Tips for Getting Rid of the Burden of a Physical Office
How times have changed! A quarter century ago, running a law practice without office space was incomprehensible and could easily be dismissed as a foolhardy endeavor. However, the digital revolution has pushed many professional areas, including medicine and education, more and more into the virtual domain, and the same has happened with legal services. It’s now possible to have a thriving legal practice without physical office space. Should you switch to a virtual legal practice? What are the benefits of going virtual? What’s the best way to do that? How can you provide all necessary services to your clients with a virtual practice?
Why Make Your Law Practice a Virtual Practice?
Getting rid of that office lease and interacting with your clients online provides the following benefits:
- Reduced overhead—Even with a thriving law practice, you’ll spend money for unused or underused space. A virtual legal practice narrows your space concerns to just (a) where to work, and (b) where to meet with clients. Coworking arrangements are an excellent solution to this dilemma.
- Flexibility—With your virtual set-up comprising only a computer, a phone and an internet connection, you can dictate your working hours and location for work. A virtual law practice allows you to interact with clients even from the other side of the globe. You need not budge an inch from the comfort of your couch
- Reduced environmental impact—With a virtual legal practice, your car need not leave the garage, thereby saving precious fuel. Practices such as replacing paper documents with digital equivalents can also help you reduce your carbon footprint.
Setting Up Your Virtual Law Firm
You should confirm that your state allows legal services to be provided virtually. Some states, including Delaware, Florida, and New Jersey, have implemented the “bona fide office rule,” which requires attorneys to maintain some physical office presence. Failure to have a physical office can be deemed an attempt to mislead the public.
If operating a virtual law practice is legal in your state, you can maximize your chances of success by taking the following steps:
- Follow a business plan—Identify goals, set a budget, determine the focus of your practice, and use appropriate tools to objectively measure your progress.
- Plan for client intake—New clients are essential for the success of your practice. Use online automated tools for client management.
- Maximize communication with your clients—Regularly monitoring lines of communication is essential. Plan whether you will focus on emails, text messages, phone calls, or chat.
- Implement a feasible marketing strategy—A slapdash digital marketing campaign may not effectively translate advertising dollars into client callbacks. Your marketing strategy should be carefully considered and coordinated. Working with an experienced digital marketing professional is highly recommended.
How to Make the Transition to Virtual
With most law practices, a gradual transition to a virtual practice is recommended. Set a target date for going completely virtual. Reduce your in-office presence in a phased manner with a simultaneous increase in your use of virtual technology. For example, you may start by conducting all business virtually one day a week, then bump up virtual working one day at a time until physical office presence is a thing of the past.
Being technology-savvy is crucial for the success of your virtual legal practice. Research the various digital solutions at your disposal before selecting the ones best suited for your practice.
Replace as many physical tasks as possible with virtual technology. For example, instead of copying documents on an in-office printer/copier, use your phone or other digital technology to electronically perform the same task.
Let GetLegal Help You Market Your Virtual Law Practice
With comprehensive expertise in all aspects of law firm marketing, GetLegal can cater to the requirements of law firms of all sizes. We offer a range of online tools and strategies, including video production, custom content and design, search engine optimization, social media campaigns, directory listings, and online reputation management. To learn how we can help you generate more clients for your practice, visit https://www.getlegalpracticebuilder.com/ or call us at 1-866-535-6919.
