancing by going online than for other industries. One of the greatest advantages of implementing a virtual environment is making your practice more resilient and effective.
Digital Communication Tools and Optimized Work Spaces
An optimized workspace entails two things, a comfortable and functional area to work from at home and the right tools to stay connected. A legal workspace at home needs more than just a laptop and a good internet connection.
Other things that can make it easier to work from home include an external monitor to make case research easier, a comfortable chair, and printing and scanning equipment. Additionally, make sure that there are no unnecessary distractions during your workday.
Investing in good digital communication tools allows you to have video meetings with your clients wherever they are. A webcam provides higher quality video meetings, Zoom is an excellent program for these virtual meetings, and a headset allows you to make hands-free calls as you take notes.
Finally, set all this in an area of your home with excellent lighting and the best quality internet. This ensures you can continue presenting a professional image in any virtual court meetings, depositions, and arguments.
A workspace set up professionally at home will always serve you well, even after the pandemic.
Online Events Replace In-person Meetings
Networking is always important for the business development of law firms, and COVID-19 hasn’t changed that. Go over your business development strategy and use the internet to stay connected instead of doing it in person. If networking events are important for your law firm, make sure to present well-organized webinars, attend online conferences, and join panel discussions.
Advertise Your Niche and Keep Abreast
This may have been a difficult time for many people, but most law firms had a surge in business. Legal services currently in demand include bankruptcy, restructuring, litigation, and legal advice for financial issues.
Governments around the globe implemented initiatives to help their citizens and keep services running smoothly during the pandemic. These have offered your law firm plenty of opportunities, so make sure always to be up-to-date with anything new.
Importance of Employee Flexibility
Law firms differ in how they adopted employee flexibility. While some firms encourage working from home for all their teams, others preferred to combine on-premises and work-from-home solutions. The latter is one of the most practical solutions for larger law firms, allowing them to function with as few disruptions as possible.
In both situations, better communication between team members is vital to ensure everyone knows what is expected of them. An informed team is more prepared to meet deadlines and serve clients.
Encouraging Task Ownership
Every member of your law team should understand that they cannot constantly be micromanaged, even when working from home. Everyone needs to work as a team, which requires both an open line of communication and everyone working in sync. All team members should speak up if they see a problem and learn to anticipate tasks and deadlines.
Client Relationships
Client relationships remain as important now as ever before. These are built over the years, and your support during a difficult time like this is important. Listen to their problems, and spend the required time to put their mind at ease. Finally, just like you continue to network with colleagues, remember to stay in touch with your clients and make sure an online presence attracts prospective clients.
