CRM

Profitability and revenue are often used interchangeably, but they are far from the same thing. Revenue certainly factors into profitability, however, it’s net profitability that enables you to both grow and accurately forecast your firm’s growth rate. Failing to look at one without the other doesn’t give you the full picture. While an increase in clients typically correlates to an increase in revenue, your overhead and administrative costs per client are critical in determining your profit margin. Without an upward trending arrow in your profitability, how can you expect to expand and remain competitive?To that end, law firms in the United States looking to boost their overall profitability need to find a balance between minimizing costs while maximizing revenue using the following tips.

1. Stop wasting time on manual administrative tasks

You only have so many hours in one day. To get the most out of them, it's imperative that you spend each minute wisely. There is an exceptional amount of administrative work that goes into managing a law firm, and there’s no weaseling out of it. Even if you hire extra staff to handle the workload, more man-power equals more costs. Law firms looking to boost their productivity yet keep their costs down need to turn to legal technology.Technology, such as legal time and billing systems, can help you run a much more efficient law firm with smoother processes, and better organization. The latest legal trends report shows that law firms who use legal technology like client intake and CRM collected 40% more revenue per lawyer compared to firms that were not using this kind of software.From phone calls to consultations to drafting up complex paperwork, running an office is a lot of work. Automation makes it easy for legal professionals to hand off the busy work so that they can focus on what matters most at their law firm — the clients! By optimizing your legal intake process you'll increase your productivity, and gain more time. And as a lawyer, your time is synonymous with cold hard cash.

2. Offer e-payment

Step one to generating a profit is getting paid. This is best achieved by optimizing and streamlining your law firm billing process through a legal billing software that allows clients to pay via credit card or other online payment option. The most recent trends report revealed that 65% of clients prefer to pay with a credit card. If the majority of your clients prefer being able to pay with a credit card as a consumer, then why wouldn't they expect the same with their lawyer?The truth is that the average American doesn't have the means to pay a $10,000 retainer in cash. Even if they do have $10,000, chances are it’s not liquid. Consequently, asking your clients to pay by check may delay the billing process. Offering E-payment either via automated payments, or transfers, is incredibly convenient for your typical legal consumer and accelerates payment substantially.According to the 2020 trends report, around 60% of all law firms accepting credit card payments get paid on the same day that they bill, and another 85% get paid within a week. If you have a substantial amount of outstanding balances, offering alternative forms of payment incentivizes legal clients to pay faster, and in full.

3. Deliver a top-notch client experience

The cornerstone of your law firm's overall success is delivering outstanding customer service. And believe it or not, your client's overall satisfaction often has nothing to do with the outcome of their case. There are a considerable number of clients out there who are thrilled with their lawyers despite an undesired outcome in their case. This is because delivering attentive and client-focused legal services matters.The better service you provide the more satisfied your clients will be. To that end, you should start looking for ways that you can creatively give your clients what they want while also adhering to any billing ethics guidelines. Identifying patterns in your former clients' feedback and reviews is a great place to start. From there, you can implement changes in the way you engage with your clients to deliver a better experience that will consequently lead to a steady stream of new business and profitability via word of mouth.

4. Respond with haste

One of the most consistent complaints about lawyers is a lack of communication. A quick response is one of the most influential elements of converting clients. Every minute that you wait to get back to someone is an opportunity you're giving that prospect to go with a competing law firm.Per this scenario, we can’t stress the importance of legal technology enough to ensure that you get back to leads and clients immediately. Automation tools make it easy to follow up the minute someone calls your law firm or sends a legal client intake form. Their information is stored in your CRM, and their client journey is tracked every step of the way, ensuring that you never miss an opportunity to follow up. Text messaging software for law firms is another great way to improve client communication and response time. In short, the more you can engage your leads and clients with swift replies, the more profitable your law firm will become.

5. Make it easy to communicate with you

The more business you have, the less realistic it is to stop what you're doing and pick up the phone for a 10-minute call each time your clients have a question. However, making your clients wait for a status update on their case may quickly agitate them. Offering a solution like a client portal provides instant client service without you having to sacrifice your productivity.Clients can log in to their own communication portal where they can access any important documents and notes related to their case, and even send you a message. Legal software like Lawmatics makes it possible to see all of your client interactions in one single place, so it's easy to follow your communication when your clients have questions.In addition to a client portal software for law firms, Lawmatics client intake software and legal CRM comes with two-way SMS messaging. Since not all clients have the same communication preferences or access, offering SMS is a great way to make your clients feel even more connected to you.

6. Offer automated appointment scheduling

Trying to find a time for a consultation that works for both your client and you can often lead to a long-drawn-out series of emails. Eliminating the bottlenecks associated with appointment scheduling can be a great time saver, and can help you take on even more business. Automated appointment scheduling allows you to send a link to your clients where they can choose from only the available dates you want them to see.They'll receive automatic appointment reminders, and so will you, ensuring that there are no mix-ups or no-shows. Client no-shows are a serious threat to your profitability. Each time that you schedule a portion of your day to meet someone, and they don't show up, you're losing valuable time that you could have spent on more revenue-producing activities.

7. Speed up your document process

Drafting up complex legal documents can be time-consuming, and prone to error. Unfortunately, these errors can be quite expensive to fix, not to mention time-consuming. Legal document automation can shave hours off of your workday, generating everything from retainer agreements to affidavits within seconds.Document automation tools often feature custom fields which can be used to merge any preferred data from your matters and contacts, and auto-fill it directly into your boilerplate PDF and word documents. Not only do you save time, but you ensure greater accuracy. Document assembly is only half the battle, however. You typically need your clients to sign and send important contracts back to you in order to get the ball rolling on their case.But the longer it takes, the longer it will take to get a fee agreement signed. Many lawyers require their clients to print sign and scan these papers back to them, which can take a considerable amount of time. Offering an alternative and faster way to get documents signed, isn't just easier for your clients, it's also ideal for you. Electronic signature for legal documents makes it easy to create sign and send documents from the palm of your hand. Since your clients no longer have to complete multiple steps to return important signatures to you, you'll streamline your processes, and be able to take on more work, ultimately boosting your profitability.[oxygen-template id="6132"]

8. Demonstrate to clients that you’re not motivated by money

Many law firm owners can come across as inauthentically eager when trying to convert a lead into a client. Being overly sales-y can give off the impression that you value money over your clients' well-being.To combat this, take time during your consultation to be a good listener to your prospective client rather than waiting for your turn to speak. And if you ultimately decide that you're not the right fit for a potential client’s case, direct them to someone who is. Your helpful and compassionate approach to referring them to another legal professional is something they won’t forget. If ever someone in their network is looking for representation in your practice area, there’s a decent chance they’ll send someone your way.

9. Know your worth

As more and more lawyers gravitate towards a flat fee pricing model, it's less and less necessary to track your billable hours. That being said, it's still important to ensure that you're getting paid adequately for the amount of work you're putting in.It’s incumbent upon attorneys working on a flat fee scale to use legal reporting software as a timekeeper to calculate hours spent per client. By measuring the duration of time it takes to finish a task based on case type, you'll have a better idea of how to set a fair pricing structure. After measuring how much time you're spending on cases using a legal timekeeping software, you may be shocked to find that you're undercharging significantly for the amount of work you’re putting in.Increasing your prices, however, doesn't always give you a competitive edge. One of the primary reasons why people don't hire lawyers is because they feel they're overpriced. Instead of raising your prices and continuing to work long hours, why not work fewer hours and keep your prices where they are?The key isn't in your prices necessarily, but rather boosting your efficiency. By delegating your most time-draining tasks to automation, you’ll automatically have more bandwidth to take on more clients, and increase your revenue.

10. Start a blog

A strong online presence in and of itself is a lead generation tool. And the more leads that you generate, the more profitable your law firm will become. One of the best ways to instantly start increasing your visibility is by adding a blog to your website. A blog is a great way to drive more web traffic to your website and rank higher on Google. Any content you create on your blog may be repurposed by other publishers, which means increased visibility for you. Think of it less as giving away free legal advice, and more as creating educational tidbits that will generate leads over and over again for years to come.For more detailed tips on how to optimize your law firm website for SEO, check out our guide here.

11. Generate a following on social media

Once upon a time it may have seemed crazy for law firms to advertise on a platform like Facebook — oh how things have changed. As it stands, social media is one of the best places to build an audience. Social media boasts a considerable amount of influence and taps into a variety of different demographics. From LinkedIn to Facebook, to Instagram, social media should be an integral part of your law firm marketing strategy.It's all a numbers game.The more shareable and informative content that you create, the more followers you'll accumulate. The more followers you have, the higher your clout and credibility. Consider your volume of followers as valuable to consumers as your Google Review scores. So, before you dismiss social media as a place for sharing exotic vacation photos and baseless conspiracy theories, think again. It can be a powerful lead magnet that you should not disregard.

12. Set goals

Increasing your law firm profitability is a great goal, but without true quantitative milestones, it's rather dismissive. In order to see the kind of results that you want to see, you should set strategic goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, and timebound. These can then serve as a map for how you plan on increasing your profitability over time. They can be a driving force behind your business decisions, and help you stay focused and committed to planning your law firm's future.Once your goals have manifested and are written down, track them. Though data and law may seem like an unlikely match, the most profitable law firms are the ones that keep a close eye on their key metrics to determine their profitability. Tracking your profitability can be done by following financial KPIs like:

• Net overhead
• Fee per matter
• Revenue billed per month
• Fee per new matter
• Revenue per employee
• Amount of revenue per matter
• Realization rate (amount billed vs amount of billable work)
• Revenue collected per month
• Amount of firm debt
• Anticipated annual costs
• Operating account balance
• Amount of accounts receivable (AR) outstanding
• Net income as a percentage of revenue

A CRM and client intake software like Lawmatics comes with built-in law reporting software that’s easy to use and simple to understand. Because Lawmatics allows you to run reports on only the data you want to see the way that you want to see it, you can easily track your revenue in an easy-to-read format.

13. Create a business development plan

We get it, you're a lawyer, not a marketing professional. Nevertheless, the only way to start increasing your profitability is by getting the word out about your law firm and creating strategic opportunities. Unlike law firm marketing, business development for lawyers is less about advertising your law firm and more about building connections and finding opportunities for revenue that will play a critical role in your long-term law firm market performance strategy.You should constantly be exploring new sales opportunities and identifying potential revenue. From cross-selling to your current clients, and expanding new practice areas to your law firm, there are many different ideas for developing a business strategy. By building strong client relationships, networking as much as possible in law firm culture, and encouraging referrals, you'll be on the right track to creating a profitable law firm business plan.

14. Stop relying on case management software for your client intake

While case management software may be an incredibly useful tool for law firms' day-to-day operations, it's not enough to streamline your client intake process or engage your contacts in a timely, meaningful way.The client intake process requires a tremendous amount of work, more than most case management software can handle. Client intake & CRM software organizes your client's information and helps attract prospective clients, follow up with them, and engage them every step of the client journey. It also ensures that you make a great first impression, and will follow up automatically without you having to ask if it's been done or notIf you hope to stay top of mind with clients, client intake & CRM software is essential for enhancing the attorney-client relationship starting at the client intake process.Many firms are so focused on new and current clients that they forget how valuable former clients are. 70% of law firm business comes from referrals. Forgetting to continue to engage your former clients is a huge missed opportunity. Client intake & CRM software will continue to send messages to former clients with updates about your law firm, as well as other messages like wishing them a happy birthday. Continuing to engage your clients beyond their case is key to creating lasting relationships that lead to more and more business.

Drive your law firm’s profitability with Lawmatics

Since the onset of the pandemic, lawyers have been hit with more challenges than ever. Increasing your law firm profitability is essential for weathering these difficult times. Yet, despite these challenges, increasing your profitability is still possible by using the right technology.Explore Lawmatics software features including CRM, client intake, reporting, and marketing automation for lawyers.Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help you increase your profits and save more time? Sign up for a free product demo today!

Sources Cited

Clio, 2020 Legal Trends Report, Clio.comhttps://www.clio.com/resources/legal-trends/2020-report/Youlegal.com, Five Reasons Why Lawyers Are So Expensive, Apr 18, 2018https://youlegal.com.au/you-legal-blogs/five-reasons-lawyers-expensiveDavid Finkel, 22 Simple Tactics to Increase Profitability, Inc.com, Sept 14, 2016https://www.inc.com/david-finkel/22-simple-tactics-to-increase-profitability.html

Chances are that being an attorney suits you, otherwise, why on earth would you have pursued this profession? Yet, after a few years of overwhelming piles of documents, never-ending emails, back-to-back consultations, finding your own clients, doing your own marketing, and ardently defending your clients in court, it's easy to find yourself working more than 60 hours a week. Because of the non-stop pressure, lawyers are among the top professionals susceptible to burnout.Many who have never experienced burnout assume it’s merely periodic, work related stress or lack of sleep. But burnout is far more than feeling mentally overtaxed — a simplification of a deep-rooted issue. At its most severe, it’s an occupational hazard capable of leaving you incapacitated or unable to carry out your job. As a lawyer, people are counting on you to handle their most sensitive legal issues. So, if you're so inundated with stress and exhaustion to the point of burnout from the incessant demands of your career, it's not just you that will suffer the consequences — your clients will too.

What is lawyer burnout?

Lawyer burnout is chronic exhaustion as a result of too much on your plate. Lawyers without an efficient system in place can find themselves disillusioned, overworked, and ultimately emotionally distressed. Exacerbating the issue is work martyrdom — the propensity to put the well-being of your clients before your own. Not only is this emotionally draining, but it can start to take its toll on every area of your life. Your emotional and physical burnout will start to spill over into your clients' overall experience and affect your reputation.Believe it or not, burnout can even cause long-term changes in your body that can make you more vulnerable to depression and anxiety.

Signs you’re on the brink of burnout

1Physically drained

Chronic stress can start to lead to physical fatigue. From stomach aches, to migraines, the emotional exhaustion will eventually take its toll physically. Regardless of how much you sleep, during a burnout period your body never quite feels rejuvenated in the mornings since it’s producing high amounts of cortisol — the stress hormone attributed to disrupting healthy sleep patterns . Many individuals suffering from burnout may start to experience depression as well, which can cause a drop in energy and motivation to move your body.

2Inundated with tedious, monotonous tasks

As a lawyer, there's no shortage of tasks to complete throughout the day, whether administrative or in service of your clients. But when you start to feel like your tasks are more than you can handle, then it's only a matter of time before your entire day feels consumed by the pressures of your pending to-do's. Lawyers who have an incapacitating amount of backlogged tasks tend to develop decision paralysis when it comes to prioritization. And in the absence of an effective system in place, managing your workload to completion can seem like an impossibility.

3Pulling away from your responsibilities

When the pressures of your practice become all too much to handle, withdrawal — a common attorney defense mechanism — isn’t far behind. And if kicking the can down the road wasn’t antithetical enough to your workday, cynicism and apathy rear their ugly head when stress compounds. Consequently, personal and professional relationships decline as your workload piles up.

4Turning to alcohol or other substances

Many professionals turn to alcohol to cope and unwind after a long day — attorneys included. After all, drinks with colleagues or a glass of wine after a long day are customary are they not? However, dependency can creep up as alcohol and other substances become go-tos in alleviating the stressors of a demanding workweek, impairing your ability to do your job. Around 70% of legal malpractice issues can be attributed to substance abuse, often by attorneys struggling to seek treatment. Suffice to say, alcohol (or substance) consumption can take the edge off on occasion but really isn’t sustainable without risk of addiction and further health implications. For those who find themselves drinking beyond moderation, assistance for lawyers is readily available.

5Weight fluctuation

A common physical reaction to burnout is experiencing weight change. For many, increased cortisol levels as a stress response triggers hunger sensations, pushing stressed out lawyers to snack more often, in many cases on less than healthy food choices. On the other hand, there are those who can't stand the sight of food when they're overwhelmed with too much work on their plate. Whereas some people lose weight when under duress, others experience weight gain. It all depends on your body's unique chemistry. Either way, if you start to notice significant physical changes as a reaction to your stress, it's a red flag that something needs to give.

6Easily agitated

If you start to feel your patience running thinner than usual, it could be a sign of burnout in the not-so-distant future. The reason why many people feel easily agitated as a burnout symptom is because stress releases adrenaline. Too much adrenaline released in your body upsets your body chemistry, sending you into survival mode. It's almost impossible to pump the brakes once you reach a stress threshold. Should you catch yourself feeling unreasonably angry about seemingly innocuous things, consider taking a much-needed break and reassess the way you’re running your practice.

7No desire to take on more clients

It's hardly a no-brainer why you wouldn't be enthusiastic about taking on more clients when you can barely handle the ones you currently have. Yet, your clients are relying on you to carry out your role. Not only could you be negatively affecting their well-being by failing to do your job in providing adequate representation, but you are ultimately rolling the dice on your livelihood. Failing to follow through with inadequate representation of your clients will lead to poor reviews and a bad reputation in general.

8Troubled relationships

People who are nearing burnout are hardly feeling very sociable. The intense stress paired with chronic fatigue makes you feel disinterested in most things. As such, it's likely difficult to be patient and compassionate in your relationships. Over-tiredness can create a rift in personal relationships, causing attorneys to be distant or even short-tempered with friends and family.[oxygen-template id="6129"]

Common causes of lawyer burnout

!Long hours

According to a 2018 legal trends report, the average full-time working lawyer works just under 50 hours a week. Almost 40% say that this has an overall negative impact on their life. One of the biggest reasons why lawyers put in so many hours is because it's a struggle to catch up with everything that it takes to run a legal practice. With so many administrative tasks, lawyers are often forced to work outside of standard business hours in order to tend to their clients' needs. On average, lawyers spend over 50% of their day on non-billable tasks, like marketing and following up with leads.Clearly this isn't a sustainable lifestyle. The exhaustion will start to take its toll on legal professionals, regardless of how zealous they are about practicing law.Working extra hours may seem conducive to productivity, but in most cases, it is in fact counterproductive, not to mention detrimental to your physical health. Research shows that working more than 10 hours a day can increase your chances of cardiovascular issues by as much as 60%.

!Stiff competition

The competition is fiercer than ever in today's legal industry. Clients expect more than ever for less, and many law firms find themselves struggling to meet their annual revenue goals. With more than 1.3 million practicing lawyers in the United States, there is no shortage of choices for legal consumers seeking representation. But attracting new clients is no small feat for those with zero to minimal marketing experience — particularly in smaller firms.To the chagrin of many lawyers, marketing is typically absent in law school curriculum. You’re taught to handle cases but not how to run a business. Lawyers who aren't prepared for the marketing and sales aspect of standing out in a sea of competition may find themselves burned out from the multiple hats they have to wear.

!Drawn out manual processes

Manual processes are one of the primary culprits for burned-out lawyers' workloads. From responding to incoming leads to finding the best time for a consultation, to drafting up lengthy documentation, to sending and receiving agreements, all of these steps take countless hours to complete manually. They are tedious, they are error prone, and they shouldn’t be on an attorney’s plate to begin with lest you risk double work and client dissatisfaction.

!Perfectionism

Many lawyers possess personality traits that cause them to strive for perfection at all costs. You can see where this is going. Impossible standards are tough to meet. While perfectionism may drive lawyers to excel at what they do, it incurs an emotional toll. Failing to achieve perfection can lead to feeling helpless, out of control, and dissatisfaction with oneself and life. Rather than being driven by aspirational goals, perfectionists are driven by the fear of failure. Hence, it’s arguably toxic in excess, particularly a law firm work environment.

!Lack of resources

When running a law firm, resource availability dictates your time, growth, and caseload capacity. The fewer employees you have, for instance, the more difficult it is to keep up with all of your paying clients or prospects. It’s a simple equation, output equals resources plus time.Once you reach burnout, it’s an uphill battle to reach baseline. Think of a car spinning its wheels in a ditch — it’s possible to get out … eventually, but the best solution is prevention. If you start to notice any of the warning signs mentioned in this post, then look no further than the following solutions to circumvent disaster and turn things around.

Ways to avoid legal burnout with legal technology

Pinpoint your problem areas with legal reporting software

Time equals money. The more time you lose on manual processes, the more you can hear the metaphorical coins dropping into a piggy bank. While you might not be able to stretch the number of hours you have in the day, you can make the most out of the 24 that you're given. Instead of letting yourself get bogged down with manual processes that shouldn’t be on your plate to begin with, boost your efficiency by relying on legal technology.Step one: identify where your time is going with data. Data is the unsung hero in the legal world and, if harnessed, can be one of your greatest assets for identifying problem areas when it comes to efficiency. One solution, legal reporting software, helps you track your productivity, and stay accountable for how you're using your time. You can easily keep tabs on firm’s performance with visibility into the following key metrics:

• Case Volume
• Billable Tasks
• Completed Tasks
• Monthly Revenue
• Revenue Per Employee

If you find yourself currently working over 50 hours a week, and only a small portion of that time is allocated to actual billable work, then law firm reporting software will help you pinpoint the holes in your productivity so that you can make changes accordingly.Once you find out where your problem areas are, you can turn towards automation to put those tasks on autopilot. Attorney intake software can help you automate processes that are draining your energy, resources, and time, and put you back in control of what's most important at your practice.

Accelerate growth with a CRM

A CRM for lawyers manages the client journey end-to-end, keeping everything in one single organized location. No more spread out post-it notes or multiple spreadsheets — a CRM keeps a record of all interactions with clients, ensuring no one falls through the cracks.CRM paired with a pipeline management system takes this a step further by telling you what action to take next on any matter, eliminating inefficiencies in your follow-up process — all with minimal effort on your part. The end result is less work for you, and delighted clients that refer you to their friends and family.

Automate client replies

One of the biggest challenges for lawyers trying to stay productive is getting back to their clients and leads. With so much on their plate, it can feel impossible to have to take a 10-minute call several times a day to update each client on their case. Because of this, poor lawyer responsiveness is one of the top complaints that clients have. Making your clients wait more than 24 hours to hear back from you can lead to negative online reviews and a lack of referrals. Instead of sacrificing your productivity to try to get back to everyone while simultaneously completing all of your tasks, rely on automation to reply for you.Client intake software can be easily configured to send automated and personalized messages, keeping clients engaged from day one, without you having to do a thing. From that point on, you can set triggers of your choice to send out a message depending on where they are on the client journey. Whether they sign up for a newsletter, or they schedule a consultation, automated messages make them feel connected to you every step of the way.

Give clients access to the client portal

In 2022, we find ourselves in a consumer-driven world. Clients expect immediate replies, and won't settle for anything less. Yet, as a busy lawyer, you simply don't have time to stop what you're doing and give everyone an update in real-time. That is … unless you have a client portal. A client communication portal provides immediate means of access to a client’s case details thereby cutting you, the attorney, almost entirely out of the equation.Clients can access the client portal 24 hours a day, and see the latest developments of their case, access documents, and even send their lawyer a message. Not only does this give them more freedom, but it also gives lawyers more freedom. Your clients will be thrilled with your modern approach, and you'll benefit from them being more self-sufficient. Everyone wins!

Allow self-scheduling

One of the frustrating aspects of running a law firm is finding a time that works for your clients and you for consultations. Before long, trying to find a time and date that works for not only your schedule but also theirs can lead to a long string of emails back and forth.Nobody has time to write 10 emails a day over one simple consultation. Allowing your clients to book their own appointments with automated appointment scheduling can be one of the most liberating, time-saving changes you make in your practice. It's as simple as sending them a link to a calendar that links to yours in real time, displaying only your available time slots.From there, they can schedule an appointment without you having to do a thing, serving as a modern and convenient alternative to manually setting appointments, which can be especially helpful when you don't have the luxury of front desk staff.In addition to being able to set their own appointments, clients will also receive automatic appointment reminders, significantly reducing the chance of appointment mixups, and client no-shows.

Use document automation software

From drafting up attorney retainer agreements, to wordy affidavits, creating documents can take a lot of time out of your day. Not to mention, you risk them being full of errors. Lighten your workload by using legal document automation to generate tedious paperwork in a matter of seconds. Custom fields make it easy to merge data from your matters directly into your PDF and word documents, saving you precious time that you can dedicate to what matters most at your practice — giving your clients the attention they deserve.

Offer e-signature

Up until very recently, getting documents signed by your clients was a time consuming, multi-step process for most. It required your client to print, sign and scan documents back to you, often resulting in hour-long delays to get the case rolling. Those were the dark ages before e-signature.Stop losing time, and offer your clients an instant and effort-free way to sign important documents. A client e-signature tool ensures their cases are continuously in progress, making everyone's lives much easier. In addition to being much faster and more convenient, e-signature is also safer. Rather than sending legally binding documents through email, or snail mail, e-signature software is protected from third parties trying to access sensitive information. Above all, offering effortless solutions like electronic signature for legal documents will strengthen your client relationships, and improve the overall client experience.

Automate your marketing

As mentioned earlier in this post, marketing is an enigma to many in the legal industry. After all, you're not a business person, you're a lawyer, right? Unfortunately, you are a business person, and you have to run your law firm like a business if you hope to continue to grow.Yet with so much on your plate, it can be difficult to keep up with the demands of attracting and engaging clients. Automating your marketing with email automation for law firms can be one of the best things you ever do for your firm. Automation tools like audience segmentation software target specific contacts in your law firm CRM based on their characteristics such as their profession, case type, and other factors that could play a role in what sort of marketing materials you sent them. Each group of contacts is sent targeted and personalized marketing that makes that much more likely to open the emails.Rather than trying to appeal to the masses with an all-in-one marketing approach, personalized messages make your firm memorable, and stand out. Automated drip email marketing sends clients messages based on triggers of your choice. From birthday messages to thanking them for joining your newsletter, marketing automation for law firms keeps you top of mind for your clients without any effort on your part.

Burnout can happen to the best of us — the good news is that legal technology can help

The silver lining of a potential burnout is that it's a great motivation to make lasting improvements in your practice. The trick is to take action before burnout takes effect. If you start to notice signs of burnout approaching, consider turning to legal technology to help quickly turn things around for the better.By harnessing the power of legal technology, and automating your most time-draining processes in your practice, you can take control of your sanity, and find a balance between your profession and your personal life. Get back to a place where you enjoy your job again, and let automation handle the rest. Are you ready to see how Lawmatics' all-in-one CRM client intake and marketing solution can help you stave off lawyer burnout? Sign up for a free product demo today!

Sources Cited

Amy Adkins, Majority of U.S. Employees Not Engaged Despite Gains in 2014, Gallup.com, January 28 2015 https://news.gallup.com/poll/181289/majority-employees-not-engaged-despite-gains-2014.aspxClio, The 2018 Legal Trends Report https://www.clio.com/resources/legal-trends/2018-report/Claire C. Caruso, Ph.D., R.N. Edward M. Hitchcock, Ph.D. Robert B. Dick, Ph.D. John M. Russo, Ph.D. Jennifer M. Schmit, M.A., Department of Health and Human Services, Overtime and Extended Work Shifts: Recent Findings on Illnesses, Injuries, and Health Behaviors, April 2004 https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-143/pdfs/2004-143.pdf

Welcome to the 21st-century legal market — it's more competitive than ever, and client expectations are at an all-time high. As if you didn't already have enough pressure on you to be an outstanding attorney, you also are faced with the challenges that come along with running a small law firm. And as most lawyers soon find out, while law school may have prepared you to be a lawyer, it hardly prepares you for running a small business. Running a law firm is so much more than simply offering your legal advice, strategizing, and representing clients. You also have a business to run.You have to think about things like costs, marketing, administrative tasks, and the client experience. While once upon a time lawyers had the upper hand, it's now a buyer's market. Potential clients have more options than ever before, and it's up to you to attract and retain clients by delivering a seamless client journey. Unfortunately, because you're a small firm, you don't have a lot of luxuries that a larger firm may have. From the size of your budget to a smaller staff, you likely have to do a lot of things yourself rather than delegating to a staff member.On top of everything that goes into handling your existing clients, it can seem overwhelming having to do your own marketing, and client intake, on top of your administrative tasks. Throw on top of that a worldwide pandemic that has flipped the legal industry upside down and has forced lawyers to completely change the way they practice law.The great news is that there is a solution for effectively managing your small or solo law firm despite the restraints of your challenges.

Common challenges small law firms face

!Long manual processes

When a lead first calls your law firm or sends an email asking for more information, there are a lot of vital tasks that follow. From taking down their contact information, to scheduling a consultation, to sending and receiving agreements — completing these processes manually can take hours to days to get done.Unfortunately, in addition to being time-consuming, manual processes also risk being riddled with errors. Yet, clients come to you for solutions, not more problems. If you hope to build a solid reputation for your law firm, then mistakes aren't an option.

!Keeping up with the competition

As of 2020, there were a reported 1.3 million practicing lawyers in the USA. It goes without saying that there is an oversupply of lawyers for the number of potential clients. It's up to you to attract leads and fight for your clients.One of the first things that clients do when they're looking for a lawyer is to turn to the place they know best, Google. As a small law firm, likely the first search results that come up in your area are larger law firms with larger marketing budgets. In many cases, small law firms simply accept this as their fate and submit to the competition. However, small law firms can stand a chance against even the biggest competition. The key is having an effective management strategy in place.

!Putting in long hours

Lawyers are some of the hardest-working people out there. On average, lawyers put in 60 hours or more a week, and in many cases even more when running a small law firm or solo practice. Despite how passionate lawyers may be about working on behalf of others in need of legal assistance, with those heavy workloads often comes extreme stress.A recent study revealed that attorneys have one of the highest mental health disorder rates out of any profession. Nearly 30% of lawyers interviewed claim to suffer from depression, just under 20% suffer from extreme anxiety, and a whopping 10% claim to have experienced suicidal thoughts at some point during their career.For attorneys trying to scale their firm, long hours don't just equate to less time for other areas of their life such as vacations or spending time with their family, it can damage their mental well-being and quality of life.

!The juggling act between paying clients and potential clients

One of the biggest challenges of running a small law firm is balancing your attention between your potential clients and your paying clients. Because lawyers have so much going on with their current clients, it can be challenging to get back to incoming leads quickly. Yet slow response times can be the death of your small law firm. Statistics show responsiveness has a 60% influence over a potential client's choice of a lawyer. 42% of law firms in a 2021 study took three or more days to respond to a lead inquiry. With so many competing law firms out there, that's a massive window of time that you're giving them to go with the competition. When someone is looking for a lawyer, chances are they're in a hurry. If they don't hear back from your law firm right away, they'll go on Google and click on the next ad that comes up.

!Client cost expectations

Today, over 50% of Americans say that they feel anxious about their finances. When you consider that lawyers charge anywhere from $100 to $1000 an hour, it goes without saying that most Americans can't afford legal representation. Consequently, your average person will avoid hiring a lawyer at all.For that reason, many lawyers are moving towards a flat fee system to appeal to clients who feel uneasy about hourly billing. Hourly billing comes with the implication that costs are uncapped; they may receive an astronomical bill that they won't be able to afford. A flat fee presents your legal service in a neatly wrapped package that is much more appealing to the average budget.However, in an attempt to appeal to potential clients' budgets, many small law firms may be shortchanging themselves with their flat fees. After all, your legal expertise comes with a certain price tag attached and a considerable amount of administrative work, so taking a financial hit is not the answer.Unfortunately, many small law firms blunder trying to find a balance between appealing to client cost expectations while also pricing their legal services fairly. Aiming too high or too low is a common problem for many.

!Budget constraints

4% of small law firms claim they can't generate enough revenue to be able to invest more money into their firm. Unfortunately, budget constraints can make scaling your firm much more difficult.From hiring more staff to investing in legal technology, making your law firm more efficient comes at a cost. Without the cash flow it takes to finance these upgrades, many small law firms find themselves trapped in a perpetual rut of long and tedious processes.

!Lack of insight about where time is going

According to a recent trends reportthe average lawyer devotes only about 2.5 hours of their day to billable tasks. The other part of their day is spent on the “other” parts of running a law firm.Yet, the secret to success as a law firm is knowing what every hour of your day is devoted to. Many small law firms have no idea just how much time they're losing that could be committed to more revenue-producing tasks. Data is power. By following the right metrics, you can identify where you're losing the most time in your practice, and what improvements need to be made to increase your productivity and consequently boost your revenue.Small law firms may find the idea of running law firm data analytics reports daunting. However, the same trends report shows that law firms who rely on legal technology like CRM Reporting and insights software collect nearly 40% more revenue per lawyer compared to firms not using those technologies.[oxygen-template id="6131"]

Tips for effectively managing your small law firm

Develop a strong law firm brand

If you don't remember taking Law Firm Branding 101 in law school, don't worry. It's probably because it wasn't one of your courses. One of the rude awakenings for many lawyers is that law school set them up with knowledge of the law, but didn't teach them how to run a business.In the business world, a brand is more than just the name of your law firm. It’s an intangible feeling your law firm evokes in potential clients. Smart branding appeals to your target audience by sparking their interest and peaking their emotions.There is a whole galaxy of elements that go into a brand. From font choice to website layout, to your logo colors, all of these elements come together to form what we call a brand.Developing your firm's brand should depend on what kind of emotion you hope to evoke in your potential clients. Who do you hope to appeal to? How do you hope to make an impression? Most importantly, what makes you stand out against competing lawyers in your area? Creating a unique strong brand for your small law firm is paramount for your success.By piecing together the right mold for your brand, you'll be able to better appeal to your target audience, and stand out in a sea of competition. Creating a strong brand for your law firm will take patience and consistency. There may be a lot of trial and error in the business development process, but with enough diligence, you'll create an effective branding strategy that stands out.When creating your law firm's brand ask yourself the following questions:

• What kind of lawyer am I?
• What can I promise my clients?
• What’s my unique selling proposition?
• Who is my target audience?
• What is my core message?

Above all, take things step by step, and remember you must learn to walk before you can run. Don't put your law firm's brand out there until it's fully developed if you intend for it to be as resonant as possible.

Streamline client intake

As a lawyer, time is synonymous with money. Therefore you should make every second count by streamlining your processes as much as possible. As you probably well know, onboarding clients is incredibly tedious and time-consuming. Yet, if you aren't on top of every step, you can make a poor first impression on your client. The only way to ensure that you give every new client the kind of attention they deserve while still being able to keep up with your workload is by streamlining your client intake process with client intake software.Automation in law firms means no more having to stop what you're doing to take down a lead's phone number and enter it into your database yourself. Client intake software like Lawmatics inputs contact information directly into your law firm CRM and tracks your leads from that point on. They'll receive an initial welcome email introducing your firm, and any other details you'd like to add. From that point on, client intake software follows up for you on autopilot with drip email marketing, keeping your client up-to-date with where they are in the client journey. In other words, they'll feel completely connected to you, without you actually having to do a thing.An e-signature tool streamlines your client intake process even further since it eliminates the friction often associated with asking your clients to print, sign and scan important documents back to you. Electronic signature for legal documents makes it possible for your clients to sign and send important documents from anywhere with an internet connection. That way, you have everything signed on the fly, in a matter of seconds so that you can get the ball rolling on your case.Thanks to an easy-to-read dashboard, law firm client intake software gives you a birds-eye view of where each client stands. No more scrambling, or digging through your inbox to find out whether clients have been followed up with. Attorney intake software makes it easy to seamlessly move leads through a clear and consistent intake process thanks to workflow automation for law firms, ultimately making it possible to take on more clients at the same time, without having to sacrifice your sanity.

Improve the client experience

One of the biggest contributing factors to customer loyalty is the amount of effort you ask your clients to put in. In other words, the easier you can make things for your clients, the more likely they will be to refer you to friends and family and return back for repeat business.Improving the client experience starts with being as efficient as possible while requiring minimal effort on their part. One of the best places to start is by making it easy to get a hold of you when they have a question. Access to a client portal means they can log in at any time to see their case details. From important documents to events, everything is located in one central and secure location. Clients can send you a message and even self-schedule their own appointments with automated appointment scheduling without having to contact you directly. Self-service options included in a client communication portal elevate and modernize the client experience, giving your small law firm a big law firm feel.You should also consider accepting multiple payment options. Statistics show that 65% of consumers prefer to pay with a credit card. Offering online payments for your clients can make a world of difference in the client experience.The latest Clio trends report revealed that growing firms are 37% more likely to accept online payments. What's more, online payments can significantly reduce your administrative tasks, by automatically updating your outstanding balances, and alerting you about which clients still require payment follow-up.

Set law firm goals and objectives

The secret to successfully running a small law firm isn't just an elevated client experience — it's also thinking long-term by setting goals and objectives. Yet setting goals without measuring them is a fruitless endeavor. To ensure that you're en route to meeting your objectives, actively tracking your most important metrics is the key to progress.Legal reporting software makes it possible to stay on top of what's working and what's not at your firm, keeping you (and your staff) accountable for where your time and resources are going. Running regular reports gives you better insight, and it gives you the tools to better plan for the future. Above all, you'll see increased revenue. Once you start setting concrete objectives and tracking them, you'll see an increase in your efficiency thanks to goal tracking for law firms. From how much time you’re spending on each task to who your most efficient staff members are, information is power. Increased efficiency equals increased revenue — it's really that simple.In order to get the most out of setting and tracking objectives, you should develop a long-term strategy. Where do you see your small firm further down the road? Who is your ideal client? The more specific you can be about your targets, the better you can adjust your tactics as you go.Some essential management reports you should run for your small law firm are:

1 Productivity

Productivity reports show you how well your small law firm is performing on an individual and collective scale. By tracking your total amount of tasks compared to what you've actually completed, you can start exploring where you're losing the most time and why.Once small law firms start tracking their productivity rates, they're usually shocked to find just how much time they're losing on long drawn-out manual processes. This is why the smartest law firms turn towards automation software to skyrocket their productivity by putting their administrative tasks on autopilot.

2 Client acquisition

Are you attracting enough prospective clients? Can you say whether your potential new client to retained client conversion rate is where you'd like it to be? The more you get to know where your best clients are coming from, and why, the more you'll be able to increase your conversion rates. Turning your leads into loyal clients is often a process of trial and error. Many firms have to try several different methods before they get their footing. By running a client acquisition report, you can determine whether you have quite a low rate, which is usually an indication that you've got holes in your client intake process. Yet again an important reason to rely on client intake software to streamline the process.

3 Client satisfaction

The only way to ensure your attorney client relationship is healthy and that your clients are satisfied is by measuring their behavior. One of the most reliable ways to do so is by tracking the number of client referrals you have along with client retention rates. You can also measure client satisfaction by sending out regular surveys, asking your clients to evaluate their experience with you, and asking them to leave you a review online.

4 Marketing

It's critical that you keep an eye on your marketing campaigns so that you only put your resources into the most revenue-producing sources. The idea is to get the maximum return on your investment, so measuring your marketing strategies is essential. Marketing metrics like visit-to-lead ratio email click rate and SEO keyword ranking will help you gain better insight into whether your marketing efforts are where they need to be. Since 30% of clients look for lawyers on Google, you want to make sure that you're standing out. Running reports like average bounce rate may reveal that your legal website needs an upgrade.

5 Revenue

It goes without saying that tracking your revenue is one of the most important parts of managing your small law firm. By using time and billing software for lawyers, you'll be paying close attention to KPI’s like the total revenue billed over the course of the month, compared to what you collected, average fee per matter, and which marketing sources produced the most revenue, you'll be able to make changes in your strategy where needed and make more data-informed decisions.

Give your small law firm a big law firm feel with Lawmatics

Small law firms face numerous obstacles that larger firms simply don't. Not to mention we also find ourselves in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. For many small law firms, success can feel like a long shot under the current conditions. However, with the right legal technology, you can make better-informed decisions, streamline your processes, prioritize what matters most at your law firm, and elevate the client experience. Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help you manage your law firm and create more business with less busy work? Sign up for a free demo today!

As a personal injury lawyer, your job is to provide advice, explain your client's rights, and ultimately represent them in court, getting them the best possible compensation for their pain and suffering. It sounds simple enough, right? But as you know, it can be so much more. A day in the life of a personal injury lawyer is full of tight deadlines, extensive researching, and no shortage of stressed-out clients eager to get results on their case.On top of all that, you still have to carry out all of the administrative duties that it takes to run a practice and find new clients. At the end of the day running a practice is exactly like running a business, and yet law school didn’t teach you how to do that! It’s easy for personal injury lawyers to find themselves in over their heads with tasks they don’t have enough hands for. One of the most time-consuming aspects of running your personal injury law firm is the client intake process.The client intake process may seem so straightforward, yet it can be one of the most error-ridden, tedious, and laborious parts of your job. Trying to find the time between juggling your retained clients with trying to win your potential clients can feel downright impossible when you're manually running your law firm.That’s why more and more personal injury lawyers are turning towards automation that does all the busy work for them. Chances are you got into personal injury because you had a passion for zealously representing your clients and getting them the best possible compensation for their suffering — not because you wanted to do administrative work 60% of your day. Relying on automation can transform the way that you run your practice, boost your clients' overall experience, and make you a happier lawyer! ​​

7 things automation can do for personal injury lawyers

1Greet new leads

Whether an interested lead fills out a legal client intake form or leaves a voicemail asking for more information, automation makes a great first impression by replying instantly. You can personalize your email responses with any helpful information specifically regarding their personal injury case type, any success stories your firm has on their type of cases like theirs, and why you’re the best person for the job.Believe it or not, 42% of the time law firms fail to get back to potential new clients within the first 72 hours. The more time you take to reply, the more time you’re giving your potential clients to find a different lawyer who gets back to them sooner.If you can manage to make a potential client feel valued from day one with a speedy and personalized response, you'll deliver an elevated client experience that delights and encourages referrals. By responding right away with a tailored response with the help of automation, you're already surpassing the majority of your competitors.

2Capture client data

It's no secret that the client intake process is one of the most time-consuming parts of running a law firm. It's easy to find yourself in a chaotic pile of to-do's, and manual processes that are eating up the majority of your day. Manual processes are time consuming, and downright boring. Automation can capture client contact information for you so you can focus your energy on more important matters.Automation captures lead information for you so you don't have to stop what you're doing to take someone's name and number ever again. Not to mention manually typing contact information is one of the biggest causes of errors. Automation means you can deliver error-free work, without having to worry about mistakes and dissatisfied clients as a result. Once you capture a lead's contact information it goes directly into your law firm CRM database where it can be accessed from any time anywhere.No more scrambling to find a contact phone number or risking mixed messages amongst multiple staff members working on the same case, thanks to automation keeping your team organized.

3Track leads

Attorney intake software tracks every single step of the client journey from the minute a lead first reaches out to your firm. Software like Lawmatics shows you a bird's eye view of who's been followed up with when, and what else needs to be done in the client intake process. No more wondering whether someone got called back— client intake software keeps you on the ball so you never have to worry about losing clients because they didn't get the attention that they deserved.

4Automate scheduling

One of the most frustrating parts of scheduling consultations with clients is trying to find a time that works for everyone. It's not long before trying to find the best time ends in a long string of lengthy emails. Automated appointment scheduling takes the headache out of setting a date for consultations by allowing your clients to book their own appointments. It's as simple as sending them a link to your schedule where they can choose the best time that works for them based on your availability. This modern and convenient approach to scheduling will thrill your clients and make your life easier too.

5Market on autopilot

Although you learn plenty of things in law school, one of the things they don't teach you is how to market yourself as a business. Yet, marketing is a necessary part of continuing to bring in revenue. Drip email marketing streamlines your marketing efforts so you can grow your law firm hands-free.By automating your marketing you can continue to produce high-quality leads without having to step away from a paying client again. The right software makes it easy to build newsletters by choosing custom triggers to send personalized emails at the right time to the right leads.For example, as a personal injury lawyer, sending out marketing materials with helpful personal injury case tips is a great way to drive client engagement and stay top of mind. You can easily configure your marketing to link to your blog or schedule a free consultation, guiding your leads seamlessly to the next stage of the client intake process.

6Create documents in seconds

From attorney retainer agreements to affidavits, there's no shortage of lengthy paperwork that personal injury lawyers have to assemble. Legal document automation makes it easy to generate lengthy documents in a matter of seconds that would have otherwise taken hours up to days.It's as simple as using custom fields to merge whatever data you need from your matters and contacts directly into your PDF and word documents. Not only do you gain precious time that you can use to focus on what matters most at your practice, but you ensure greater accuracy, giving you and your clients peace of mind.

7Analyze what’s working— and what's not

The right software can automatically report your law firms your most important metrics, helping you stay on top of the areas of your practice where you have to grow. From where your best clients are finding you, to how productive each of your employees is, powerful legal reporting software will continuously analyze in the background, helping you make smarter business decisions.[oxygen-template id="6129"]

Benefits of automating

Better reviews

We live in a review-fueled society, where people trust a five-star review as much as they would a recommendation from a personal friend. The more efficient and personalized an experience you can deliver to your clients on their personal injury cases, the better reviews you're going to get.The more positive reviews you acquire, the more that Google favors your website and the more leads you’ll produce. Automation is proven to have a huge impact on client satisfaction by speeding up and streamlining your clients' cases, keeping them informed every step of the way without you having to do a thing.

Decreased costs

Not every law firm has the luxury of including a front desk staff in their budget. Downsizing your staff and relying on automation can significantly reduce your operating costs. Although automation software requires an initial investment, the amount of money you’ll save in the long run far outweighs the price of law firm client intake software.

Increased efficiency

Automating your law firm means reducing delays, and in turn, delighting your clients with a modern and thorough approach to their personal injury cases. Accident victims have a lot on their plates, and in many cases, their lives may be on the line. Your clients don’t just need a thorough and organized pursuit of their case — they want to be informed every step of the way. Automated emails make your clients feel connected to you at every step, reassuring them that they chose the right lawyer for their case.

Greater visibility

Personalized and targeted automated emails keep you consistently in touch with your leads. Whether you're welcoming new clients or wishing a happy birthday to a former client, automated emails nurture and engage, increasing your law firm's visibility, and streamlining your follow-ups without you having to lift a finger.

Saved time

Recent reports show that lawyers spend over half of their week on administrative tasks. When you start relying on automation to take care of the lengthy and tedious administrative work that it takes to run in practice, you save so much time that you will wonder why you didn't switch to automation sooner. For lawyers, time equals money, so the more time you have to dedicate to what matters most in practice, the more money you put in your pocket— it's really that simple.

Reduced errors

When it comes to a personal injury claim, even the slightest error can lead to a judge dismissing a case. When your clients are paying you to protect their interests after being a victim of an injury, it's your job to ensure that your work is error-free. Automation reduces the risk of important details being forgotten or entered incorrectly, ensuring that everything is handled the way it should. Personal injury accidents can be downright catastrophic. Your clients don't need any more stress than they already have.

Reduced no-shows

One of the most frustrating parts of a lawyer's job is carving out time in your schedule for a consultation, only for it to result in a dreaded no-show. Statistics show that 25% of first consultations don't show up at all. These no-shows aren’t just a waste of time — but they’re lost money too.Automated appointment scheduling keeps everyone on track and reduces the chance of a client not showing up. The minute that a client's consultation is scheduled, they receive confirmation as well as you. In addition to the initial confirmation, both you and the client are each sent a reminder several days leading up to the appointment time, reducing your chance of no-shows by nearly 90%.

Streamlined processes

A day in the life of a personal injury lawyer is no piece of cake. From juggling phone calls with distressed clients wanting to get the best possible compensation for their case, to attending fervid court hearings, to sending out time-sensitive emails, to juggling phone calls — it's easy to find yourself in the midst of chaos. Automation replaces chaos with order, helping you run your practice with greater ease. Instead of running around in circles spending hours on time-draining manual tasks, you can rely on software to do it for you.

Set your personal injury clients up for success with Lawmatics

Keeping your documents organized, replying immediately, and staying on top of important deadlines is the only way to get the best possible results for your clients. Lawmatics law firm CRM and legal client intake software can help you stay on top of your most important tasks and automate the busy work so you can focus your attention where it matters most — getting your clients the best possible results on their personal injury case.If you're ready to start increasing your productivity and expanding your practice, then it's time to start relying on automation to automate your law firm's repetitive tasks.Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help your personal injury firm and save countless hours thanks to powerful automations? Sign up for a free product demo today!

No matter how passionate you are about advocating for your clients as a criminal defense attorney, there never seems to be enough time in a day to do as much as you’d like to do. Despite your best intentions, you’re often fighting the clock and grappling with a lack of resources as you struggle to keep up with the volume of work that a criminal defense lawyer has on their plate.Because of the substantial workload, it can prove difficult to spend as much time on each individual matter as you’d like. The photocopies, the data entry, and all of the administrative tasks that it takes to run a criminal law practice can eat up your day in no time.

Biggest challenges that criminal defense lawyers face

Balancing potential clients with retained clients

One of the most common reasons why legal clients grumble about their lawyers is because they feel that they don't communicate enough. And the complaints are hardly unmerited. Statistics show that the average law firm has an impressively low response rate. A recent study showed that as few as 30% of all of the law firms contacted answered the phone. If you put yourself in the shoes of a potential client, it's incredibly frustrating if you can't even get someone on the phone when you're looking for a lawyer. Yet, from a lawyer’s perspective, it's not always simple to stop everything and pick up the phone. With so much going on in a legal practice, finding the time to balance your pain clients with your potential ones can be a downright headache. Yet, the new clients are the backbone of your legal practice. Without them, you would cease to continue to generate revenue. So, since you can't clone yourself to have enough manpower to get it all done, the next best thing is to rely on technology to take care of your potential clients for you. In turn, you can focus your energy on your retained clients.A CRM comes with built-in automations that ensure your clients get responded to right away in a personalized way that doesn't make them feel packed into a one size fits all messaging approach. Lawmatics is a client intake software and CRM built into one. It allows you to tailor and personalize your automatic replies, triggering certain responses based on your personal preferences, ensuring no potential client gets forgotten. Whether someone signs up for your newsletter or schedules a free consultation, you get to fine-tune and customize what automatic email will go out as a response.

Competing law firms

When it comes to dominating the legal market, having a presence on Google is king. Statistics show that over half of Google users use it specifically for searching for businesses. So, people looking for a criminal defense lawyer go to the first place they know to go— the internet. The most successful criminal defense lawyers are the ones that show up on the first page. It doesn't matter if you're the best criminal defense lawyer in the world— if Google doesn't show you on the first page of results when people search for a lawyer in your area, then the competition is going to eat you alive. It pays to execute a marketing plan that targets your ideal customer and puts you on the grid. A CRM like Lawmatics comes with law firm marketing tools that will skyrocket your leads, and smash the competition, getting you the attention on Google that it takes to make it to the first page.

Running a law firm like a business

Law school teaches you all kinds of information about how to be a criminal defense lawyer. From conduct research to how to present your findings in court, to negotiating plea bargains. However, what law school doesn't teach you is how to run a business. When you first start your career in law, you may not see yourself as a business person. However, you are. Running your law practice is exactly like running a business—because it is one.Once you start seeing your law firm as a business and put on a CEO hat, you will start realizing how valuable your time is. Turning to a law firm CRM is the most effective way to ensure that your clients receive the best possible experience, and you stay organized and on top of all the most important details.

Stress

Regardless of your legal practice area, a day in the life of a lawyer is incredibly demanding and nerve-wracking. Your cases are extraordinarily complex and require a taxing amount of effort to defend your clients and research the law. Statistics show that 19% of lawyers suffer from severe anxiety, and 10% have experienced suicidal thoughts at least once within the last year.Needless to say, criminal defense lawyers have a lot going on, on top of the administrative tasks that it takes to keep their practice running. That's why it's more important than ever that you take advantage of the benefits that legal technology has to offer to reduce your workload and use the pressure.

Long hours

If you're running your practice on a manual system, then chances are you're putting in extremely long hours. Some criminal lawyers work upwards of 60 hours a week, and a lot of those hours are dedicated to tasks they can't even invoice for. Client intake is one of the most time-consuming parts of being a lawyer. Turning to legal client intake software can shave hours off of your workweek that you can devote to the other areas of your life that are important too, like family and friends. A legal crm system like Lawmatics comes with law firm client intake software built-in, so you don't have to juggle multiple platforms trying to run your firm.Manual processes aren't just standing in the way of your mental well-being— they're standing in the way of your growth as a business. Using a CRM and client intake software like Lawmatics will cut down the number of tedious tasks you have to complete, and make your practice much more efficient. Ultimately, you'll achieve a greater quality of life and more revenue.

Signs your law firm needs a CRM

!You don’t know where your time is going

Do you find yourself at the end of your week wondering where the time went? If you're not sure where your time is going, then it's an indication that you could definitely benefit from putting a more efficient system in place. Once you start seeing a bigger picture of how much time you're losing each week on menial tasks that could be delegated to automation, a whole world of possibilities starts to open up for your law firm.A CRM like Lawmatics comes with law firm performance management software that tells you how your law firm is performing. From how productive you are, to where your best leads are coming from, data allows you to take control of your law practice and put more efficient methods in place.As a lawyer, time is money. You wouldn't frivolously spend all of the money in your bank account without knowing where it's going, would you? So why would you do the same thing with your time? A CRM with built-in reporting software allows you to take control of your productivity, organize your client activity, and identify the holes in your practice where you can improve your efficiency. Lawmatics CRM and pipeline management tells you what steps you need to take next to grow your practice resulting in repeat business and increased client referrals.

!Losing track of leads

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a criminal defense lawyer is to throw away opportunities. The minute that a lead first contacts your law firm, you must start tracking them immediately. Whether they contact you through a legal client intake form or they call in, you need an efficient system in place that relies on more than post-it notes or a haphazardly thrown-together spreadsheet.A CRM tracks each stage of the client journey and tells you what action needs to be taken next. You can easily see all client communication in one place, and access contact details from anywhere anytime making sure that no opportunity gets lost.Lawmatics pipeline management tool manages, analyzes, and nurtures your leads from each step of the client journey, ensuring that you'll never lose track of a potential client. A fully customizable dashboard allows you to optimize your client intake pipeline, organizing and tracking your leads in a way that's easiest for you to understand. Customizable templates and workflows make it easy to see what you need to take action on next. From emails to phone calls, take control of each stage of the client journey step by step.You can even organize contacts with customizable tags so that you can find whoever you need in a few clicks without having to dig through your email inbox. Audience segmentation software makes it easy to organize your clients into groups based on their individual journeys, ensuring that all of your interactions are personalized and relevant, keeping them engaged every step of the way.

!You’re taking too long to get back to potential clients

If you're taking too long to get back to your leads, then you're failing to make consistency a priority. A CRM ensures that you never have to worry about forgetting to get back to someone again. Easily move each of your potential clients along with custom law firm intake forms that get all the information you need with minimal effort on your part. Position yourself as a reliable and prompt lawyer with features like SMS for law firms, that give your clients direct access to you, communicating in their preferred method.Usually, clients simply want to know the status of their case. While you may not have time to make individual calls to each of your clients updating on their case details, you can provide them with access to the client portal. A client portal allows them to see the status of their case whenever they need to. No more making your clients wait when they have questions. A client communication portal means you can give them an immediate answer without having to stop what you're doing to give it to them.

!You’re getting poor reviews

If your law firm is receiving poor online reviews, then this is a huge indication of a problem. We live in a society where the amount of stars you have on Google is equal to the opinion of a close friend or family member. People trust online reviews, so poor reviews are an indication that you need a better system in place. Prospective clients want to be reassured that you're going to do a great job representing them on their case.Start reading the poor reviews, and try to look for patterns. Chances are most of the complaints will come down to a poor client journey rather than the results you got in their case. It all comes down to how consistent and communicative they were during every step of the client journey.Regardless of whether you are a small firm or medium to large-sized one, keeping track of all of your clients and leads can become chaotic without a system in place. A CRM streamlines your processes and organizes your client communication so you can focus on what matters most at your law firm, ultimately resulting in plenty of five-star reviews.

!No idea where leads are coming from

If you're not tracking your leads, then how can you be sure what law firm marketing efforts are working? A CRM like Lawmatics comes with a lead tracking law firm client intake software that organizes your leads into categories of where they found your law firm. Not only does this help keep you better organized, but it helps you gain better insight into where you're getting your best leads from. Why pour your marketing dollars into lead sources that aren't producing any results? Law firm reporting software can reveal who your most valuable clients are, and how they found you, helping you get maximum return on your investment, and grow your law firm.

!No goals

Again, if you're thinking like a business person, then you must have goals in mind. How can you expect a business to grow if you have no clear objective set in place? Lawmatics legal reporting software, helps you pinpoint where you have room to grow, and how you're progressing. Stay accountable, and blast your goals out of the water by running regular reports through your legal CRM.[oxygen-template id="6130"]

How criminal defense attorneys can benefit from adopting a law firm CRM

Improved communication

As a criminal defense lawyer, you need to give each client the attention they deserve. A criminal legal case can be one of the most tumultuous experiences of a person's life. A CRM allows you to deliver first-class communications to your clients, and deliver high-quality legal services. Clients no longer have to play a waiting game when requesting details on the status of their case. They can easily access the client portal and see whatever information they need without having to endure lengthy response times.One single program allows you to see where all of your cases stand in a single place. That means no more missed opportunities or forgotten follow-ups. A CRM like Lawmatics tells you exactly who you need to contact next answer, so you can ensure your clients never feel forgotten.

Better case management

Criminal law cases are complex and require a lot of research. Chances are you have several different people working on each case. When you have various people looking at a case, it's critical that everyone stays on the same page. A CRM makes it easy to manage all client communications in one centralized database so that you can easily track clients' information without having to ask clients to repeat the same details.

Increased client retention

If you can deliver an outstanding client experience, then you build stronger relationships with your clients and increase your chances of them coming to you again if they have another legal issue. Not to mention, they are also more likely to recommend you to friends and family who are looking for a lawyer. 75% of law business comes from referrals, so the better of a client experience you can deliver with the help of a CRM, the more business you'll have.Many criminal law attorneys are no strangers to high turnover rates. If you're looking to build a strong legal client retention strategy, then the first thing on your list should be a CRM. Prioritize communication with your clients and you will flourish.

Streamlined workflow

Automated workflow automation for law firms reduces the amount of time that you spend on manually completing tedious administrative tasks. It's as simple as adding tasks to your automated email workflows for law firms, fully controlling each stage of the client journey with personalized and strategically timed messages.Lawmatics allows you to set up powerful email automation for law firms using a simple interface that delights your current clients and attracts new ones. You can easily take any data directly from your CRM database, to trigger what marketing steps you want to take next. Whether a lead first visits your site, or they sign up for your newsletter, you can decide what follow-up campaign to send out to them.

Examples of CRM tools

Email marketing

You should consistently market your business if you hope to bring in a steady stream of clients. There are a wide variety of email marketing tools out there, however, the nice thing about a CRM like Lawmatics is that you don't have to work on separate platforms. Your email marketing is built directly into your CRM, seamlessly inserting your contact information directly into personalized emails. Drip email marketing streamlines your client follow-ups and ensures that the right person gets contacted at the right time. Repeatable processes make it easy to send a new email anytime a client moves to the next stage of the client journey, ensuring that you never miss an opportunity to delight.

Marketing source tracking

Part of any effective marketing strategy includes knowing where your best leads are coming from. The right CRM tracks where your most profitable clients are coming from, and how well each campaign is performing. That way, you don't have to worry about wasting your resources marketing in places that are producing any results.

Contact management

The right CRM is so much more than just a glorified index of your contacts. It's one of your greatest tools for nurturing your relationships with leads and clients. As you know, the client intake process is one of the most critical parts of the client lifecycle column so you want to ensure that you don't miss a beat. Automations make it easy to assess what needs to be done next, and best of all does it for you so that you can turn your attention to the most important parts of your law firm.Unlike other CRM's, Lawmatics was created by an attorney, so thanks to the industry-specific features, you can see the most important criteria that you need to see from client stage to case title, easily managing every single step of the client journey.

Reporting

A legal CRM like Lawmatics comes with built-in reporting and analytics that makes it easy to report on the most important data in your law firm. Custom reporting eliminates the guesswork and shows you exactly where you have room to grow. A data-driven law firm is one that stays accountable by keeping an eye on what's working and what's not, boosting client engagement, converting more leads, and ultimately increasing your firm's revenue.

Client communication tools

CRM's allow your customer to communicate with you in the way that works best for them. Whether they want to send you an email, send a text message, or even log into the client portal to access their case details, a CRM offers state-of-the-art modern communication with your clients and less work for you. You can automate your replies and make your clients feel connected to your firm every step of the way.

Calendar syncing

You can easily connect your CRM to your outlook or Gmail calendar, ensuring that everyone stays up to date. No more wondering whether you'll miss an important date. No more having to toggle between applications. Your calendar is easily synced making sure that you never risk missing an important deadline or appointment.

Automated appointment scheduling

Trying to find the right time that works for you and your client can be a nightmare. Often it ends in a long string of drawn-out emails going in circles. Automated appointment scheduling takes the hassle out of appointment setting, allowing your clients to self-schedule. It's as simple as syncing your calendar to your CRM for lawyers and sending a link to your clients with only the dates that you want them to see. They can choose the appointment time that works best for them, and receive an automatic confirmation ensuring they don't forget the date. In addition to the initial confirmation, you and your client will also receive a reminder several days leading up to the appointment keeping everyone on track. That means less risk of no-shows for you, and more time saved.

Document storage

With a legal CRM, you no longer have to dig through multiple emails or scramble through papers on your desk. You can easily pull up documents from your central database from wherever you are. Your clients can easily send and receive by following a simple link or accessing the client communication portal. No more having to store bulky paper documents in your office. Store everything digitally and make your life more manageable. Clients can even use the client e-signature tool to sign important documents without the hassle of printing and scanning.

Smart criminal defense attorneys run their practice on Lawmatics

With Lawmatics CRM for attorneys and attorney intake software, you can delegate the tedious work to software, and devote your energy to why you became a lawyer in the first place— criminal advocacy. You got into the business to help people in potentially the worst moment of their life. With a CRM you can be the lawyer you’re committed to being by streamlining your processes and delivering error-free and efficient legal services.Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help you be the best criminal defense lawyer you can be? Sign up for a free demo today!

Although CRMs may be thought of as something relatively new that emerged sometime in the 90s, the truth is that the practice of customer record-keeping has been around for thousands of years. Businesses have been tracking their existing customers since the birth of trading began. After all, even in ancient times, merchants had a clear understanding that it's much easier to sell to someone you've already sold to than try to sell to someone new. I mean, wouldn't you have rather bought your frankincense from a familiar merchant you already knew than some questionably pungent stranger who just docked their boat on the port?Along with tracking existing customers, maintaining records of who owes what is also nothing new. In short, a CRM Is a modernized digital version of good old customer records but obviously much more sophisticated.Today, CRMs play a significant role in simplifying how many businesses run. An abbreviation for customer relationship management, a CRM is a database developed to organize, retain, and acquire customers. Instead of having to refer to customer interactions and notes on multiple channels, one single software tracks every interaction, ensuring you have all the detailed information in one place.

What exactly is an industry-specific CRM?

A CRM can be incredibly beneficial for a business of any size in any industry, as such, in recent years CRM's have begun to branch out into a multitude of industry-specific versions. From hospitality to automotive, you can find a niche-specific CRM for just about anything. However, there are some industries that don't just benefit from a CRM — a CRM is an absolute must-have for them to run their business efficiently. Some of these industries include:

Mortgage lending

Healthcare

Government agencies

Manufacturing

Insurance

Construction

Consultants

Hospitality

And of course…. lawyers!

An industry-specific CRM means that it's been designed specifically for a particular niche like these. Its purpose is to meet the unique needs of particular sectors and are also referred to as vertical CRMs because they pinpoint specific vertical markets.

What’s an industry-agnostic CRM?

An industry-agnostic CRM is geared towards a wide range of markets and is therefore non-industry specific. There are agnostic CRMs out there that are relatively bare-bones and there are those that are much more advanced and fully customizable.

How does industry-specific CRM meet the needs of industry-specific businesses?

The built-in features are the bells and whistles of industry-specific CRM software. The features make everything easier and create an uncontrolled workload flow, so everything in the office benefits.Below are a few features of industry-specific CRMs:Dealer Management System (DMS)DMS is often referred to as the automotive dealership management system. The software is designed to meet the needs of automotive dealerships or equipment manufacturers. With CRM, a business can manage listings, customers, sales, and more to streamline the entire process. Without a doubt, it's a game-changer. Nowadays, very few automotive dealerships function and flourish without industry-specific CRM, making the process easier.Electronic Health Record (EHR) systemHealthcare is a very diverse industry that is highly regulated with many specific niches or sectors. Privacy is a leading factor with any software used in the healthcare realm. All EHR CRM systems are designed to factor in patient privacy along with regulations. Also, healthcare and insurance CRMs are specifically designed to integrate effortlessly without compromising patient privacy, information, or policy.Legal CRMA CRM for lawyers performs a multitude of functions to streamline your legal practice's efficiency. The goal of any law firm is to attract more client prospects and achieve better engagement to ultimately accelerate the office's growth. Legal CRM creates unity by helping to track, focus on audience segmentation, and effectively engage leads. Manage all client communications while maintaining privacy. Sort through contacts and record essential client data. The software also provides the needed tools to focus on marketing to promote revenue growth further.Listing Management ToolsManage agents, listings, and leads within a brokerage using listing management software. All listing and lead information are housed in one area, which helps promote automation. Also, many real estate-specific CRMs integrate with listing management tools.Proposal Management FeaturesUsing sector-specific software, build and send proposals right from the CRM platform. The features are standard in construction and consulting CRMs.

Do I really need an industry-specific CRM?

Industry agnostic CRM sellers and manufacturers like to throw around the word 'customizable” when trying to sell you software that is not industry-specific, promising that the flexibility of their software is superior to the “molds” of an industry-specific CRM.When they tell you that the software is fully customizable, that might sound great, but do you really want to use the same software that car salespersons are using to handle your legal clients? Think about that for a minute.In most cases, customizable only goes so far, and if the software is not industry-specific, then it's going to lack something you need eventually, and you'll find yourself up #$% creek with one paddle.More often than not, many businesses who invest in a CRM that isn’t industry-specific ditch the software once they outgrow it and opt instead for industry-specific CRM choices. It doesn't matter if you bought a big-name brand or not; at some point, it simply won't provide the functions you'll need.

Why is a CRM a must for lawyers?

Improved communication

One of the biggest complaints that people have about lawyers is that suck at communicating. But, let’s face it, since lawyers have so much going on it can become a challenge for them to keep up with every client. A CRM makes it possible to give each client direct access to their lawyer through a personalized experience making them feel like their lawyer is there every step of the way.From touching base with them on the progress of their case to what their legal rights are, a spreadsheet alone isn't enough to handle it all. No more missed opportunities or clients frustrated because you don't get back to them fast enough. Automation improves your communication by telling you exactly who you need to communicate with when.

Increased efficiency

There are so many different moving parts that go into running a law firm. A CRM streamlines your processes for you making everything much more efficient. One centralized database makes it easy to track every part of a client's case and determine what needs to happen next. Depending on your law firm, there may be multiple people working on the same case, so having everything in one place makes sure your team is as efficient as possible.

Greater client retention

A legal CRM makes it possible to meet each client feel acknowledged every single step of the way through automated personal responses. By giving your clients an attentive and personalized experience you can build stronger relationships that in turn lead to greater client retention, while still having the freedom to turn your attention towards what matters most in your practice.

Streamlined workflow

Dynamic automated email workflows for law firms make your job as a lawyer much easier. Instead of spending time manually completing tasks, you can simply add them to your automated workflow, completing them in a fraction of the time. You can effortlessly control each stage of the client process with a modern approach to running your practice, thanks to a visual interface that makes it easy-peasy.

Automating tedious tasks

Running a law firm requires all sorts of tedious tasks that can easily eat up your day. A CRM can automate these often tedious and non-billable processes so that you can focus your time towards revenue-generating work. As a lawyer, the less work that you have to do manually, the more time you have to focus on whatever matters most at your practice.In the world of law, time equals money, so the more that you can free up in your schedule thanks to automation, the more money you're putting in your pocket.From the minute that lead first contacts your firm, a CRM will automate the often cumbersome processes like following up and generating complex paperwork. Some examples of what a CRM can automate for your law firm are:

Client communication

The right CRM can follow up with your leads and clients on autopilot, making them feel like they're connected to you every step of the way. Thanks to automation, you can make every client feel like they're your only client by sending consistent messages letting them know about the status of their case without you having to do a thing.

Marketing emails

Drip campaigns for law firms for law firms reach your prospects in a targeted and personalized messaging style based on triggers of your choice. Whether you're welcoming a new client, or someone signs up for your newsletter, automated marketing lets you engage and market on autopilot without having to lift a finger.

Document automation

All lawyers know how time-consuming creating complicated paperwork can be. Manually generating complex legal documents isn't just time-consuming, but when you do it manually, you risk plenty of errors. Automation software can create a contract in minutes with a few clicks of a mouse. You could potentially have your client-attorney agreement printed and signed at the end of a first consultation.

Appointment scheduling

Automated appointment scheduling gets rid of the often drawn-out back and forth that comes along with trying to find the right consultation time that works for everyone. Simply send a link to your clients, and they can choose a time based on their availability. Not only can they set and cancel their appointments, but automation also sends out automatic reminders significantly reducing your no show rate.

Managing contacts

In the absence of a CRM, it's complicated organizing all of your contacts and determining what actions need to be taken next. One single platform can keep track of it all without having to toggle between different channels. A 360-degree view of each contact shows everything from basic contact information to what phase of the client journey they’re in.Your CRM will track each client for you while you focus on growing your firm. No more wondering about who's been followed up with when—your CRM handles it all.

Reporting

No more guesswork about what's working and what's not in your practice. Custom reporting extracts your data for you, giving you the power to make data-driven decisions so you can turn your attention towards practicing law. Law firm data analytics software built into your CRM tracks your most important metrics like your best lead sources and practice areas. The data is presented in an easy-to-read format so that anyone in your firm can easily understand it, giving you powerful information to increase your law firm's profitability.

Nurture relationships with past clients

Statistics show that over 70% of law firms’ business comes from client referrals. So, just because a case is closed doesn't mean you should throw away a relationship with past clients. A CRM makes it possible to nurture your past relationships with your alumni clients, encouraging repeat business and five-star reviews.[oxygen-template id="6130"]

Benefits of using a legal CRM over an industry agnostic CRM at your law firm

The CRM that you choose will play a significant role in how well your law firm functions. The difference between choosing an industry-agnostic CRM and a legal one is that you need to be able to customize the features to meet your industry requirements. Implementing the right software that is designed by lawyers and created for lawyers ensures efficiency in your law firm that custom software simply couldn't provide. An industry-specific solution is almost always the best option.

More cost-effective

Running your law firm with an industry agnostic CRM means that eventually, you'll need to buy additional software to add functionalities to your processes where holes exist. In many cases, law firms with an industry agnostic CRM that lacks advanced automation features and functionalities like electronic signature for legal documents end up paying much more in the long run by having to buy additional software products that often integrate poorly with their CRM.

A specific legal-focused workflow boosts productivity

Some CRM's do nothing more than generate more things for you to do, slowing down your productivity. Basic automation features for task completion only create more busy work for your law firm, which is the opposite of what you want it to do! You want a legal CRM that gives you the power to gain full control and freedom to customize your legal workflow automations the way you need to boost your productivity.The right legal CRM like Lawmatics gives you the tools to attract both new and old clients without having to do a thing. Custom law firm email marketing templates make it easy to send reminders to clients automatically, while you focus on practicing law. Your email workflows are totally customizable so that you can send out the right message based on where each client is in their unique journey.

Better data

Some CRM's offer reporting tools, yet, they are often limited in visibility into your reporting analytics. In order to track the metrics that are most important to your law firm’s goals, you need a powerful law firm reporting software built directly into your CRM that’s easy to understand.Rather than having a guess why things are or aren't working at your law firm, a custom legal reporting tool makes it easy to see important metrics like who your highest quality leads are, how they found you, what matter types they are, and where your best referral sources are. Having the right data at your fingertips allows you to continuously analyze what's going on in your law firm from the inside out, and use that information to improve your practice by making data-driven decisions.

More relevant integrations

When you use industry-specific software, you want to make sure that’s built to communicate with other industry-specific software. You need a CRM that integrates with recognizable names that fall within your industry. When you have a CRM that's built specifically with the legal industry in mind, integrations to other legal software are already built-in without the need for expensive technical support to intervene.You can easily automate repetitive tasks between apps you already used to run your law firm, helping you build a best-of-breed tech stack for your business. You've got enough to worry about in your law practice, so when your software seamlessly communicates with each other without any work on your part, you can focus your energy on whatever matters most for you.

More relevant tools

When your law firm opts for an industry-specific CRM built with lawyers in mind, you'll be given a set of tools that best meet the specific needs of a legal business. With a clear workflow and lawyer-targeted utilities to perform your job, you can run your law firm much more efficiently.

Better support

One of the most important things that you should consider when choosing a CRM is customer support. Adjusting to a new CRM is a learning curve, so you want to make sure that whatever company you work with not only has a thorough onboarding program but that they also have ongoing support.Opting for a legal-specific CRM means that their support staff works exclusively with one industry only. That means they know how to solve issues directly related to your specific industry and can help you solve issues and answer questions much faster. They'll have a greater understanding of how law firms work in their day-to-day processes, and know what features are most likely to benefit your law firm best.A one size fits all CRM solution will fail to offer support beyond basic needs. A support staff that's trained on the software alone and not the specific industry it's created for means a much more generic support experience.

What to look for in the right legal CRM?

An industry-specific CRM is undoubtedly the best choice for your law firm. However, it's important that you know that not all legal CRMs are created equally. You want to make sure that you choose one that is targeted towards your law firm's unique challenges and goals so that you know your investment was well worth it. Here are some of the most important features that you should look for when deciding on an attorney CRM for your law firm.

Key automation features

Running a law firm requires all sorts of tedious administrative tasks that quickly eat up a lawyer's time. The only way to ensure that you can meet your long-term goals is by automating these often repetitive tasks with key automation features like custom forms and document automation. Because the fewer tasks you have to complete manually, the more time you have to spend on what you went to law school to do— practice law.

Easy integration processes

To get the most out of every application that your law firm uses, you want to make sure that they all seamlessly integrate with each other. Choose a CRM that has an easy integration process that syncs intuitively, ensuring that you're continuously keeping the ball rolling in your practice. Complicated integration processes that lack time saving features don't just cause you to lose time, they are downright stressful. Don't overcomplicate things that could be easy. Prioritize finding a CRM that integrates intuitively with other applications.

Custom automations

A lot of legal CRMs boast about their automations, when in reality the automations are pretty basic. The right legal CRM for your practice will do more than just make checklists. They'll allow you to make custom automations that save time and bring structure. From the minute a lead is first captured to signing a retainer agreement, you want automations that ensure your clients have the most convenient and modernized experience possible.

Easy custom form builders

Overly complex form builders are confusing and laborious. Make sure that you're not choosing a legal CRM with limited custom form builders that cost your firm precious time. Instead, look for a CRM that has an easy drag and drop features to customize your forms with ease. A legal CRM lake Lawmatics uses conditional logic appointment scheduling and more with its intuitive drag and drop editor.

Simple interfaces

Ideally, you want to avoid a CRM that has a complicated interface that's a headache to understand and navigate. You want something that's easy to adapt to with a minimal learning curve so that you don't miss a beat in your practice. Interfaces that are downright unintuitive are overly complicated. You want one that makes it easy to instantly generate documents making your life easier — not harder.

File request features

A legal CRM that has a file request builder built-in means you can find and send files quickly and securely. The right legal CRM for your practice makes it easy to locate a document and send it within seconds ensuring a streamlined and error-free workflow. Some legal CRMs require you to scroll to track down email attachments making it agonizing to find and send what you need on the fly. So, look for a CRM with the file request feature like Lawmatics that sends a simple upload link to clients allowing them to send you whatever you need immediately and directly to your database.

Pipeline management features

A pipeline management tool gives you the ability to customize each stage of the client journey and nurturing and engaging your leads, building lasting connections. A customizable workflow makes it easy to see what actions need to be taken when, by tracking everything in one single location thanks to pipeline management. Look for a CRM that lays out all the data you need in an easy-to-read format that gives you eyes on everything all at once.

2-Way SMS messaging

Not every client you come across will have the same communication preferences. The best way to deliver a positive customer experience and modernize your practice is by offering two-way SMS text messaging for law firms. That way, your clients can communicate directly with you through SMS and you can reply just as easily. All interactions should be saved within your CRM, making it possible to see both email and text conversations all in one place.Many legal CRMs don't come with this feature which requires law firms to buy an entirely different platform if they want to implement SMS messaging. Finding one that's already built in will save your firm time and money.

Email drip campaigns

There are some legal CRMs out there that offer basic email automation. However, you need one that offers a set and forget email campaign builder that attracts new leads in the background while you're focusing on what your most pressing matters. Email drip campaigns reach your prospects in a personalized style that encourages more results.With the right CRM, you can easily build repeatable processes that send out messages to leads at each stage of their client journey. It makes following up with them a streamlined process, making everyone feel prioritized every step of the way. The best part is, you don't have to do a thing — thanks to automation.

Custom reporting

Custom reporting allows your law firm to track the data you need to reach your unique goals. A CRM that lacks custom visibility makes it more difficult to reach your firm’s unique long-term goals. Some legal CRMs may boast a reporting feature, however, they are often very limited and may not follow the specific metrics you need to reach your long term targets. Ideally, you should be able to track whatever metrics you want to improve your performance and eliminate the bottlenecks holding your firm back from reaching its full potential.

Audience segmentation

When it comes to marketing, a one size fits all approach doesn't work anymore. You need to target your customers in a way that they are most likely to respond to. Audience segmentation software groups your leads into different sections based on their particular characteristics. Since the same marketing email won't work for everyone, you can create different campaigns to send out to different segmented groups, targeting your customers in a more effective style.

Goal tracking

You want a CRM for attorneys that has a goal tracking feature that identifies critical performance indicators. Closely monitoring your progress will help boost your productivity and move you closer to your long-term goals. Whether measuring your productivity on an individual or collective level, goal tracking helps you stay accountable for your law firm's productivity and efficiency.

Suited for your firm size

Ultimately, you want to ensure that the law firm CRM you choose is a match for your law firm size. There are many that are created which are best suited for larger firms and it may not be the best fit for your particular firm size. The smaller your firm is, the more features that you need your CRM to have. Since you don't have the luxury of a front desk staff to carry out your administrative tasks for you, you want your CRM to take the wheel in as many ways as possible so you can focus on your clients.

Automated scheduling

In today's consumer-driven market customers expect things to be as simple as possible. Finding the right consultation time often involves a long and drawn-out thread of emails asking each other what the best time is for everyone's schedule. Eliminating these lengthy back and forths doesn't just make your life easier, but it will thrill your clients.Look for a CRM that offers automated scheduling and allows your clients to make appointments themselves. Lawmatics legal CRM comes with built-in appointment scheduling software that takes the headache out of scheduling appointments and significantly reduces your no show rate.

An industry-specific CRM is a “must-have” for an efficient law firm

A customized automation experience created specifically for lawyers by lawyers is a must-have for your law firm. The most powerful attorney intake software, marketing automation and law firm CRM that exists, Lawmatics, handles all of the administrative tasks for you so you can focus your energy where it matters most— your clients. Why settle for a generic experience when you can have a legal CRM that is built specifically with your industry in mind?Are you ready to see how Lawmatics awesome features can help you effortlessly run your law firm? Sign up for a free product demo today!

A recent survey asked just under 100,000 customers about a recent service interaction they had to gain better insights into customer loyalty. They found that exceeding customer expectations made nearly no difference in how loyal a customer was after the experience. So, contrary to popular belief, going above and beyond for a customer doesn’t actually create loyal customers for life. In reality, it’s expensive for a business to deliver beyond their means 100% of the time considering it clearly yields no more results than meeting expectations.Yet while what you do beyond what’s expected of you may not make a huge difference, what does make a difference in customer loyalty is the amount of work you make them put in. The fact of the matter is people want to put in as little effort as possible if they're paying you for a service or product.So, the secret is, if you can simplify your clients’ lives by making things as easy as possible while still managing to meet their expectations, you'll have a loyal customer for life.

The key to customer loyalty is reducing the amount of effort your clients have to put in

The amount of loyalty your legal clients will show you directly hinges on how easy you make it to work with you. People want to feel valued and connected to their lawyers every step of the way. The last thing they want is to be treated like just another number on the list, so if you can delight them by making it easy to get a hold of you and answer their questions as quickly as possible, it may not even matter if you get the best possible results on their case. What matters most to clients is speed, efficiency, and as little effort on their end as possible.[oxygen-template id="6131"]

9 ways to give your clients a low-effort experience

1Make it easy to communicate with you

One of the most common complaints that people have about lawyers is poor communication. In a traditional law firm, it can be downright impossible to get a hold of a lawyer. Statistics show that 42% of the time law firms take an average of three or more days to get back to their clients. Needless to say, this is way too long of a delay.Put yourself in your leads’ and clients’ shoes for a minute. If you’re interested in purchasing a product or service from someone, you expect to be called back sooner than three days later, right? With so many competing law firms out there, clients are likely to forget about the law firm that didn't call them back and go with the lawyer that gets back to them as soon as possible.Nobody is interested in playing phone tag. They expect to call or email a lawyer and get a response back, it's really that simple. The only way to meet the modern consumers’ need for immediacy is to get back to them right away.Yet, as any lawyer can tell you, a lawyer’s job is extremely demanding. Between attending court dates, creating complex legal documents, and developing legal strategies for their clients, they don't always have time to step away from a paying client to pick up the phone or answer an email as quickly as people can stream a movie of their choice on Netflix.Even if you have a front desk staff, getting back to every single client right away paired with all of the other administrative work it takes to run an office is impossible. After all, lawyers are people, not robots! This is where technology steps in to do what humans can not.The highest performing law firms rely on automation to reply to leads and clients right away for them.The right law firm client intake software and CRM for lawyers delivers an immediate response so that you never have to step away from a paying client again. Automated and personalized messages are sent out based on triggers of your choice that will delight and engage from day one.Whether a potential client signs up for a newsletter or someone fills out a legal client intake form on your website, automation sends out an immediate reply. Your CRM will start tracking that lead meticulously from the very first day they contact your law firm so that your clients never have to chase you. Software tells you what steps need to be taken next ensuring that no opportunity gets missed And no clients have to sit around waiting for the lawyer to get back to them.

2Let clients check the status of their case any time

In a traditional law firm, clients must collaborate with their lawyers on their case according to their lawyers’ terms. Yet no one wants to be at the mercy of their lawyer's erratic schedule and wait around to get a simple answer back.Software like Lawmatics' built in client portal makes it possible for clients to access their case details at any moment. They simply log into a secure link where they can view everything from documents, tasks, to calendar events, and even send a message to your lawyer with any questions. Your clients will be thrilled with this low-effort, modernized self-service option that gives them direct access to your law firm.

3Don’t make them repeat information

One of the most common reasons why people hate calling customer service is because they dread being passed on to different departments and having to repeat the same issue over and over. The redundancy of having to repeat a problem sometimes upwards of three times is downright frustrating.In the legal world, it can be extremely insensitive to ask your legal clients to repeat information over and over. Some legal matters are highly emotional, and asking clients to relive their problem over and over by answering the same questions isn't fair or professional.Make it easy for your clients by ensuring that everyone on your staff is up-to-date with case details. A CRM for attorneys stores all case and contact details in one single database so that no matter who is answering the phone, they'll have the information they need and right in front of them.

4Make it easy to pay you

Nowadays the modern consumer is accustomed to arriving at checkout and being given a wide range of payment options. Whether it's PayPal, installment options, or by credit card, people are now conditioned to being able to pay however they want. So, if the modern consumer is already used to being able to pay however they want for day-to-day transactions, why would paying their lawyer be any different?A recent trends report showed that 65% of consumers prefer to pay with a credit card. So, for crying out loud make it easy for your clients and offer e-payment. First of all, most people don't have a $10,000 retainer lying around. Even if they do, it's probably tied up in investments. Besides, having to pay by cash or check is incredibly time-consuming for your clients. Asking your clients to manually fill out a check, put it in an envelope, and take it to the post office is high on the effort scale. The same goes for asking your clients to pay you face to face — especially during a worldwide pandemic. So, simplify things for your client and offer e-payment.You should also seriously consider implementing payment plans that allow your legal clients to pay by automated payments or transfers. Chances are that some of your clients will have money constraints, so they'll greatly appreciate the offer to split payments up. By making payments as easy as possible for your clients, they'll be much more likely to return for repeat business, and refer you to their friends and family.

5Make it easy to sign documents

Part of the client intake process involves a lot of document signing. In many law firms that means a client needs to print, sign and scan or fax these documents back to their lawyer, or even drop them off at the post office. With so many steps involved, it can be a real hassle for clients to find time to do. Clients are understandably irritated having to go through all these processes to get something signed. This puts lawyers in a tough position since the longer it takes to sign important documents, the longer it takes to get the case rolling.Offering an alternative and effortless way to sign legal documents can be a game-changer. Allow your clients to sign important paperwork on the go from wherever they are. Law firm client intake software like Lawmatics comes with built-in electronic signature for legal documents that makes it easy to create, sign and send your most important documents into one single place. Not only does it make your clients' lives much easier, but it makes lawyers' lives easier too!

6Make it easy to schedule an appointment

Dreaded long drawn out emails back and forths are no one's idea of a good time. When all the client wants to do is schedule a consultation, but you can't seem to agree on a time that works for both of you, you're creating a substantial amount of friction in the client journey. Consider offering a simpler way to schedule appointments by offering a self-service option.It's as simple as syncing your calendar to your legal CRM and sending a link to your clients. With direct access to your schedule, your clients can choose only the available times you want them to see that works best for their schedule thanks to automated appointment scheduling.Not only are you making the scheduling process a million times easier for your clients, but you'll significantly reduce no-shows and scheduling conflicts. In most cases, your clients are busy people too. So, make their lives easier by keeping them informed by sending automated appointment reminders.

7Don’t make them wait (for anything)

Clients want to be able to communicate with their lawyers and be able to ask what the status of their case is or request a document. Making your clients wait around to hear back from you is no good. what if you gave your clients the power to instantly collaborate with you whenever they want.Allowing your clients to access any documents, notes, or messages at any time means your clients no longer have to play a waiting game when they have questions. A client portal gives your clients direct access to your firm, providing instant client service without costly bottlenecks that make clients feel forgotten!

8Communicate their way

Not every client has the same communication style. Some people prefer the phone, while some people prefer texting. Instead of only giving your clients one way to get a hold of you, why not offer multiple channels. SMS for law firms gives your clients the power to communicate with you in the style that works best for them. Don't worry about having to scramble in multiple inboxes or through your phone to find your client's last message. Thanks to your CRM, you can see all of your client interactions in one place. from emails to text messages, it's easy to keep track of all your interactions, regardless of how the client got a hold of you.

9Make file sharing easy

Nobody wants to have to dig through email attachments to find important files. Instead, make file sharing a smooth process. The right software like Lawmatics allows you to send a link to your clients where they can log into their portal and find or send documents right away.An all-in-one centralized storage solution eliminates the need to track down files, and keeps them all in one place, making life considerably easier for your clients and you at the same time.

Take your client’s experience from high-friction to highly efficient with Lawmatics legal software

Simplifying your clients' lives as much as possible will ultimately win them over. If you can provide an effortless and streamlined error-free experience then you'll watch your customer loyalty skyrocket.These are just a few of the ways that you can deliver effortless legal services to your clients, and transform your practice so that it meets the needs of the modern consumer. The no-effort service possibilities are endless once you start getting creative with new ways to better serve your clients.Are you ready to learn more about how Lawmatics CRM for lawyers and attorney intake software can boost your legal business in ways you didn’t even know were possible? Sign up for a free demo today!

You know what sucks? That every time I think of my wife telling me that she was pregnant with our son, I have to remember the whole story. Yes, I was immediately happy, but then pretty quickly I had to ask myself “how the f%&$^ are we going to manage this?”We were already working 60-70 hours a week, $200,000 in firm debt, and trying to make it all work. It’s like we were drowning and also on fire and now someone wanted to hand us a baby.Thankfully, this story has a super happy ending (or at least a super happy now) — a lot of it has to do with us finally learning what it takes to run a business and a HUGE part of that is using a CRM to save us time, make us money, and help us provide a better and better customer experience.That’s why as soon as I started a fractional CMO company for lawyers, I knew we had to help them get setup in a similar manner to my firm, because there’s just SO much you can do with an awesome CRM like Lawmatics (which we still use at my firm and for our LegalEase intakes).There are 1,000,000 things you can use this program for, so let’s break it into stages:

1.Tracking leads

You know that feeling you get in your gut sometimes that a decision is right or wrong? And you can’t quite put your finger on why, but it FEELS that way?Well, I hate to break it to you — but that’s a terrible way to run your business. Trust me on this, because I did it (see debt and sadness story above).Let’s say you are running 50 different ad sets across 5 platforms. Which one is doing the best for you? What does best even mean? Well, a great CRM system software gives you those answers in real time.Let’s say ad A goes to landing page A, which goes to contact form A which goes into Lawmatics. Then we rinse and repeat for the next 49 one (I have no idea what that last letter would be, maybe AX?)Now Google Ad Manager will let us know about the impressions and click through rate, analytics will let us know about the performance on the landing page, and the contact form tells us about consults. Which is great, but viewed on way, a lead has NO value, it’s the hired client who funds your firm. So with Lawmatics and that contact form, we can seamlessly track which of those consults becomes a client.Ad G might get us 50 consults, but only 3 hire. Ad Z might get us only 10 consults, but 9 hires. You don’t know until you track your leads ALL the way through to see which ones are actually the most cost effective. This can easily be a million dollar problem or solution.

2.Closing leads

As the system is tracking all of this, you need to put in some time and effort to close those leads and get them into hired clients. Last I saw, Clio Legal Trends reported that 68% of lawyers don’t follow up with leads — AT ALL. Please don’t be one of those people.What is more common for our potential clients is the HUGE ebb and flow from month to month. You’re not busy in May so you call all the leads back and stay on top of them, then you get busy in June so you stop doing that. Then you have no clients in July, rinse and repeat (if you haven’t already pulled your hair out from this).Instead of relying solely upon yourself or your staff, flex some CRM muscle on this problem. Put together a drip campaign for all potential clients that goes over topics like:

Why they need a lawyer

The life cycle of a case

The great client reviews you get

Common mistakes people make in this situation

What makes your firm special

Why they should hire you

Common questions they have

War Stories you can ethically share

And many more…

By standardizing this follow up (bonus points if you change the drips by case type if you practice multiple areas of law), you get BETTER numbers from your ads, and can track better AND close more.Maybe every 3 months you tweak your drip campaigns and see if you close more or less clients (you can always go back to the old way).And, what do you do when they DON’T hire. Maybe you need a long term nurture campaign for those clients thinking about divorce but giving it one more shot, or the ones who want to pause their estate planning needs for another few months, or the business client wanting to give that vendor 30 more days to not pay the overdue bill, etc. You can automate a ton of that stuff to get older leads back into a consult or hiring at a later date.

3.Onboarding clients

Okay, so now that you have that dialed in, you’ve got a steady flow of clients coming through the door (or the virtual door because COVID…)And I will bet that there are some steps you do on EVERY case

• Estate planning clients might fill out a longer form on their assets
• Criminal defense clients might have to sign a waiver of appearance
• Real Estate clients might have to upload photos of the title or contract around the proper
• Family law clients might have to tell you the same story 15 times AND need you file 700 emergency motions because the other parents showed up 38 seconds late

I digress, you know what this means to your practice. So, how about instead of taxing yourself or your staff to send the same emails and forms OVER and OVER again, you instead made it totally automated.And by doing this you can also add some other information to the client every few days for 30 days or so.After someone hires you, they’re going to either 1) psychologically convince themselves that they’re smart for hiring you, or 2) immediately regret it. So let’s avoid 2.Think about sending them:

• More social proof (great reviews)
• Numbers that make you look good (prior $$$ wins, # of cases you’ve handled, etc)

And also, you can:

• Send them your social media accounts to follow
• Give them a virtual tour of the office
• Explain to them what to expect moving forward
• Introduce the rest of your team
• Remind them not to talk about the case to the police, the insurance adjuster, etc

Whatever else makes sense to them to know now that they’re a client.

4.Doing the actual legal work

This is very similar to the onboarding process. What are you doing all the time for the actual work on their case?

• For PI, they’re probably in treatment and you’re checking on that and requesting medical records
• For estate planning, you’re probably putting together some documents and then having a signing meeting
• For criminal law, you’re probably requesting discovery or setting depositions

So think about what the steps are that you do over and over again and create a new pipeline with those stages and tell Lawmatics to move your hired clients over there and set up automations to support that work. (pro-tip make sure your automations run on hired clients and not just PNC now).You can even use the practice area field to change the pipeline by type of case if you’ve got multiple practice areas. Voila, even more time savings and an even smoother client experience.And to be clear, I am not telling you to automate EVERYTHING. But by automating the easy stuff you have more time to be PERSONAL with each case and truly help move the needle for your clients because you’re not stuck spending 5 hours a case manually sending the same stuff by email one at time (or fax if that’s still your thing and this is the 1920s).

5.Doing right by your alumni clients

Eventually, after you do an AMAZING job on the actual legal work, the case closes and then what? Does the client never hear from you again? If that’s the case, you’re leaving a ton on the table.Imagine how different your firm would be if every month you got 2-3 new happy client reviews. Imagine if every 2 clients became another case through repeat business or a referral. How would that change your firm? It would be amazing right? Well guess what, it is, and it’s possible for you if you nail this process in the CRM.It starts with a closed case form. What last data points do you need to enter to help all your KPIs line up? Maybe it’s settlement amount, total fee billed, length of time the case took, # of hours spent on it, etc. Use that form being filled out to move clients to a closed case pipeline.Now you can:

• Send them the info they need once the case is closed (where to report to probation, how to fund their trust, a reminder to turn on their power and water in their new house, etc)
• Check in with them at certain intervals to make sure they remember you and know that you care about them.
• Ask them to leave you a review.
• Invite them to your annual party (when those are a thing again).
• Send them a happy note on the anniversary of their case.

Remarket to them: maybe you can do an early termination of their probation at a certain time, maybe they need their trust updated every few years, maybe they need a modification on time sharing once they get a new job, etc.So stay in touch, stay top of mind, and truly care, and you’ll see a ton of extra success.And let’s be honest, we are just scratching the surface of it here. These are probably the 5 most common stages to use a legal CRM system, but there are millions of ideas we didn’t even touch inside of those stages. So really take some time and sketch out what the perfect flow from lead to client to former client to referral source looks like for you and your firm. And then start identifying where you can keep that organized and following with the support of Lawmatics.And if you’re not sure what to do or don’t want to spend your time on it, let’s chat!

We’re thrilled to announce that we have been included in the 2021 CRM, Intake, and Virtual Receptionists Buyer’s Guide released by Legal Tech Publishing which spotlights innovative legal technology products for lawyers.We have been recognized in this legal technology buyers guide based on a selection process that included product reviews and supporting articles.“We’re incredibly honored to be recognized as the most intuitive and robust law firm CRM and client intake platform specific to the legal industry,” said Matt Spiegel, CEO. “With Lawmatics, lawyers are able to focus on getting the most desirable outcome for their clients without getting bogged down with day-to-day administrative tasks that negatively impact their client relationships and reputations. This, in turn, leads to more business, happy clients, and profitability.”At Lawmatics, we are dedicated to serving as a go-to resource that helps lawyers be the best they can be. Being included in third-party publications that explain the impacts of solutions in the legal tech marketplace helps us achieve our mission of assisting lawyers. By participating in the Legal Tech Publishing eBook series, we support our community of fellow providers and together can provide lawyers with a succinct list of reputable and vetted selection of products for their consideration.Keep reading to see some highlights from the guide.

Lawmatics helps lawyers get efficient in generating new and recurring legal business

“Lawmatics enables you to automate your entire intake process as well as any other repetitive process or tasks that might be part of your firm’s flow. You can create automated workflows to move potential clients through every stage of the client journey.”

The 4 reasons Legal Tech Publishing recommends Lawmatics

• Lawmatics is for any law firm that wants more leads and is serious about growing its business.
• Automation drives the lead generation and marketing platform.
• The platform integrates with numerous marketing sources and legal apps to drive efficiency and reduce costs.
• Reports analyze costs for leads and clients provide key performance indicators (KPIs) to analyze and measure against as the firm grows.

Get your free copy of Lawmatics review in Legal Tech Publishing’s CRM, Intake and Virtual Receptionists Buyer’s Guide: 2021 Edition to learn more.

Nowadays, there's no shortage of well reviewed and highly qualified family law attorneys in just about any city you search for on Google. With so many options available to people searching for a lawyer practicing family law, it's essential for you to make yourself stand apart in a sea of sameness. So, how do you differentiate yourself, and what exactly are people looking for that will convince them to hire you instead of the competition?Here are 6 characteristics of successful family law firms.

1. They have 5 star reputations

When searching for a lawyer, most people do the first thing that comes naturally to them— they turn to Google to see what other people are saying. While it’s true that not every online review may not be a 100% accurate representation of a law firm as a whole, in the public's eyes they often are. A recent consumer review survey revealed that over 80% of consumers read reviews of companies before calling them, and over half of those people say that they would only hire the company if they have a rating of four stars or higher.While there are many different review sites available, not all of them are suited for your business. There are a variety of niche sites that may be better suited for certain businesses than others. As a lawyer, the one you should focus on the most is Google. Google is the most used search engine in the world, and nearly half of Google's users are using it to search for businesses.In other words — you need to make Google your family law firm's best friend.

How the right software can helpOne of the most common frustrations that legal clients have about family lawyers is that they feel disconnected from them. With so much going on at a law firm, it's hard to get back to clients as quickly as they might like. After all, staying in touch with clients to give them updates on their cases can feel impossible with so much administrative work that it takes to run a practice paired with multiple cases going on at the same time.The answer lies in leveraging legal software to your advantage. When you use the right CRM for lawyers and attorney intake software, it’s as if you multiply yourself into five different places at once. You can respond to prospects' inquiries, get back to a client about the status of their case, and attend a consultation all at the same time—thanks to the power of automation.When a task needs action, automation takes the next steps for you so you don't have to do a thing. From automated follow up emails to sending out consultation reminders, technology takes care of the tedious work for you so you can focus your attention where it matters most— practicing law for your clients. The more of an attentive and thorough experience you can give each client, the more they’ll feel like they are the only client you have. Consequently, you’ll receive more five star ratings on Google—it's really that simple.

2. They consistently delight and retain clients

The most successful family law firms know that their job goes beyond just representing their clients’ often sensitive and charged matters, and getting them the best possible outcome on their case. More and more lawyers are starting to realize the importance of a client-centered approach.Believe it or not, getting your clients favorable results on their case doesn't necessarily mean that you've provided a five star experience that will delight and retain them. Believe it or not, there are highly successful family lawyers out there that don't even get their clients the best outcome on their case, yet their clients are thrilled with them. How is this possible?It all comes down to the quality of their client journeyA client journey is a collection of experiences with their lawyer that ideally make them feel valued and connected to their lawyer every step of the way.

How the right software can helpYour clients have put all their trust in you to handle their divorce or child custody matters, so it’s up to you to show them that they made the right choice. Using the right legal automation software can help you automate repeatable tasks for a streamlined and dependable workflow that ensures no client feels forgotten, particularly during the client intake process.By relying on workflow automation for law firms, you can save time, reduce stress for your clients and yourself, and ultimately deliver consistently excellent client journeys. A CRM for attorneys like Lawmatics can help meticulously track each of your clients, and manage their client journey with modern and polished communication that ensures nothing slips through the cracks. From your client records to all client interactions, your CRM keeps it all in one single location. Features like text messaging for law firms and automated emails will make your clients feel connected to you every step of the way without leaving them wondering when you'll get back to them. When your clients are going through something as emotional as divorce, it helps to know that they have direct access to their family lawyer.

3. They’re efficient

When family lawyers first start their own practice, many of them are surprised to find how much goes into running their law firm beyond just practicing law. From maintaining an office to staying up to date with marketing, to keeping all of their clients' cases organized, getting back to prospects and clients, and showing up to hearings, it’s not long before you realize you can’t possibly do it all on your own.Unfortunately, because of all that goes into running a practice, it often results in clients feeling abandoned. Lawyers have so much on their plates that they can often seem dismissive, cold, or just plain disorganized. Yet, the most successful family law practices treat their law firm like a business and run their practice efficiently, ensuring no client feels left behind.When you start looking at your law firm as a business, you realize how important it is to get things right the first time. The most efficient family law firms prioritize what's most important in their practice and value top-notch organization by taking time-saving shortcuts that allow them to focus their energy on their clients.

How the right software can helpKeeping track of everything that needs to get done in your practice takes a considerable amount of manual effort and mental bandwidth. Replying to each client, following up with leads, and drafting up lengthy documents can eat up a significant portion of your sanity when you’re doing it yourself. Turning to a family law firm software to automate these redundant tasks for you can significantly boost your law firm's efficiency, and take the pressure off of your shoulders.Processes that would normally take hours or even days can be done instantly. Legal software allows you to move things along faster with features like the client e-signature tool and legal document automation. In a few clicks, you can use custom fields to take whatever data you need from your law firm CRM and auto-fill it directly into your important documents instead of laboriously entering it yourself.Rather than asking your clients to print, scan, sign, and scan back to you, they can easily sign from the palm of their hand with an electronic signature for legal documents to get their case rolling even faster. With so much at stake in a family law case, time is of the essence. Your clients already have enough to worry about — ease their minds by delivering efficient and error-free service with the help of automation.

4. They maximize their inbound marketing strategies

Thriving family law firms know that a mass marketing approach isn't the way to attract clients anymore, and through the right family law firm marketing approach, they attract, engage and delight leads, and ultimately convert them into a client.Inbound marketing for law firms is all about growing your brand by establishing yourself as a credible law firm, organically. The idea is to attract clients through valuable and tailored content that doesn’t make them feel lumped into the masses or spammed. The most well-known family lawyers in your area are the ones that show up on search results first as a result of smart marketing techniques.

How the right software can helpThe right law firm client intake software can take data from your legal crm system database and trigger the next marketing steps. Whether a lead visits your site or signs up for your newsletter, you can turn to data to trigger what happens next. Dynamic automated email workflows for law firms allow you to create a sequence of messages that get sent out based on preset criteria of your choosing and timed triggers. Instead of a generic message going out, leads receive a tailored and personalized message sent out at the right time without you even having to do a thing.Audience segmentation software breaks your leads up into certain groups and sends them targeted advertising based on their unique circumstances. Smart marketing targets distinct groups of people instead of relying on a one size fits all marketing approach. The end result is a meaningful impression that results in repeat business and client referrals.

5. They’re data driven

The most successful law firms are the ones that turn towards a data-driven approach to the way they run their practice. By using data and goal tracking for law firms, they can look at patterns in their practice to improve their performance, boost their efficiency, and handle any bottlenecks in their practice.At first, the idea of combining data and law may seem peculiar. However, using data in the business world is hardly anything new. Data can help you identify problem areas that you didn't even know were there and reveal areas for improvement that may be hurting your law firm. Data driven family law firms use law firm reporting software to anticipate and plan for the future, rather than letting things catch them off guard. For example, some times of the year may be slower than others. By observing their data reports, they anticipate these less profitable periods of the year and plan accordingly.

How the right software can helpBy using visual legal data analytics like Lawmatics offers, you can make smarter decisions for your law firm. Data allows you to see important metrics like where your firm is losing the most time and how you can make your processes more efficient. Law firm performance management has never been easier. Easily track where your best leads are coming from, to what the factors are resulting in repeat business, law performance management tools make it easy to see where you need to make adjustments.Visual analytics make it effortless to digest your reports in an easy-to-read format. With greater insights into your firm's processes, you can improve your law firm's performance on a combined and individual level.

6. They minimize errors

When clients come to a family lawyer to handle their delicate family law issues, they're relying on you to solve their problems, not create more for them. Top-notch law firms are the ones that deliver error-free legal services free of unnecessary troubles.One small error can have a significant impact on the outcome of your client's family law issue, so the most successful lawyers know the importance of relying on technology to automate and error-check their documents.Using the right tools ensures nothing gets forgotten, no deadlines are missed, and ultimately, everything gets done the way it should be done— the first time.

How the right software can helpThe right Legal CRM has built-in law firm document automation that serves as a safety net to ensure that no errors go into your work. All critical information stays organized and in one place to keep everyone on track and on schedule.Automated appointment scheduling makes certain that no one forgets important dates and even sends out automatic reminders to you and your clients. The end result isn't just exceeding your client's expectations but significantly lowering your stress levels and lightening your workload.

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Scale your family law firm with Lawmatics

If you're a family law firm serious about growth and efficiency, then it's time to introduce Lawmatics legal software to your practice. Taking your law firm to the next level requires a robust platform that can accelerate your processes and boost your efficiency so you can turn your attention where it matters most— your clients. From putting your marketing on autopilot with drip email marketing to capturing leads' information through a legal client intake form and inputting it directly into your database to immediate follow-ups with leads— Lawmatics is the best CRM for law firms looking to take their practice to the next level.Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help you scale your family law practice? Sign up for a free demo today!

An estate planning attorney’s job can be described in simple terms as helping people prepare for what happens to what they leave behind once they are gone. While a common misconception is that estate planning attorneys are only hired by wealthy people, the truth is that there are all sorts of clients looking to prepare an estate plan that helps them map out their future desires. The reality is that regardless of your income, an estate planning attorney can be an indispensable tool for anyone wanting to leave something behind for people they care most about.Many people don't realize that estate planning on your own isn't just time-consuming, but it's downright precarious. There are incredibly elaborate laws that go into estate planning, and if executed incorrectly, you could find yourself and your loved ones in a legal debacle.A qualified estate planning lawyer is the best way to ensure that everything goes smoothly and your future wishes are carried out. All it takes is one error on an important document that can change the validity of a trust or will.

Why estate planning attorneys are essential

Laws are complex

There are many complex laws that vary from state to state that dictate different rules and formalities. Some states are very particular about what is and what is not permitted in a will, and a qualified estate planning attorney knows state laws in and out. Believe it or not, even though the US constitution says that legal documents must be recognized from one state to another, not all states fully honor this reciprocity law. An estate planning attorney is there to review your estate plan and ensure that it is valid in your state, helping you steer clear of costly mistakes that may not lead to your desired outcome in the event of your death.

Estate attorneys update as needed

The reality is that estate plans need to be updated continuously as our lives change. Most people experience significant changes every year, and in some cases, even every few months. Your estate plan should reflect the changes in your life so that you can ensure your belongings go where you want them to go. For example, if you're no longer on good terms with someone who is on your will, like an ex, it's important that it be updated. Leaving behind valuable assets to someone that is no longer a part of your life is a big mistake. An estate planning attorney is there to make sure that all of your assets are up to date and that your beneficiaries are listed as who you want them to be.At the same time, any updates to your state plan aren't always necessarily negative ones. Sometimes it's as simple as one of your family members making a lifestyle change like opening their own business. Perhaps you want to leave behind some funds to help them kickstart their company depending on certain conditions. Changes like these on your plan are made easy through the help of your attorney, who knows the right steps to take to make sure that your wishes are fulfilled and updated— without affecting the validity of your paperwork.

Most estate planning advice is based on speculation

It's not uncommon for people to overhear estate planning advice that they assume is correct, and there is certainly no shortage of estate planning advice out there. All it takes is a few clicks online to find all sorts of uninformed information about estate planning. What people tell you may often be far from the truth, particularly when it comes to legal advice from people who haven’t studied law.Rather than taking the risk of relying on potentially erroneous information, it's much better to get advice from a qualified attorney who is familiar with the law. Your plan needs to be as thorough as possible in order to be considered indisputable. An estate planning attorney is there to walk you through all of the procedures and make it an admissible document that stands up in court.

You save your loved ones money

In many cases, a DIY approach to planning an estate winds up costing a person's family much more money in the end. Some states don't accept a do-it-yourself will, and as a result, your loved ones could end up spending a significant amount of money hiring an estate planning attorney themselves to rectify the situation. If your wishes were to leave funds behind to make your family's lives more comfortable and less burdened, then a scenario like this could have the opposite effect. Hiring an estate planning attorney to do your paperwork means that you don't have to worry about your loved ones receiving what you want them to receive after you're gone. If you're absolutely set on doing your own estate plan, then you should minimally have an estate planning attorney review it to ensure that there are no errors or potential issues.

Estate planning attorneys understand unique and complex situations

There are all sorts of elaborate and uncommon situations you can find yourself in when planning your estate. From not having any children to owning a home in more than one state, a qualified estate planning attorney can help you navigate any of your out-of-the-ordinary circumstances, which may not be easy to figure out on your own. Most importantly, estate planning attorneys can help you avoid the IRS taking the majority of your estate because you didn't receive legal counsel for your complicated situation.So, what are the qualities that set the great estate planning attorneys apart from the "okay” ones? Let's dive in.

Experience

Not all lawyers are created equally. People who want legal counsel for leaving behind cherished possessions for their loved ones want someone that specializes in estate planning— not medical malpractice or family law. The more experience that a lawyer can have in their area of practice, the more qualified that they'll appear to prospects. The most successful estate planning attorneys are the ones that focus only on this area of practice and are dedicated to becoming a master of it. Being fully knowledgeable about estate planning means being up to date on the latest state laws in their state to ensure that a court approves of their estate plan without any interrogations or concerns.In addition to good old-fashioned experience, it's especially on how to find an estate planning lawyer that specializes in probate and trust in the particular state their client is in. An extensive amount of knowledge is the best way to ensure that they are getting their money's worth from their attorney. The more assurance that an estate planning attorney can give their clients that they are certified, specialized, and qualified in estate law, the more that they'll stand out against the competition.

Fair pricing

Although some lawyers still bill hourly, more and more attorneys are moving towards flat fees. Since lawyers have a reputation for being expensive, there can be a lot of anxiety surrounding what the final bill will be. Many prospects looking for an estate planning attorney are extremely enthusiastic about the idea of getting a fixed price upfront. Knowing exactly what the total cost will be, helps avoid unexpected surprises and financial stress.Lawyers who still charge hourly are often still billing this way because they're not sure how to make the transition. They may hesitate to move towards a flat fee system out of fear that the work they provide may fall short of what they get paid. The most successful estate planning firms use the power of data to take a closer look at their cases to determine how much time they put into each one and the amount of work it requires. A closer look at their metrics with legal reporting software helps them develop a fair flat fee that doesn't scare prospects away but also pays them fairly for the amount of work they deliver.

Efficiency

One of the most important things for legal clients is efficiency. They want to know that they've hired a lawyer to prepare their plan in a reasonable window of time. An estate planning lawyer should be able to prepare the plan within a few weeks. In many cases, lawyers don't have this kind of time on their hands because of all of the other tasks that go into running a practice, leaving their clients desperate and frustrated.Depending on a client's unique situation, they may not have the luxury of waiting for longer than a few weeks to get the necessary documents they need prepared since their loved one may be seriously ill. Time is of the essence when it comes to estate planning, and clients want to know that they can count on a lawyer for a quick turnaround before it's too late.The most efficient estate planning attorneys who have great reputations for efficiency are the ones that rely on technology to streamline and optimize their processes. By relying on features like legal document automation and electronic signature for legal documents, they can keep up with the demands of their clients and minimize errors, delighting their clients.

Organization

A lot goes into keeping a practice running. Unfortunately, a lot of it involves tedious and repetitive tasks that eat up a lot of lawyer's day and can leave things feeling chaotic— not to mention having to juggle between prospects and current clients. Disorganized lawyers can find themselves having to prioritize certain tasks over others and putting tasks like following up with leads on the back burner just to get it all done. Unfortunately, this can leave a lot of prospects frustrated and turning to a competing firm with a better response to their inquiry.The most successful estate planning lawyers know the importance of staying organized by automating repetitive tasks with a legal client intake software. That way, no opportunities slip through the cracks, and clients aren't left feeling forgotten. Since the client journey starts the minute that a lead reaches out to a law firm, technology like automated appointment scheduling sets the tone from day one.Technology handles the busy work for lawyers so they can focus on their clients. It's as simple as a client scheduling their own consultation online, which goes directly into a lawyer's personal calendar without having to bother with picking up the phone or engaging in a long-winded email thread trying to find the best time.

Great communication

Typically, estate planning attorneys are not known for their ongoing communication. Usually, their relationship ends after helping a client draw up their estate plan. Unfortunately, this isn't ideal for most people. The best estate planning lawyer make himself available to answer any questions that the client has at any point in the client journey— even after the estate planning process is done. Lawyers who value a client-centered approach know that communication shouldn’t stop just because someone is a former client.The right lawyer keeps both current and former clients engaged and checks in with them whether it’s their birthday or to see whether their estate needs updating.A lawyer who can offer their clients direct access to them through technology like text messaging for law firms will surely win the hearts of their clients with their attentive and responsive communication style and win more referrals and repeat business.The right client intake and CRM for lawyers can show lawyers all of their communication with clients in a single location, making it easy to see where each client stands. By relying on tailored and personalized automated follow ups, smart estate lawyers never make their clients feel ignored or undervalued, even if they're busy with other matters.

Friendly demeanor

Clients are looking for someone that takes a genuine interest in their case and their well-being. The right lawyer will put them at ease when asking all the right questions to cover every area of planning their estate. There can be a lot of personal questions involved in the process, so it's important to trust your estate lawyer. When disclosing certain personal details, people want someone that is friendly, attentive, and doesn't make them feel uncomfortable.Having to answer such personal questions with an attorney that feels unfriendly or aloof can result in missing important information and ultimately affecting your estate plan. If a lawyer can manage to put their clients at ease with a friendly and warm demeanor, they’ll delight and retain them.

Guidance throughout the entire client journey

The best estate planning attorneys assist their clients every step of the way, ensuring that they stay informed and in the loop by using a CRM for attorneys. People are looking for a lawyer that makes them feel connected every step of the way by meticulously tracking their interaction and answering any questions that come up with a prompt follow up.Ideally, an attorney should spell each step of the process in their follow ups from who will receive what documents to the guardianship of dependants, to all of your health care decisions. The estate planning process can be incredibly complex, so knowing that you're in good hands with a patient lawyer that takes the time to guide you is incredibly valuable.

The best estate planning attorneys rely on Lawmatics to grow their law firm and exceed client expectations

The most well-respected and highly sought-after estate planning attorneys know the importance of relying on technology to lighten their workload. By using legal software to do the tedious and repetitive tasks for them, they can deliver the best possible client experience and generate repeat business and plenty of referrals. If you're an estate planning lawyer looking to take your law practice to the next level, sign up for a demo to see how Lawmatics can help!

Once you make the decision to introduce software to your law firm, you'll need to make sure that you choose the right one. Part of the selection process involves sitting through various demos to determine which software is the best fit for your firm. Since it's such a big decision, you want to make sure that you know what to expect from the experience .It can be tricky knowing what you should know and do leading up to the demo. Here you'll find an overview of some of the best ways to prepare, get the most out of the experience and make the best possible choice for your law firm.

What happens during a legal software demo

During a software demo, a qualified salesperson will explain to you a little bit more about the company and get you acquainted with the product itself. In your case, they'll showcase legal software to you and walk you through how it works with your day-to-day law firm operations. It's essential to remember that a demo is not the same as the onboarding process. Once you decide to buy legal software, you'll be given a much more thorough training process in how the software functions. Some legal CRM companies offer longer onboarding processes than others to ensure a smooth transition.The demo itself, however, is simply a quick demonstration to show you the main selling points, how your firm can benefit from the principal features and is an opportunity for you to ask any questions that you have.

Why a legal software demo is important

It's easy to read about a legal CRM or listen to a sales rep tell you why you should buy it. However, in most cases seeing is believing. Seeing a legal CRM in action is the best way to ensure that you're making the right choice. Sometimes features look good on paper, yet, once you start navigating the program yourself, you realize that it isn't as user-friendly as it may have sounded initially. A software demo is essential for getting a feel for the main features and feeling out whether it would work for your law firm. Think of it as a test drive on a vehicle. You wouldn't buy a car without taking it for a test drive first, and legal software shouldn't be any different.Now that you have a better idea of what a software demo involves and why it's important, here are the best ways to prepare yourself for the big day.

Know your needs

When choosing the right legal CRM and attorney intake software, it's important that you know what you need in legal software. Lay out all of the administrative tasks you have to do throughout the day at your firm. From answering phones to replying to incoming prospects' inquiries to sending out law firm marketing emails—make a list of what you'd like a software to help you accomplish. Feel free to rank each task in order of priority. Some software may prioritize certain tasks more than others, so having a list set up is the best way to get a feel for whether a program is right for you.Ask yourself questions like:What tasks in your law firm eat up the most of your time?What features would you like to see in software you already use?What features could you live without, and which ones are must-haves?What are your long-term goals for your law firm, and how can a CRM help you reach them?Once you systematically identify and draft your requirements, it will be easier to compare different software and make your final choice. When you lack specifics going in, it can be challenging to objectively make a choice during each software demo.

Communicate ahead of time

No one wants to lose time on a demo that isn't tailored for what they're looking for. Neither you or the sales rep wants to sit through an entire demo only to find that they don't offer what you're looking for. It helps to communicate to a legal software company before the demo what your needs are. That way, they can tell you whether they cover the capabilities that you're looking for and tailor your demo experience so that it specifically demonstrates the characteristics that you're looking for.You should also go over details like what areas of law you practice in and what the size of your firm is. Details like these will help the seller understand the most useful features to demonstrate to you and tailor your experience as much as possible.

Send the right person to the demo

Make sure that you send someone to attend the demo who is familiar with all of the administrative tasks in your law firm and is tech-savvy enough to understand the presentation. Chances are that some people in your firm are better suited than others for determining the best legal software for your firm, so choose carefully.

Prepare the right questions

Remember, a software demo is not training but rather an opportunity to ask any questions you have about its features and capabilities. To get the most out of the demo, it helps to know the right questions to ask. Make sure that you prepare your questions ahead of time so that you don't forget to cover important topics. Some of the best questions to ask are:

1

"How is this CRM unique from others?"

Some legal CRM's claim to do it all, but the truth is that they hardly stand out from the competition. It helps to have a clear understanding of what most CRM's do on a basic level to get a feel for whether the one you're looking at really goes above and beyond the typical capabilities of a CRM.

2

"Can it pair with my case management software?"

The right CRM for you offers integrations with all the major legal case management systems. From Clio to PracticePanther, integration with your other legal software is a must in order to get the most out of a CRM.

3

"How can this software simplify all my technology?

Technology is supposed to make your life easier, not more difficult. Many law firms introduce technology to their day-to-day processes only to find that, in many cases, it winds up adding an additional headache. Using various individual systems, from reporting and analytics to your appointment scheduling software to your marketing software, can leave your head spinning in ten different directions. The right CRM combines all the right tools you need into one single location, reducing costs and making your process much more efficient.

4

"How can this increase my revenue?"

Ultimately your goal is to create more revenue in your law firm. If you're looking to spend your resources on software, then you should ensure that it's worth the investment. Get to know whether whatever platform you're looking at has the ability to generate more business and drive more traffic to your law firm. Features like automated email marketing will engage your leads and clients and ultimately create more business. More leads = more revenue.

5

"How long is your onboarding process?"

Let's face it; you were trained to practice law, so no one expects you to be a tech-whiz. It's important that you know whatever CRM you go with actively supports you through onboarding to ensure a smooth learning process. A legal CRM like Lawmatics, for example, offers a dedicated specialist to seamlessly guide you through the onboarding process. Typically the onboarding program lasts between 4 and 6 weeks; however, you can customize your onboarding timeline depending on your firm's unique needs.Since there can be a lot of troubleshooting as your firm adjusts to a new CRM, it's important that you have access to ongoing assistance whenever you need it. Make sure that you ask about what their customer service availability is for clients should you need assistance.

Prioritize automation

In many cases, legal CRM's claim that they automate, yet a closer look often reveals that in reality that all they're really doing is creating checklists for you to complete. The right legal-specific CRM will complete the tasks for you through the power of automation. From sending out marketing emails to automated appointment scheduling to auto-filling lengthy documents, automation reduces your workload and streamlines your tasks so you can dedicate your time to what matters most at your law firm.Custom automations elevate your clients' experience and bring greater structure to your law firm. From the minute a lead first gets captured, email automation for law firms allows you to customize your follow-ups and replies to ensure that nothing gets forgotten. From following up with leads to sending out automated drip email marketing campaigns tailored to each client based on their individual characteristics, you can put your firm on autopilot while you turn your attention towards more important matters.

Focus on solutions

It's easy to get swept away by all of the features in a demo. Yet, while features are no doubt an important part of whatever legal software you choose, they aren't ultimately what you should be focusing on. The right legal CRM for your law firm requires more than just bells and whistles. Your firm is looking for solutions, not just features, so you need to ensure that whatever demo you're looking at promises those solutions. By referring to your specific law firm's goals, you can determine whether the software you're looking at offers the features that you need to grow your practice.

Take time to ask questions after the demo

Following a software demo, it's useful to take some time to go over everything that you covered. It's an opportunity to bring up any aspects of the presentation that you didn't understand or may have more questions about. If the sales rep did a thorough job of targeting your specific needs, you won't need to ask many more questions. However, a lot is covered during a small period of time during a demo, so don't be afraid to ask questions following the presentation so you can get a better idea of anything you might have missed. Reviewing certain portions of the demo can be helpful in making your final decision and avoid making a costly mistake.

Choose the right legal CRM for your law firm by getting the most out of your legal software demo

While at their core, many different platforms all promised to be the same thing, a more in-depth look often reveals critical differences in each software. The right legal software like Lawmatics goes far beyond its competitors by offering more intuitive features that prioritize automation in law firms and nurturing and engaging clients.Seeing is believing, so signing up for a demo is an opportunity to observe all of the essential tools that the right CRM for lawyers can provide. Ideally, you need an all-in-one solution that is easy to implement into your practice and doesn't require a considerable amount of time to learn how to use.By preparing for your software demo, you can ensure that you don't settle for a law firm CRM that doesn't actually meet your needs for efficiency and growth. Ultimately, you want to save your law firm more time by finding software that automates tasks for you, so you don't have to waste time manually completing processes. By referring to this guide and arriving at your software demo with your unique needs and goals specified, you will get the most out of the experience and avoid choosing the wrong one for your practice that has a timely learning curve and lacks essential tools.[oxygen-template id="6130"]

Do more with Lawmatics

Lawmatics is the most sophisticated and robust CRM for attorneys on the market. A software demo can reveal how you can attract new business, automate tedious work, become a data-driven firm, and ultimately expand and drive more revenue.Whether you're a solo practitioner or a large firm, Lawmatics is your modern CRM solution for increasing efficiency and productivity.Are you ready to see why Lawmatics is the preferred solution for your client intake and client relationship management? Sign up for a product demo today!

Before computers and other legal technology, running a legal practice was laborious and time-consuming. From searching for documents to communicating with clients, lawyers had their work cut out for them.However, as technology has continued to progress, there are more and more programs available for facilitating the legal process, and legal work has become much more efficient. One of the most significant advances in legal technology is electronic signatures— especially during these times of social restraints as a result of COVID. Lawyers have had to make adjustments to continue to carry out their work while still respecting social distancing measures. Thanks to E signature, lawyers can get what they need from their clients without having to think twice about catching a deadly virus.Beyond the convenience of offering an alternative way to sign legal documents during a worldwide pandemic, there are also other benefits that electronic signatures deliver for law firms.

Benefits of eSignature

They’re easier

In the absence of an electronic signature, getting a signed document back from a client involves asking them to print, sign and scan or fax back to you. Since there are so many steps involved, sometimes lawyers find themselves waiting hours and sometimes even days to get important paperwork signed and returned. Unfortunately, the longer the wait, the longer it takes for lawyers to get started on a case.eSignatures streamline the contract signing process and speed up your client's case, getting the ball rolling even sooner. Rather than having to go through a lengthy back and forth, lawyers can easily get what they need from their clients in a matter of a few clicks. The best e-signature software makes it easy to create, sign and keep all important documents in one single space, ensuring they get things done quickly and securely, making everyone's life easier.

Improved communication

Unfortunately, one of the most common complaints that clients have about lawyers is poor communication. Since some law firms stubbornly remain loyal to their traditional paper signing process, they often fail to follow up properly, and the progress of their client's case is significantly hampered as a result. Electronic signatures reduce the need for going back and forth in communication and potentially missing a follow-up with the client for an important document. It's as simple as signing a document on the spot and sending it back with zero effort or stress on anyone's part. The end result is better communication and the elimination of wondering who got back to who and what needs to be done next. eSignature means things get done right away, so you no longer have to wonder if it's been done— giving your clients the best possible experience.

Better protection of data

Believe it or not, law firms are one of the biggest targets of cyberattacks. Because they have such large amounts of highly confidential information stored from their clients, law firms need to make sure that security is a top priority. As more and more law firms turn to more efficient methods for protecting their clients' data, the more popular that electronic signatures have become.Rather than sending legally binding contracts through places like unencrypted emails, eSignature provides a safe way to receive and send important data. Beyond being instant, clients and lawyers can rest assured that their data is protected from third parties trying to access sensitive information.

More convenience

You never know where you or your client may be when you need to get a document signed quickly. It's incredibly convenient to know that you can get whatever you need to get done from wherever you are. The convenience of signing contracts on the go means that you don't have to be restrained by your physical location. eSignature allows for getting things done on the fly regardless of where you are geographically. Needless to say, it's a much more convenient option than having to deal with printers and scanners.Not only does it make it easier for everyone in your office to keep the ball rolling on cases, but it makes your clients happier too. This speed of electronic contract signing shows your firm offers a modern approach to law.The simplicity of being able to sign from the palm of their hand rather than having to deal with printers scanners and lengthy back and forths says a lot about your law firm’s approach.

Better relationships with clients

When it comes to building a strong relationship with your clients, communication is key. Speedy communication methods like eSignature mean that your client has direct access to you at any time from anywhere. Traditional methods can leave clients and lawyers both wondering whether the other party has even received an important document yet or not. Offering digital signatures means better organization, increased communication, and ultimately stronger relationships with your clients.

Lowered costs

Paper and ink cost a lot of money. It goes without saying that digital signatures are a much more cost-effective method of getting an important document signed. Beyond paper and ink costs, you may also save on postage. When you add up all of your clients over the course of a year, the savings can be significant, which is certainly something to keep in mind.

More time saved

Every time that you use digital signature technology as opposed to manually using a pen and paper, you're saving yourself and your clients a significant amount of time. The end result is more time to focus on what matters most at your law firm and increase efficiency. eSignature means fewer time-consuming and repetitive tasks in your routine.It's as simple as creating a document, sending it to your client, and receiving it back immediately, all from the palm of your hand. When you compare this process with all of the steps involved with printing, signing with a pen, and mailing or scanning back, it's easy to see how much faster it is.

More eco-conscious

More and more law firms are taking a modern approach to serving clients and embracing a paperless workspace about as modern as it gets. People are more environmentally conscious than ever, and the more that you can take on an eco-conscious mentality in your law firm, the more you can show that you're a brand that’s ahead of the times. Simply put, appealing to eco-conscious clients is a great way to modernize your practice and prove that you're doing your part for a greener earth.

Better planning

The truth is that with traditional document signing methods that require printers and scanners, you never know when you're going to get what you need back from your client. However, when you offer instant eSignature technology, you know that the wait won't be long. Digital solutions are a great way to improve your planning and speed up processes that won't just save time for your firm but also your clients.As a result, you can start anticipating taking the next steps in your client's case, knowing that important signatures won't take hours or even days to get back.[oxygen-template id="6130"]

Tips for getting the most out of eSignature software

1Identify bottlenecks

Understanding how you can benefit from technology like eSignature and actually implementing it into your law firm's routine are two different things. In order to get the most out of e Signature software, you'll need to know why you need it to optimize your process and start implementing additional tools like workflow automation for law firms.The first step is reviewing where your process currently stands and what isn’t working. Identify any bottlenecks in your law firm's processes, and then ask yourself how the right technology can make things easier. Take note of where the delays and setbacks are, and you'll start to recognize how the right software can make a difference.

2Develop a routine

Once you have a better idea of where the problem areas are and where you could benefit from better efficiency, it's time to start rethinking your client intake process. The first step to getting everyone on the right page is establishing a more effective routine through the help of software that does it all for you.When switching to a more modern approach in your practice, some of your team who are used to traditional processes may be hesitant. However, once your team starts to see the benefits that a CRM for lawyers and law firm client intake software provide, like electronic digital signatures, it won't be difficult to get everyone on track. Once you establish a better workflow with your CRM for attorneys and client intake software, you’ll keep the ball continuously rolling.

3Anticipate uncertainty

Even though eSignatures are hardly brand new, some people may be hesitant about them. People may not understand the technology behind it, or they may simply prefer the comfort of what's familiar. Therefore, it's important that you anticipate some uncertainty and prepare for having to do a little convincing here and there.Arm yourself with the right information to advocate for the technology. Get to know how it works, what the technical details are, and of course, understand the security. One of the biggest concerns people have about eSignature is that it's not as safe as a traditional handwritten signature. The truth is it is much safer, and the more that you can explain why, the less resistance you'll meet within your firm and with your clients.

4Prioritize security

Not all legal software is built the same. You want to make sure that you choose the right legal CRM with built-in eSignature technology to get the most out of it. Since you're looking for something extremely secure, you only want to work with a company that offers top-notch security. Your clients deserve their sensitive data to be protected with state-of-the-art security features.From encryption to two-factor authentication, make sure that any platform you choose is adequately protecting your private information with robust security.

5First impressions count

First impressions are everything, and the way that you handle your client intake process will set the tone for what your client can expect for the rest of their time working with you. The client intake process is a critical area of your law firm. Relying on software is the best way to ensure that everything gets done on autopilot. Outdated manual methods result in lost valuable time that you could otherwise be spending serving your clients. However, with the right technology like a client e-signature tool, something that would have taken a considerable amount of effort to do manually can be done with a few clicks.Offering immediate digital solutions like electronic signature for legal documents will set you apart from other firms because of your modern approach. Most clients are eager to get their case started as soon as possible, so the faster you can get the intake process completed, the sooner you can get your clients the results that they are paying for. eSignature makes it possible to get what you need signed to keep the momentum going on your client's case. No more leaving your clients waiting or causing them to struggle to find time to print, sign and scan back lengthy documents. An effective client intake process that uses tools like legal file request automation and eSignature is the best way to make a good impression by asking less of your clients.

6Tracking client's important documentsare a must

In the absence of the right law firm CRM and legal client intake software, it's extremely difficult to track every client’s information. When your process relies on spreadsheets, spread out emails in your inbox, and papers spread on your desk, it gets difficult to know where your important information is and who needs to be followed up with. However, with a legal CRM like Lawmatics that has built-in features like eSignature, you can store all your important documents in one place. Once you receive a digital signature from your client, the document goes directly into the database, where it can be accessed at any time from anywhere.You can effortlessly see which clients have sent back important signed contracts and which ones still need to do so. The end result is better organization and meticulously tracked client journeys.

7Keep everyone on track

Lawyers aren't the only busy people— their clients have busy schedules too. It can get challenging to keep everyone on track without the right software. Using a legal CRM and attorney intake software will show you exactly what needs to be done and even send out reminders for important events.No more wondering whether an important consultation may be missed or whether you've received a signed contract or not. Software gives you a birds eye view of everything you need to know so that nothing slips through the cracks.

8Discuss details in advance

During the consultation process, it helps to explain how the process will work. Discussing details in advance, like what paperwork you'll need signed when and what sort of fees you'll charge, helps avoid issues down the road. Make sure that your client clearly understands what's expected of them and that you give them an opportunity to explain their expectations as well. Going over everything in the beginning greatly reduces the chances of misunderstanding and encourages a smooth process where nothing gets forgotten or misinterpreted.

9Save time with document automation

The right legal document automation software makes it easy to get important paperwork signed by your clients in a fraction of the time. Custom fields make it easy to extract data from your matters and contacts and autofill directly into your document, all with a few clicks of a mouse. The end result isn't just more time saved on documents that may have potentially taken you days to draft up but also increased accuracy.Automation makes it easy to generate documentation that can quickly be reviewed, signed, and sent back with eSignature, free of human error. Generating, sending, signing, and receiving documents has never been easier.

Why law firms are making the switch to eSignature

Better impressions on clients

There's no shortage of lawyers to choose from in today's competitive market. A common stereotype about lawyers is that they're old-fashioned, so when your law firm offers a fast and streamlined process by offering something like eSignature, you’ll make a big impression. Starting things off on the right foot by offering a tech-savvy approach to their case will show your clients that you're up to date with the latest technology and capable of a modern approach as much as the competition.

Better organization

Outdated methods full of manual processes aren't doing anyone any favors. You're losing time, and ultimately revenue. Making the switch to technology like eSignature means you can cut back on time lost getting things done the old way and make way for what matters most at your law firm by improving your workflow.No more chasing after clients to get important documents signed or digging through your inbox to find important documents. Technology makes it easy to stay organized and easily access whatever you need from wherever you are.

Improved experience

The better of a client experience that you can deliver, the better of a reputation that you'll build for your firm. Offering modern solutions like eSignature is considerably appreciated by clients who want to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible on their cases.No more time wasted on lengthy back and forths or losing track of what you need from your client. The right legal software provides a faster and more streamlined process for clients looking for a more modern approach. By leveraging technology, you'll make lasting impressions and happy clients who will refer you to their friends and family.

Less stress

Let's face it; no lawyer wants to have to take time out of their day to chase after their clients to get important documents signed. Playing phone tag trying to get contracts signed isn't something any lawyer with a busy schedule wants to have to do.When you make the switch to a legal CRM, you no longer have to worry about manually creating contracts and asking your clients to print, sign and send them back to you. Thanks to automation, everything moves faster, and there's less to worry about.The most successful law firms know the importance of a powerful client intake software that takes care of the heavy lifting for them. An efficient law firm prioritizes speed and leverages technology to get things done as quickly as possible.When your law firm is a chaotic place, your clients can sense it. So when you make use of tools like a legal CRM, you're able to deliver a stress-free experience that your clients will benefit from. Less stress for you means less stress for your clients— it's really that simple.

Give your clients a client-focused experience with the right technology like Lawmatics

Although a common stereotype is that lawyers spend most of their day in court, the truth is that most of their time is taken up with administrative tasks. The right software like Lawmatics takes care of the tedious time draining work for you so you can focus on what matters most— your clients. What would have normally taken you hours or even days can be completed instantly thanks to legal technology like Lawmatics.Seamlessly input contact information using templates, and send it to your client to be signed on the spot— it's as easy as downloading and emailing documents from wherever you are without having to bother with printers or scanners. The end result is a streamlined process that saves you and your clients time.The overall success of your law firm depends on each stage of the client experience. By delivering a top-notch and efficient journey, you'll create delighted clients and more time to dedicate to what matters most at your practice—getting your clients the best results for their case.Are you ready to see how embracing technology like eSignature can help you take your law firm to the next level? Sign up for a free product demo today!

So, you know how to fervently defend your clients in a courtroom and you can draft up complex legal documents with your eyes closed— but do you know how to get a buzz going on social media?If you thought social media was just for filters that shoot rainbows out of your mouth and posting photos of your lunch, think again. With over 4.2 billion active social media users, smart marketers know that a presence on social media should be a critical part of any marketing strategy. On average, social media users spend approximately 2 hours a day online, so that window of time is your big chance to be seen. Surveys show that more and more lawyers are including social media as a part of their marketing strategy.However, having a presence on social media alone isn’t enough. In order to leverage its full power, you’ll need to build a following by producing the right social media content for law firms.

Why social media is a must for law firms

It’s an opportunity to connectwith your target audience.

Unlike other one-sided marketing methods, social media doesn’t just offer a chance to increase your law firm’s visibility, but it uniquely offers clients an opportunity to directly communicate with their favorite companies, solidifying relationships and building trust.The first step to finding new clients is building awareness around your law firm, wherever your target audience is, and social media is where they’re at. When people get to interact with their favorite brands on social media, they feel more connected, which breeds loyalty.

You get to present yourself as an authority.

Regardless of whether you’re a lawyer or an industrial designer, your presence on social media is an opportunity to establish yourself as an expert. Presenting yourself as a thought-leader in your area of practice gives you credibility and promotes trust.Rather than simply reposting content, you should establish your opinion and point of view. Doing so gives you the upper hand with competition by standing out as an expert.

Your firm stays top of mind.

Continuous exposure breeds familiarity, which in turn encourages preference. Simply put, if you manage to stay visible to your target audience on social media, the next time they require legal services, you’ll be the first lawyer that they think of.Staying on top of mind is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can arm yourself with. If you manage to stay active and consistent on social media, you can encourage preference over other firms, and in turn, boost your sales.

Increased website traffic.

Social media is one of the most reliable ways to drive traffic to your law firm’s website. As long as you include your website address in a post, prospects can easily navigate towards your site in one simple click.The more traffic you get on your website, the more business you’ll bring in; it’s really that simple.

More leads.

Leads generate clients, and the more you can bring in, the more revenue you’ll produce. With billions of active users on social media, you’re casting a wide net on potential clients who may be looking for exactly what you offer.

Increased sales.

Smart law firms know how much their sales funnel relies on their social media presence. As the amount of active social media users on platforms like Facebook continues to increase, the more people rely on social media to find goods and services.

Eliminates outdated selling techniques.

Known as social selling, establishing a presence on social media allows you to zero in on your ideal prospect and build a connection that eliminates outdated outbound selling strategies like cold calling. It’s a modern form of relationship-building that creates meaningful interactions that result in increased sales and less knocking on doors. If you manage to play your cards right, prospects come directly to you![oxygen-template id="6129"]

Best social media platforms to consider for your law firm

As more and more social media platforms emerge every day, it can get confusing knowing which ones to focus on. Rather than spreading yourself thin across every new one that comes out, it's only necessary to focus on the ones that matter most. Some social media platforms appeal more to certain target demographics. Let's take a look at some of the different options best suited for law firms and how to make the most out of each.

Facebook

If you haven't heard of Facebook, then you're probably living under a rock under a pile of leaves, in a cave…. under another rock. Simply put, Facebook is everywhere. In fact, Facebook has become as common of a household name as Google. With billions of active users, it's considered the most popular social media platform for a wide variety of demographics.Because of the wide outreach, Facebook is the best place to start targeting customers. Not only can it be very effective for getting your law firm’s name out there, but it's free! However, if you are willing to invest some of your marketing dollars, you can run Facebook ads that link to your website.The first step to getting started marketing your law firm on Facebook is to create a page. Remember, a page is not the same thing as a personal profile. You'll need to specify, but you're a business and brand rather than a community or public figure. Once you have a profile photo and a cover photo with your law firm's logo and name, you can publish, and you’ve got yourself a page. For a more detailed explanation of the setup process, check out this article.Facebook is all about creating and sharing content to spark engagement. We'll go over some of the best kinds of posts later in this article.

Instagram

The majority of law firms don't have a presence on Instagram. However, Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, has 500 million active daily users full of potential clients. It goes without saying that this is a huge opportunity for visibility and a chance to connect with a younger audience that may not be present on Facebook.Unlike Facebook, which relies heavily on text-based content sharing, Instagram is a visual sharing platform. Many people believe that Instagram is the future of social media because of its rising popularity.Although your first impression may be that it doesn’t make much sense for a law firm to rely on a visual platform, the truth is it can make sense. Instagram can be a place to give an impression of approachability to people who may otherwise be wary of lawyers. Instagram puts a human face behind your business and can be a great way to show behind-the-scenes news at your law firm. For example, you may choose to include photos of recent community involvement or even speaking at a conference. You can share humorous and relatable content and even legal tips.Before you dismiss Instagram, consider that a recent survey revealed that over 25% of lawyers use Instagram as part of their marketing strategy, and out of the top 20 law firms in the United States, over half of them have Instagram accounts. It goes without saying that Instagram can be a legitimate place to market your law firm. Here is a page with some more information on how to set up a business Instagram account.

LinkedIn

Over 80% of lawyers asked in a survey responded that they are active on LinkedIn. Because LinkedIn is an entirely business-focused social media platform, it's a favored destination for professional networking. Made strictly with businesses in mind, LinkedIn is a great way to promote yourself and build connections with other professionals. However, although it can be a great place to establish yourself professionally, it may not be the best place to find clients. LinkedIn is designed to build connections with other professionals and less designed with the intent to advertise to potential clients.Regardless, it's considered a staple for law firms to promote their credibility and achievements in their area of practice. It's a place to highlight your knowledge and authority as a lawyer.

Twitter

Twitter is a platform used to quickly get your message across in 280 characters or less known as “tweets.” Your Twitter profile consists of your handle, your username, bio, and your profile picture. Each of these comes together to represent your law firm. Twitter can be one of the most powerful tools you have for getting your message across and gaining insight about your customers. You can follow trends, get to know what your competitors are doing, and ultimately win fans through following the right strategies.Be careful, though— it's quick. You need to know the best strategies to hold your followers' attention in such a fast-paced environment. Twitter can be intimidating at first since it takes some getting used to. From abbreviations to hashtags, to trending slang, to figuring out your feed, there are many different components that go into a successful Twitter experience.Although it's one of the lesser-used platforms that lawyers use, it's still incredibly valuable and a great way to spread brand awareness by serving as a place to send out quick spurts of information. You'll need to make sure that someone is keeping an eye on your Twitter account at all times so that there are no gaps in responses. Often clients turn to Twitter to get quick customer service about their questions and concerns.

YouTube

Videos are a great way to share valuable and shareable content about your law firm. A recent survey showed that nearly 75% of people admitted purchasing a service or product based on a video, so it would be a missed opportunity not to dip into this realm of social media.YouTube, although less popular than platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, is a fantastic tool for influencing potential clients. Video marketing can be useful for any industry; however, it can be especially useful for lawyers. One of the most popular forms of video marketing is sharing valuable tips relevant to your practice area. One idea is to create a weekly video with legal advice that gives prospects shareable and useful information free of charge.The great part about YouTube is that it hosts your videos for you, and you can easily share your embedded content with a simple link on other platforms like Facebook and Twitter.Now that you have a better idea of some of the options out there available to you, here are essential tips for leveraging social media marketing to promote your law firm, regardless of the platform.[oxygen-template id="6130"]

7 ways to leverage social media marketing for your law firm

1Create a goal

All good strategies begin with goals. Before you get started posting, establish what it is that you hope to achieve to get the best results. Having specific and measurable goals in mind will help you track whether you're making progress in your marketing strategy or not.Some goal ideas include:

Increase brand awareness

Generate more leads

Drive more website traffic

Increase sales

Gain customer insight

When you have a clear idea of where you hope to grow as a result of social media, you can fine-tune your strategy and make changes where necessary if you’re not making progress.

2Create a calendar

The first place to start is creating a social media calendar. That way, you schedule when you want to post on each social channel. Your content calendar shouldn't just include when you want to post, but it should outline what you want to post.Planning ahead simplifies your social media efforts and removes the hassle of trying to come up with a content idea spontaneously. Third-party social media tools make it easy to pre-plan your social media activity for the week or even month in one sitting so that you can focus your energy on your clients the rest of the time.You already have enough administrative tasks to worry about in your law practice— from answering emails to scheduling meetings to handling incoming inquiries; the last thing you need to add to your plate is coming up with social media content on a daily basis. Calendars keep you organized and intentional in your social media efforts. Take a look at this list of some of the best content calendar tools to choose from.

3Use hashtags and keywords

Hashtags should always be a part of your social media equation. Think of them as breadcrumbs to lead people to your profile who are organically searching for your content just like yours.Depending on the platform, you’re allowed to use up to 30 hashtags— so use them! The more hashtags that you use, the more you’ll appear in prospective clients' feeds. When choosing hashtags, make sure that they’re relevant and applicable to whatever you’re posting about. If you manage to use the right ones, you can gain considerably more outreach than you would have without.Along with useful hashtags to help people find you, also use SEO keywords. Keywords send Google searches to your page if you manage to use the right ones. Ideally, your page should be the first law page that comes up on a local search. For more tips on how to use SEO to increase your social media page’s visibility, go here.

4Engage with your audience

As Captain Jean Luc Picard says, “engage!” Unlike traditional outbound marketing methods, social media is all about engaging with your customers instead of a one-sided conversation.Interaction is an important part of keeping your audience interested in what you're posting about. So, rather than shamelessly self-promoting all the time, post content that encourages conversation. Whether it's an article that relates to your practice area or you ask a question that encourages your followers to give their opinion, the idea is to invite and inspire conversation.In addition to posting content that encourages interaction, you should also be commenting on your followers' content. When you comment on other user's content, you’re being social, which is the entire point of social media. Simply put, the more you interact, the more you'll be interacted with.

5Build a community

Rather than only focusing on building a following, go one step further and build a community. Unlike the following, a community is a group of loyal social media users who interact and share your posts. They resonate with your brand and are loyal to your page, which are the best kind of followers there are.The best way to build a following is to be authentic. Post engaging and genuine content that encourages people to interact. Rather than trying to post whatever the latest trend is, stay true to your business and brand, and people will appreciate the sincerity.The more that you can create a space but invites and encourages an exchange, the more buzz you'll gain on your page. Remember that you should always reply to comments and respond to any incoming messages since a lack of response on your part could lead to people losing interest in your page. It may feel like a lot of work, so you may want to delegate social media to someone in your office who has the time and skills. Building a social media community is like growing a garden. You can't simply plant it and walk away— it needs attention to flourish.

6Research your competitors

Part of a good marketing strategy is paying attention to what your competitors are doing. Take a look at some of your heavy-hitter competitors and get to know what they're doing on social media.

What kind of wording do they use?

What sort of content are they posting, and with what frequency?

What hashtags are they using?

What kind of keywords are they using?

Who are they following?

What kind of images are they using on their page?

What social networks are they on?

The more that you can study their every move, the more that you can build on the tactics that are already working for them and making them even better.Conducting a competitive analysis is all about identifying who you're up against. A great place to start is by searching specific keywords on Facebook that are most relevant to your law firm and seeing who comes up. That will give you a better idea of who the big names are in your industry and what you can imitate and improve about their strategy.

7Measure and evaluate your results

Smart law firms know how important it is to pay attention to the results they are yielding on their social media efforts. Even if platforms like Facebook are free to use, they still require a time investment. You want to make sure that you're putting in what you're getting out of it by evaluating your results. Tracking your return on investment is essential for ensuring your resources are being appropriately spent.Your ROI results are calculated by determining how much time was put into your social media strategy and how many new clients you received as a result of it. Tracking and measuring your social media progress is the best way to know whether you need to make changes and turn your attention towards another area of marketing. Some platforms may yield better results than others, so a data-driven approach to your social media efforts is the best way to ensure you don't waste your time where you're not yielding results.

Grow your firm with the right marketing strategies paired with the right tools

Social media is a great place to bring in more clients for your law firm. However, once you manage to gain their interest, it's important that you follow up correctly to avoid leads falling through the cracks. You’ll need to engage, retain and delight them by equipping yourself with the right tools like a robust CRM for lawyers and attorney intake software that ensures your clients have an exceptional journey from start to finish.By establishing yourself as a law firm that values a service-centered and attentive approach through tools like automation, you'll build a credible reputation for your firm, and in turn, produce more revenue.There are many other inbound marketing strategies that can help you grow your brand in addition to social media. Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help you fine-tune your marketing strategy? Sign up for a free product demo today!

The legal services industry is a multibillion-dollar one that doesn't show any sign of slowing down. People will always need legal counsel regardless of the economic climate, which is why it's such a great industry to be in. Yet since there are so many people practicing law, it can be a competitive marketplace.It's critical that you stand out as a law firm by appealing to potential clients with modern solutions. Rather than settling for a generic legal brand and operating your firm with old-fashioned default methods, now is the moment to modernize your practice.There has never been a better time to commit to delivering an outstanding experience for your clients and shining in comparison to the competition. In 2021, the most successful firms know that the key to establishing yourself is using the right technology tools. With the right law firm client intake software, you can increase your visibility, streamline and automate lengthy tasks in a fraction of the time, and expand your firm.If you have a lower lead-to-client conversion rate than you'd like to see, then chances are it's time to start examining where you can make improvements. Usually, the first place to look is your client intake process. The client intake process is the most critical part of your client’s experience that should not be overlooked.Sadly, this is usually where most struggling law firms get it wrong. From the minute a lead first contacts a firm, they should be tracked carefully so that no opportunity gets missed. Yet, without a systematic client intake process in place with the help of technology, it's impossible to manually track every incoming contact.By knowing where every single lead stands and what actions need to be taken next, you'll have a birds eye view of your practice and total control over your customers' experience.

Where many law firms get it wrong

Slow response time

One of the biggest complaints that legal clients have about their lawyers is a lack of communication. Recent studies show that the majority of law firms have an alarmingly low response rate. As many as 60% of law firms contacted in a study didn’t respond to emails, and nearly 35% didn't even answer the phone. As a prospective client shopping around for lawyers, chances are you're not going to be very impressed by a law firm that doesn't even bother answering the phone.From a lawyer's point of view, it can get extremely challenging to get back to every single client right away, particularly if you're running a solo practice and you don't have the luxury of a front desk receptionist. With all the administrative tasks that it takes to run a practice, plus attending hearings, and conducting consultations, following up with leads can often get put on the back burner when you've got paying clients to attend to.

Lack of a systematic intake process

A systematic intake process is the only way to handle all of the incoming inquiries plus everything else that you've got going on at your law firm. The most successful firms rely on technology to follow up with their clients for them. Regardless of whether a lead contacts your law firm by phone, a legal client intake form, or sending an email, a quick follow-up is critical. The faster that you can reply to incoming inquiries, the more chances you have of converting a lead to a client, which is why client intake software is key.

Poor first impressions

So, how fast should you realistically get back to clients to make a good impression? As soon as possible! Think of it this way— every minute that you take to get back to a prospect is a minute lost that they could be turning to a competing firm. With the right attorney intake software, you can send a follow-up email immediately without having to do a thing. By setting up automated email workflows for law firms, you can trigger certain emails to go out to the right person at the right time. By setting the tone from the beginning that you're responsive and value lead's business, you’ll make a great impression.

Lack of organization

In the absence of a systematic client intake process, many law firms lose track of their leads. Because they rely on archaic systems like pen and paper to write down incoming contact information, there's no way to know whether someone's been followed up with or not. The only way to eliminate the risk of leads getting lost is to optimize your law firm with a law firm CRM. That way, a lead’s information is captured immediately and entered into a database.From that point on, your leads will be meticulously tracked and ensuring that no opportunities get missed.

Lack of effective marketing

Law school teaches you everything you need to know about being a lawyer, except one of the most important aspects of it— finding clients! Many lawyers are practicing law, but when it comes to thinking like a CEO, they're lost. Even though you're technically trained to be a lawyer, the only way to stand out to clients is to start thinking like a business person. You are a lawyer and a salesperson.A strong marketing strategy is a critical part of finding and retaining clients if you hope to meet with great success. with the help of modern legal tools like marketing automation for law firms and audience segmentation software, the more outreach your marketing efforts will have, and the more revenue you'll produce.

Lost time on manual tasks

It's no secret that lawyers are really busy people. Yet contrary to what most people believe about lawyers, the majority of their workload doesn't even come from what you might expect. In reality, lawyers spend much more time outside the courtroom than they do inside of it. Running a law practice requires a tremendous amount of administrative work that unfortunately takes up most of their workweek. With so many administrative tasks to take care of, it can get difficult to deliver a client-centered experience.The only way to stand out to your clients is to prioritize them over the administrative work. And since you can't stop doing the important administrative tasks that it takes to run your practice unless you want your practice to fall apart, you have to start adopting a tech-savvy approach to the way you do things. Automation is the only way to complete tedious processes so that you can turn your full attention towards clients and stand out from the competition.[oxygen-template id="6130"]

How to stand out to potential legal clients

Now that you have a better idea of what not to do let's examine what you should be doing to stand out to potential clients and encourage repeat business.

Know the best methods for attracting clients

There's a whole sea of potential clients out there just waiting to be found. The trick is knowing how to reach them. Even though traditional marketing methods like newsletters and paper mail may be effective for targeting certain potential clients, it doesn’t target every audience. You may see yourself as a lawyer; the truth is that if you hope to expand your practice, you’ll have to put your marketing hat on.Attracting and standing out to potential clients is all about using your resources wisely and trying out new methods to increase your outreach. Here are some effective ways to consider trying out.

Networking

Regardless of what industry you're in, networking is one of the best tools for bringing in new clients. Networking doesn't always necessarily have to be at networking events either. Sometimes finding new clients is as simple as striking up a conversation with a stranger. Remember, anyone that you come across could be a potential client. Branch out and make conversations in person and online.Consider joining Facebook groups and networking with other lawyers who are willing to refer clients to you. It's all a numbers game. The more people that you meet, the more opportunities you'll have to make a great impression.

Blogging

Nowadays, blogging is one of the best ways to attract new clients to your legal web page. Establishing an online presence starts with demonstrating yourself as an authority in your area of practice. Create shareable and buzzworthy blog posts that provide valuable information, and you’ll make Google your friend. The more that people share your content, the more that you'll stand out to potential clients as someone they'd like to hire.

Social media

Facebook and Twitter are great places to establish yourself as a law firm. The more followers and engagement that you have on your profile, the more credibility you’ll have. When potential clients see that you have a significant following, then they'll be that much more convinced that you're the right lawyer for them.

Respond immediately

It helps to put yourself in a consumer's shoes. When you reach out to a business to find out more information about their services, you expect a response. A timely response is the most effective way to get things started on the right foot right away. Not only are you increasing your chances of a lead converting to a client sooner, but you're building a solid reputation for your law firm.A few clicks around online review sites like Yelp can quickly reveal law firms that have terrible reputations for not getting back to inquiries. Standing out to potential clients means prioritizing a quick response time so that you don’t give them an opportunity to choose the competition over you.

Use automation wisely

Email automation for law firms is one of the best things that you can do for your law firm, without a doubt. However, it's important to be smart about how you use it. A generic automated message to a client that feels impersonal and unrelated to their inquiry isn't going to be as effective. However, by using a robust and intelligent client intake software for lawyers like Lawmatics, your automated messages will go out in a personalized and tailored style that engages them from one step to the next.Tools like audience segmentation software break your leads up into groups based on certain demographics of your choice. Since an all-in-one marketing strategy doesn't work for everyone, a tailored approach is the best way to follow up by engaging your potential clients in a way that feels more personal.Drip email marketing sends scheduled and targeted emails delivered on a schedule of your choice. Drip campaigns streamline your follow-ups and significantly grow your practice thanks to trigger-based features.Whether you're welcoming a client or sending a happy birthday message to a prior client, workflow automation for law firms keeps leads and clients engaged every step of the way. Personalized and memorable messaging is one of the most powerful tools you have for standing out and wowing prospects.

Prioritize the consultation

Every stage of the client intake process plays a crucial role in your client's experience. However, the consultation is one of the most defining moments since it's your opportunity to present why you're the best choice for your prospect's case. The better that you can prepare for your consultation, the better of an impression you can make.Prioritizing the consultation is as simple as thinking ahead and staying organized with the help of technology. One of the biggest frustrations that lawyers have are no-shows. Time last is money lost, particularly in a law firm that offers free consultations. If you block out a period of time and no one shows up, you've lost an important part of your day that you could have used for something else. One of the best ways to ensure that a consultation goes smoothly is by sending out a confirmation.Legal client intake software will automatically send out a confirmation once a consultation is booked. Not only does your client receive a confirmation email but so do you, ensuring that everyone stays on the same page. In addition to a confirmation email, a reminder email will also go out up to several days before a consultation, significantly reducing the risk of no-shows.During the consultation, make sure that you ask the right questions so that you know you have all of the most important information you need to get the case started. The better that you can prepare your questions ahead of time, the better of an experience you can deliver and stand out to your client.

Give your clients direct access to you

The truth is that even though lawyers are busy people, most of the time, their clients are too. Clients don't want to play phone tag anymore than lawyers do, so the more direct access you can give them to you, the better. Connecting with your clients through SMS for law firms builds better relationships with your potential clients and demonstrates responsiveness to their needs and concerns.Legal client intake software makes it possible to send, receive and manage all of your clients and lead interactions in one single location. Technology makes it possible to never keep leads waiting on a call back from you or waiting for you to email them back. By keeping your potential client connected to you every step of the way, you'll delight and engage them.

Offer self-scheduling

Wow your potential clients with a tech-savvy approach by allowing them to self-schedule their appointments. Software like Lawmatics makes it easy for potential clients to schedule or cancel meetings with you by choosing from time slots of your choosing with automated appointment scheduling.It's as simple as syncing your calendar and sending potential clients a link. From there, they can choose whatever time works for them without having to bother with the hassle of lengthy email back and forth asking which time works best for who— getting the ball rolling even faster in their case.

Identify your weak points

As a law firm, there are always areas to grow in. Law firm data analytics can help you identify any holes in your practice that may lead to client dissatisfaction or low conversion rates. Before the idea of data analytics sends you in a panic, rest assured that it's a lot simpler than it sounds. More and more law firms are turning towards a goal-driven approach that uses data to implement positive changes.From tracking productivity to where your best potential client sources are coming from, legal reporting software can be your best friend in finding out where you have room to grow. Visual analytics make internal activities at your law firm and fine-tune your processes as needed.With a visual representation of what your current client intake process looks like, you can make improvements where it counts most.

Set clear expectations

One of the best ways to avoid miscommunications and disappointed clients is to set clear expectations from the very beginning. Specify exactly what your client can expect throughout their working relationship with you, from how often you will communicate with them to what your billing system is.It also asked them what their preferred method of communication is and how often they like to be contacted. A one size fits all approach doesn't work for everyone, so make sure that you establish all of the most important details from the beginning.You’ll serve potential clients best when you set clear expectations upfront. That way, there's no confusion or room for frustration. Clients will appreciate clearly defined objectives and expectations and be wowed by your transparency.

Deliver quick service

The longer that you take to get back to your potential clients, the more time you're giving them to reconsider their decision. The faster that you can get the ball rolling on their case, the more delighted they'll be since chances are they'd like to get their legal concern handled as quickly as possible. One of the best ways to get things running is by using legal document automation. Manually generating important documents like attorney-client agreements can take hours to even days for lawyers to complete. Not only is it time-consuming and tedious, but there's plenty of room for error.Document automation software uses automated workflows to save hours of time, delivering speedy and error-free results that will wow your potential clients. Since most firms are operating on a traditional system of requiring their clients to print, scan, sign, and send, offering a more modern alternative can earn you significant points. No one wants to have to print, sign, and send documents if they can avoid it, so offering faster solutions like document automation and a client e-signature tool is a fantastic strategy for growing your practice.Simply choose a template that works best for your law firm and automatically generate whatever you need for your client's case. Lawmatics online text editor app ensures that anything you send is free of errors and ready to review, saving everyone time, and in turn, creating a memorable client experience.

Encourage online reviews

Most people looking for legal counsel perform a Google search before anything. If you hope for your law firm to stand out on Google, then you need to make sure that you have a high rating. IF your clients are happy, encourage them to leave reviews for your law firm. The more positive reviews you receive, the more you can start building a positive online reputation for yourself.[oxygen-template id="6129"]

Stand out to potential clients and create an unforgettable client journey with Lawmatics CRM and client intake software

Nowadays, clients expect more than ever. They expect excellence and a client-based business model that gives them the most value for their money. With so many other competing law firms, it’s more important than ever to be seen in a jungle of competition.By automating tedious processes, using intelligent marketing, and streamlining your client intake process, you’ll wow your potential clients by providing the attention that they deserve.Are you ready to see how Lawmatics can help you grow your law firm? Sign up for a free product demo today!