Boutique firms and solo legal practitioners may quickly get overwhelmed with the minutiae of running a law firm. They may need help taking care of current clients or attracting new ones. Is your day eaten away with data entry, client intake, or other office tasks instead of practicing law? Then, consider the benefits of outsourced legal back-office support services. Legal process outsourcing can streamline operations, reduce costs, and allow lawyers to focus more on practicing law. You’ll spend less time on administrative tasks that keep you from your most important work: your clients.
Depending on the outsourcing services you choose, you could have an assistant with a legal background conduct legal research for you. You could opt for virtual office management. However, due to the sensitive nature of legal services, it’s important that you choose your outsourced company carefully. At PEAK Outsourcing, we rigorously vet our outsourced legal back-office workers to deliver the best outsourcing solutions to our clients.
What Is Legal Outsourcing for Law Firms?
When you outsource services for your law firm, you delegate certain tasks or processes to trained professionals. Many smaller or solo law firms may have administrative work that takes up a lawyer’s valuable time. However, they may not have enough of the work to justify hiring a full-time firm employee to complete it. Other times, an attorney may have an exceptionally large workload or a complicated case. In this case, they need help with legal research or other law-centric support.
With legal outsourcing, law firms book these virtual assistants at an hourly rate and assign certain tasks. These paraprofessionals can help you cut costs, reduce your workload, and provide better service to your clients. Running a law firm is like running any other kind of business. Certain paperwork, accounting, and administrative tasks must get done, but it may not always be the best use of attorneys’ time to complete them. Freelance paralegals, attorneys, outsourced accountants, or office assistants can help reduce this back-office workload.
Four Benefits of Legal Outsourcing
Legal process and services outsourcing is a convenient way to help you focus on your practice’s strengths and increase your client capacity. Did you know that $6.2 billion is spent yearly on e-discovery, legal process outsourcing, and virtual document review services? If you’re looking into the advantages of outsourcing, you’re not alone.
The top four reasons attorneys like you choose legal services outsourcing include:
- Expanding the scope of their practice area. There are so many types of law to practice that many smaller firms typically focus on a select few. But, by outsourcing certain law services beyond what your in-house team offers, you can meet the needs of new clients. You can also enhance your services for existing clients without hiring a full-time attorney.
- Offering flat-fee billing options. Some types of legal services, such as preparing wills, handling a DUI, or processing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, may take a set amount of time. You may offer these services to clients at a flat fee and outsource to local freelance attorneys.
- Flexible staffing options. Perhaps you have a complicated case that needs extra hands and eyes, but your regular caseload won’t justify hiring an attorney or paralegals. Outsourcing on a case-specific basis can provide the qualified legal help you need in a pinch.
- Reducing your stress levels. If your work-life balance has suffered, outsourcing some tasks can alleviate this burden. You’ll have more time to rest and recharge to better care for your clients.
Finding the Right Legal Outsource Partner
Finding the right fit starts with determining what you want to keep in-house and what you want to delegate. You may interview a freelance lawyer or paralegal for certain tasks or choose to outsource your legal back-office management duties to a company like PEAK Outsourcing. Or, you may have routine legal needs, like document review or legal research. You may have ongoing contact with your legal outsourcing provider for these tasks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some questions we often hear about legal process outsourcing:
What is the difference between outsourcing and offshoring?
Legal process outsourcing uses local attorneys, paralegals, and paraprofessionals to complete specific tasks. Some outsourcing may include routine court appearances, drafting motions, and other documents. Outsourced professionals are highly trained, ethical workers familiar with U.S. laws and the ethical obligations of lawyers. Offshoring refers to using less expensive labor in foreign countries for non-legal work like bookkeeping, billing, payroll, customer service, and so on.
How secure is outsourcing legal work?
When you use a professional outsourcing service, security isn’t a worry. A good outsourcing partner will build confidentiality requirements into the contract and vet all potential workers before you agree to contract with them.
How much does outsourcing legal services cost?
Usually, outsourcing costs less than hiring a new in-house employee to complete the job, but costs will vary by location and the services you need. Many legal outsourcing staffing services will have tiered rates depending on the type of work you need to complete and the type of professional qualifications you require. Freelance legal professionals and attorneys who do not work with a service usually set their own rates, which vary widely.
How do I know what I need to outsource and what to keep in-house?
Outsourcing tasks that do not play to your strengths is common. Many law firms outsource office management duties, including client intake and billing. If you’re not sure where to start, make a list of your daily and weekly tasks. Anything that isn’t directly related to clients could potentially be outsourced. Review those tasks that don’t involve directly working with your clients to determine which ones could be delegated.
Many outsourcing services allow you to change your outsourced tasks as your needs change.
PEAK Outsourcing Offers Comprehensive Legal Office Assistance
We offer a range of services for busy attorneys so you can select which best meets your law firm’s needs. Our cost-effective options allow you to outsource as many or as few of your legal back-office tasks as you’d like. You have the option to change as your needs change.
Some of our most popular services include:
- Record Retrieval Support
- Paralegal Support
- Client Intake Management
- Customer Support
- Medical Document Review
- Data Entry and Auditing
- Virtual Assistants for Law Firms
Are you ready to get started with outsourcing back-office legal work? Contact the team at PEAK Outsourcing today. We’ll work with you to determine your firm’s needs and which type of assistance best suits your needs and budget.
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