Why Hire a VA for Your Law Firm
The growing number of people who make money from home has changed the business landscape – and law firms are not exempted from this overhaul. The Legal Process Outsourcing or LPO industry is proof of this.
LPO is the business of outsourcing legal service work to remote assistants. Now, law firms can work with a virtual secretary or paralegal from across the globe. Big and small business firms alike have come onboard the LPO for several reasons – ranging from globalization to cost savings, and entrepreneurial advantage.
Hiring a Virtual Worker for Your Law Firm: What’s in it for you?
At first glance, virtual paralegals sound like a preposterous idea. Sure, eCommerce and marketing industries gain an apparent advantage by hiring a virtual assistant (VA). But how can firms that offer legal services benefit from a VA?
- Affordability – Startup law practices can’t always afford a full-time in-house receptionist. Remote staffing is the more affordable recruitment option for small firms.
- Operational flexibility – Pay only for the service that you need when you need it. Virtual assistance gives you the ability to decrease or increase your work hours in accordance to your workload. Unlike in-house employment, virtual assistance frees you from severance accountability.
- Globalization – Say hello to a wider talent pool and intercontinental business partnerships. Working with VAs from across the globe opens your practice to outside talent, foreign legal counsel, and diversity to fuel your company growth.
- Round-the-clock Availability – If you want to grow your clientele, one way to beat the competition is round-the-clock availability. You can promptly answer questions and engage potential clients by having a VA onboard.
Tasks to Outsource to Your Virtual Legal Secretary
Solo practitioners and partners of growing law firms often put in hours to work that can be handled by a VA. On the other hand, bigger law offices pay a fixed rate to their staff during busy and slow months alike.
Whether you’re a partner of a startup or well-established law firm, your office can grow exponentially by delegating the following tasks to a virtual assistant:
- Document production and file checking
- Bookkeeping
- Drafting, proofreading, and redlining contracts
- Client communication
- Calendar Management
- Pleadings preparation
- Billing and invoicing
- Administrative work
- Database management
- Online marketing
- Social media management
- Trial preparation
- Transcribing depositions
- Powerpoint presentations
- Case file management
Hiring and recruiting a VA: What’s the best option?
As a law practitioner, you’re well-aware of IRS and Labor laws governing short-term and offshore services. While directly working with freelancers appears to be the easier way to get virtual assistance, working with a staffing company is the best option in hiring, recruiting, and working with a remote worker.
Here are some benefits of hiring from a staffing company that you can’t find from direct hiring:
- Staffing companies do the groundwork for hiring, recruiting, training, and managing VAs.
- Fewer legal and employment bonds and accountabilities
- Human resource assistance in case of issues and disagreements
- Legal procurement of short-term assistance
Legal Process Outsourcing isn’t just a passing trend in law practice. If you want to grow in your profession while expanding your clientele, hire the services of a virtual legal assistant.
