What kind of lawyers does Legal Ease Consulting, Inc. help?
My clients are solo practitioners or small to mid-sized law firms that want to improve their practice and take it to the next level. They want to work more effectively, reduce time spent on non-billable and low-paying tasks and attract better, higher value clients. They want employees who are motivated, innovative and provide excellent service to their clients. In short, they want their practice to be a great place to work.
My clients have established themselves as successful, knowledgeable lawyers who care about their clients and provide excellent service. Because they strive for excellence, they’re always seeking to improve their systems and services and enhance the value they provide to clients.
As they provide greater value to their clients, they increase client loyalty and generate referrals. By streamlining systems and boosting productivity, they build stronger relationships with clients and employees, which boosts morale and increases employee retention.
Regardless of the specific results they’d like to achieve, what my clients have in common is that they’re all seeking to break free of the restraints on their current lives and practices, and build something more productive and more enjoyable.
Does this sound familiar?
- You’re working harder and harder but don’t feel you’re making any real progress. You and your employees are wasting precious billable hours on low value tasks. Strategies and procedures that worked in the beginning have become outdated or inefficient over time. Clients don’t understand the value of the services you’re providing, balk at your fees or fail to pay on time, creating cash flow problems.
- You’re not attracting the types of clients and engagements you truly like and want to attract. You’re no longer inspired by the work you do for your clients. Your clients seem satisfied, but don’t turn into ‘raving fans.’ You can’t compete with the guys hawking their services at ridiculous fees. You don’t know how to set yourself apart from the competition and to demonstrate to potential clients that you’re the one they should hire.
- It’s just not fun any more. You don’t get that same ‘charge’ out of helping clients or successfully completing an engagement. You’re starting to feel like going to work is more of a chore than a challenge.
- Your practice feels ‘haphazard.’ Your practice developed ‘by accident’ and doesn’t reflect your particular vision, philosophy or goals. You don’t have a back-up plan, emergency or succession plan if a key player in the firm becomes seriously ill or disabled, or if your computer system crashes. New employees don’t have a way to learn, quickly and easily, the way your firm accomplishes its day to day tasks.You have inadequate systems but you haven’t had time or don’t know how to address them. You feel as if your firm is operating on autopilot, but nobody has bothered to check whether the conditions have changed or you’ve gotten off course.
- Others in your firm aren’t meeting your expectations. You can’t seem to find people who are motivated, competent and care about the firm. You’re frustrated with the inconsistent way matters are handled in your office.You compensate your employees well, but morale is still slipping. You and your partners don’t always see eye to eye, or you’re having difficulty getting the firm to ‘buy in’ to your philosophy or vision.
- You can’t keep up with all of the demands of managing an office, marketing your firm and serving your clients. You’re concerned that things might slip through the cracks. When you started your practice, you thought all you needed to do was to be a good lawyer and to provide your clients with good service. But in reality, you’ve also got to run a business, deal with colleagues, employees and vendors and still ‘make rain.’
- You think you don’t have time to market or focus on management because you’re too busy practicing law. Or there’s nobody else in the firm that understands how to market, or the importance of marketing to your firm.You can’t get going with your business or marketing plan, or to make lasting changes. You didn’t go to school to learn how to run a business, and perhaps you don’t know the first thing about marketing. You’ve tried different strategies or hired consultants in the past but felt that nothing improved.
All of these things are wasting your valuable time, money and other resources. They’re draining your energy, your inspiration, your enthusiasm and your motivation. They’re destroying morale, and negatively effecting employee retention and client loyalty.
If any of these sound like you, I can help you with solutions.
“As the owner of a solo practice for over twenty years, the management of my “I’ve consulted with Allison on a few occasions, and I intend to use her again. One of the things I like about her is that she thinks outside the box (particularly with regard to the use of social media and other technologies) while maintaining the practical mindset of a la-w firm managing partner.
Allison’s been in the trenches and therefore sees the “whole field”: from efficient business management to marketing to effective client service to legal ethics. She “gets it,” and she’s a pleasure to work with.”
– David G. Ross | Ross Law Firm, LLC | www.davidrosslaw.com
The clients that get the most out of working with me are:
- Committed to increasing the value of their practices. They are successful but are always looking for ways to improve. They are ready to accept help to move their firm to the next level and aspire to be the best – good just isn’t good enough.
- Eager for an outside perspective. They are willing to listen to what they don’t want to hear in order to make progress and to see what they’ve been missing. They’re looking for a someone to work with them to create solutions for their firm.They aren’t looking for a ‘magic pill’ to solve their problems. Instead, they’re ready to roll up their sleeves and do the work it takes to increase profits and productivity and create an uplifting, innovative atmosphere at their firm.
- Dedicated to providing better service for their clients, learning about their clients’ needs, and meeting those needs in new and innovative ways.
- No longer willing to accept less than the best and are committed to continued improvement. They see improvement as a journey, not a destination. They take responsibility for the success of their firm, their clients and their employees. They recognize that the value far exceeds the investment they are making in their business.
- Looking for ways to make practicing law a part of their life, not their whole life. They have diverse interests outside of the law, and want the time to pursue those interests, whether they include spending time with family, traveling, charity work, sports, or simply relaxing.
Whether you’re a solo practitioner or in a management position at a small or mid-sized firm, you may recognize yourself in some of the above scenarios.
If you do and you’d like to learn more, click here to subscribe to the Lawyer Meltdown Newsletter and get ideas and information about how to improve your practice right in your email in-box. You’ll also receive my FREE report, “Are You Missing A Crucial Element in Your Marketing?”
If you’re already a subscriber, or want to learn more about how I can help your practice, click here for more information about my Products and Services.
Allison C. Johs
Legal Ease Consulting, Inc
Preventing “Lawyer Meltdown” and Creating Productive, Profitable and Enjoyable Law Practices
P.S. Found a mistake or a bug? If there’s anything that bothers you about this site, I want to know! Send me an email at Allison@LegalEaseConsulting.com. I want this site to be not just a resource, but a refuge for lawyers. I want you to be comfortable here. So if there’s something that bothers you, please tell me!
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