Whenever anyone mentions a lawyer, a thought bubble usually pops up next to our heads. There’s a Harvey Specter lookalike sitting in his chamber amidst stacks of files and paperwork and a packed schedule of meetings, court visits, and drama. Well, the reality isn’t too different either. I’m here to introduce legal virtual assistants for lawyers.
Lawyers are one of the busiest people you will come across. An established lawyer’s typical day is a tough grind consisting of long hours of legal research, rummaging through emails, advising clients, formatting and drafting legal documents, and so on. But I’m not here to talk about challenges. I want to talk about solutions and efficiency – I want to talk about virtual assistants (VAs) for lawyers.
Do you remember when cell phones were just for calling? Over time, newer features were added, and today, cell phones have evolved into multi-faceted devices – pretty much all we need to go by. Staying connected, ordering food, shooting work emails, and managing to-do lists. Cell phones are so versatile! And well, so are legal VAs.
Legal Virtual Assistants are essentially your all-rounders. Their familiarity with the courtroom jargon and processes is more advanced than your regular e-assistants or office secretaries. As a lawyer, this will save you the hassle of explaining things from scratch. Interestingly, I’ve seen some potential clients double-minded about whether they even need a VA since they are relatively new to the practice. I always assert that they could probably do with one even more because of a VA’s affordability and work range. A rare combo.
These VAs are multi-skilled professionals who are equipped with not only legal expertise but also administrative skills. Juggling multiple administrative tasks, E-filing, generating clients by building an online presence, promoting your services, and managing CRM is right up their alley. They are up to date with technology and the latest professional tools and apps to make your life easier. In my humble opinion, having a legal VA on your team makes your work and coordination more efficient because you’re avoiding the clutter of a regular office.
So, how are legal Virtual Assistants any better?
Hmm, we’re going to have to do some explaining here. So here it goes. Six concrete reasons why you should opt for a legal VA instead of in-person staff.
1. Affordability:
In comparison to in-person office staff, legal VAs are significantly more affordable. Legal assistants in law firms can easily cost you around $50,000 annually on average. Remote assistants cost much less. You can get yourself one for as low as $5/hr in certain countries. Remember, higher salaries have to be covered too, forcing you to make your services more expensive and risk losing clients.
2. Low Overheads:
Similarly, accommodating staff requires larger office space, more equipment, and higher utilities and rent. Add it up and you find yourself paying through your nose by month’s end. For young attorneys who are not very established, this can be pretty stressful. So, if efficiency is a priority, choosing a legal VA can be a good place to start. They even come with their laptops and gadgets. All you need is WiFi to stay connected!
3. Salary is all you pay
In-person hiring comes with the whole package of employee benefits: food and fuel allowances, health and dental insurance, wellness programs, and retirement plans. Your legal VA will just get to work without requiring any of that. No claims.
4. Access to a larger talent pool
When we’re talking remote services, we’re talking about going beyond borders to pick talent. Why tie yourself down to a proximity bias when you have a more convenient option to locate talent?
5. Saves time
Don’t you just hate getting bogged down with tedious administrative tasks when you could be working on the more billable part of your work? Let the VA manage countless emails, do the back and forth of booking calendars, and read through extensive case law. These virtual wizards can ably help streamline operations, meet deadlines as you focus on what’s more important for accelerated growth.
6. Scaliility and felxiility
An added plus is that legal VAs can be hired on a full-time basis or even on a project-by-project basis. With increasing workload, more VAs can be onboarded, but if work ever hits a lull, a temporary assistant is just a call away. This is not so easy to do with conventional employees.
Being a legal VA, it gives me immense joy to see an increasing number of people from the legal fraternity contact me for virtual legal services. I guide them about an assortment of skills we are adept at and how it is a winning partnership with fewer strings attached, as opposed to conventional hiring.
The writer is a law graduate from the University of London and provides virtual legal assistance to professionals across the globe.