Law Firm Operations

Your accountant may be great at handling small business accounting, but you need to be sure your accountant understands the differences between law firm accounting and other small business accounting requirements. It is your responsibility to make sure your books are correct.

We’re experiencing an unprecedented time in history, one in which most people are no longer working from their regular offices. For this reason, access to data from remote locations has become more important than ever.

In the new normal since the Coronavirus, it is expected that 80% of lawyers and professionals will do some work via their smartphones. This statistic is indicative of a trend that we expect to continue for many years to come — the legal industry, like so many others, must embrace a remote workforce.

Congratulations! Your firm has decided to move to a new practice management, billing or accounting platform. You have gone through the analysis, made a selection, and now comes the big question – What data should be brought over to the new application?

How do you measure productivity and predict profitability? With time-based billing, the simplest way is billable hours. How many hours can (and should) timekeepers work in a period of time and how many of the worked hours are billable? If we assume only two weeks of vacation per year and a forty-hour workweek, the formula will look something like this...

The legal industry has learned so much from recent events. Employees can work remotely. Prior to the pandemic, approximately 30% of the workforce worked remotely. Now, in the midst of the pandemic, approximately 85% of the workforce is working offsite. Going forward, it is estimated that 50% of the workforce will continue to work remotely.

All law firms are required to maintain accounting records for client funds deposited in trust accounts. Finding the right software solution to assist with the necessary record-keeping for those funds requires a complete understanding of the bar association rules. Trust Accounting Basics Client funds are held by lawyers for many reasons. A lawyer may hold…

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted normal business life currently and for the foreseeable future. “Business as usual” is no longer a realistic expectation. We should expect a new normal once people are permitted to reoccupy their office space. What should law firms do to ensure their employees’ safety and make certain that policies are compliant with revised labor laws and public safety?

Change is never easy, but often necessary to stay relevant in today’s fast-paced environment. Firms should regularly review how things are done and look for ways to improve. An especially good time to do this is when implementing new law practice management (LPM) software. Firms that cling to outdated or inefficient workflows often miss out on many benefits that can save time and money.