Law Practice Management Problem

Philip Coffaro, Brad Kimber, Christian Pipas

Billing problems: Bills do not go out for weeks or months Billing kept on paper and only done by one

legal assistant Possible ethics problems with the legal

assistant doing the billing for the lawyers Firm is not being paid regularly

Proposed billing solutions:

Purchase Billing software such as “CLIO” – web-based law practice management system automatically sends out billing on a set

schedule Allows for online payment for clients that

cannot make it into the office Designed for small firms and solo practitioners Data is secure and less issues with the

information being compromised Relatively inexpensive - $50 per attorney and

$25 per support staff per month

Proposed billing solutions continued: Client knows what to expect Regular cash flow resulting from regular billing Prevent client shock by spreading out payments When the client is present, smart phone apps

can do credit card billing without an expensive point of sale machine.

By using online processes the firm can save money by doing online billing and not have the expense related to mailing out a bill every month

Online billing also more secure because no loss of information that would lead to disputes with client about the amount of work being done

Future solutions: If the business makes more money by having

better and more accurate billing, the firm could upgrade to more sophisticated internal software like PC Law and Amicus. Amicus is $600 per person, plus $600 to install

and $600 for an Amicus representative to train the firm on how to use the software

If the firm is more established and there is a degree of continuity, this would be a good program to have because of its overall quality and comprehensiveness

Why this would be beneficial? Using the software will create more profit because of

the accuracy of the billing There will be less issues with the accuracy of billing

Everything recorded as it happens/ reduce ethics issues Helpful to analyze the performance of each

employee Initial cost for a program like CLIO is relatively low Can bill when not in the office on phone or computer Option to outsource workers like a bookkeeper to

lower costs Regular billing more helpful in getting paid and a

helpful communication tool for the clients

Changes that would need to happen? Everyone would need to keep track of their

own billable hours on the software Bills would be sent out by email after client

consents Clients would need to be informed of the

billing method Work that is not billed would need to be

included on the bill as “free” to build client relations and prevent bill disputes

Website Problem The website is a written brochure online No updates Lack of compelling content Lack of marketing and client relations

strategies being used

Solutions to fixing a bad website Want to drive traffic to the website Can start a blog that links to the firm’s website On emails include a link to the firm’s website in

your signature Begin to link Facebook and LinkedIn address to

your firm’s website Include relevant videos to a YouTube page for the

firm Ask other attorney’s with websites to put a link to

the firm’s website Consult with a web developer to improve your

search results in search engines

Solutions to fixing a bad website continued Improve marketing by doing the billing online Could also improve client contact by sending

out birthday and thank you cards when appropriate

How to persuade the lawyers? Having a better website will bring in more

clients, which will bring in more money Most of the solutions for improving the

website are cost-effective Can help with determining the best clients Having a better website better represents the

firm By keeping in contact with the clients, there is

a stronger likelihood of referral business