Will Remote Legal Assistants SAVE Your Law Firm?
Cutting costs in ways other than Technology.
I know that I typically write about saving you time and money by introducing LegalTech to your firm. But it seems there is something I haven't ever addressed and today someone's LinkedIn post brought it to my attention. That is the idea of hiring a remote legal assistant. If you are a solo practitioner or a small law firm, I know you've either thought about it or heard someone suggest it to you, but you are not sure if it's a good idea for your firm, and if it is, how you would go about hiring someone. The good news is that I've worked as a virtual assistant (VA) and an attorney, so I have some advice to offer. So, let's dive right in.
Is it really going to save you money?
The reality is that Generative AI Assistants as much as I love them and talk about them often, they don't carry out all the tasks required of a legal assistant. That includes taking calls, setting meetings, filing court documents, attending meetings, taking actions from those meetings, social media management, managing calendars and managing your firm's leads. A good Gen AI Assistant could cost you $300 per month and could help you with legal research, document creation and sending emails but you would still have many administrative tasks to take care of. What happens to those unbillable hours? I think this is where VAs could be a win-win situation for your law firm and the VA. You will get your work done at a fraction of the cost, and you will be creating employment for an ambitious VA. By the way, you can get a full-time VA for $800 per month working for 60 hour. The amount is paid as a flat fee regardless of the number of hours they work (email me at priscilla@thelegalengineer.com for more info).
Now because a lot of people have created VA companies where they hire the VA directly and you pay to the company for the VA's work, all the cost benefits dissolve. For instance, you hire a VA firm to help your staff, you pay them $2000 a month for a VA and the VA gets $800. You've paid an extra $1200 for an unnecessary middle man. Get someone to introduce you to a VA and once you have a contract with the VA, the broker drops out of the picture. (Email me if you need help at priscilla@thelegalengineer.com for help!)
Will they be adequately qualified? Will they be a cultural fit?
I remember finishing law school and writing the bar exam in my country and failing to find a job even as a secretary in any business firm. This is the situation that a lot of qualified attorneys in other countries face. The ones who do get a job only get paid $150 if they are lucky. I got a job as a VA for an American firm, my friends got jobs for UK firms, Australian firms, New Zealand firms, Chinese firms and UAE firms. Safe to say that our lives were forever changed for the better. Most of the VAs I'm referring to were educated under the British education system all the way through law school, are first language English speakers, and are cultured!
What tech will you need?
You will need software you are most likely already using. Like a case management software, Microsoft, ring central, slack/team, and access to green filing software.
What fields of law can use VA?
Practically any field. Like I said, the VA's I have access to are attorneys, they will pick up civil procedure rules, filing and drafting fairly quickly.
Final thoughts?
Once you hire a VA, as you expand, they will likely refer you to someone they know who is equally as good. Hiring a VA may allow you to spend more time off, lessen your workload, and allow you to focus on non-admin work. If you would like to discuss this further, don't hesitate to email me @ priscilla@thelegalengineer.com. Take care!