As a law practitioner, you need to maximize your time and resources. That said, there’s a sheer amount of work in a law firm to make sure that you’re giving the best service to your clients. This mostly includes administrative tasks that require attention to detail and timeliness.
With the virtual assistant services list growing both in length and demand, law firms can benefit from hiring a virtual assistant to free up time for lawyers and their legal staff. By outsourcing VA tasks they can focus on billable work, business development, and more.
A virtual legal assistant can lower business costs while boosting productivity in your law practice. Get to know the most common tasks for virtual assistant optimization for your law firm, some tips on hiring and working with a VA, and more.
- There’s a sheer amount of work in a law firm—mostly involving administrative tasks—to ensure that you’re giving the best service possible to your clients.
- As the virtual assistant services list keeps on growing, lawyers and their legal staff can free up their time to focus on billable work, business development, and other more important things.
- A virtual legal assistant can handle routine but essential work in a law firm such as file management, data entry, transcription, email and call handling, and research.
- Outsourcing and delegating tasks for virtual assistant hires is a quick and easy thing to do with sufficient knowledge such as where to find a VA, setting expectations, and having open communication with your VA.
What Is a Legal Virtual Assistant?
A legal virtual assistant is a remote worker who provides support (including administrative and personal assistance) to law firms and practitioners. They enable lawyers and their legal teams to concentrate on their caseloads and business success.
Virtual assistant tasks usually include routine but essential work in a legal office. This can be file management, data entry, transcription, email and call handling, and research.
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Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Legal Assistant
As they are remote and (most of the time) independent contractors, VAs don’t need office equipment or supplies and are only paid for the hours they actively work for you. While they are mostly generalists, some VAs can be familiar with the basics of legal practice.
Some of the benefits that come with the virtual assistant services list for law firms include:
1. Fewer hassles in hiring and training
Outsourcing to a VA is an alternative to hiring a full-time, on-site employee. It’s a quicker and easier way to fill in certain roles and manage fluctuating workloads. Plus, VAs require little to no training so you can easily add them to your team.
The hiring process can take less time with recruiters and outsourcing companies. All you need to do is give them the skills and requirements you need for a job and they’ll handle the rest. Some also offer support in managing VAs.
2. Access to a global talent pool
Virtual assistants for hire can come from all across the world which means you can get the best talent no matter where you are based. You have complete freedom to customize the tasks for virtual assistant work based on the specific needs of your law firm.
International VAs can give you a different perspective and even creativity in getting work done. Remote workers from other time zones can also give you flexibility in terms of working hours.
This can even give your firm an edge such as extending your active business hours. Also, you can always have someone on the line in case of emergencies or other concerns from your clients.
3. Reduced business costs
A work from home virtual assistant doesn’t need any office equipment, space, and supplies since they have their own devices.
They are also hired on an hourly or project basis so you can scale however and whenever you need. This also means that you don’t have to worry about salary and benefits packages, health insurance, and other expenses.
4. Increased productivity
While they are a cheaper option to get work done, they still provide quality results. Outsourcing virtual assistant services can free up you and your team members with repetitive but essential tasks. This way, you can focus better on your clients and work such as studying cases, preparing arguments, and attending trials.
5. Improved communications
A virtual legal assistant can help you improve internal and external communication. They can relay messages to your legal team and correspond with clients and other third parties. This means accurate emails, statements, and legal papers in a timely manner for your law firm.
6. Better work-life balance
A recent study shows that 88% of lawyers feel worn out in their line of work with a third of them thinking they are chronically overworked.
With an on-demand virtual assistant handling the routine work, you can get more done in a shorter time. This allows time to focus on the core goals of your firm, as well as your personal life.
Delegating Legal Tasks for Virtual Assistant Maximization
From just secretarial work, many functions and skill sets have been added to the virtual assistant services list over the years. Like any other business, law firms can greatly benefit from the myriad of virtual assistant services available to boost their success.
Here are six of the most common virtual assistant tasks law firms and practitioners can outsource today:
1. Calendar and email management
A legal virtual assistant will help manage your business email and calendar with duties like:
- Sift through and organize correspondence by priority
- Send and answer messages on your behalf
- Relay information, notices, and documents
- Set appointments and confirm engagements
- Book transportation, hotels, and other travel arrangements
- Send reminders and alerts for meetings and trials
With an organized inbox and schedule, you can keep track of your most urgent activities and correspondence. This way, you avoid double bookings and other conflicts, maximizing your working time.
2. Client communication and support
It’s crucial in a law firm to give the best service to clients possible. One way to do this is by having robust customer support which is one of the most in-demand tasks for virtual assistant outsourcers. Your VA can give clients a seamless experience from appointment setting to billing.
They ensure that clients understand legal documents in plain language. This includes being able to respond to any queries and concerns that clients may have. It can also be providing support and status updates on their cases at any time.
3. Research and document management
VAs can help you with basic legal research and documents such as:
- Look up relevant case law, statutes, and regulations
- Simplify legal jargon and papers to clients
- Write and assess contracts and other legal papers
- Assist in preparing and editing presentations, contracts, briefs, and pleadings
- Organize and maintain an online database of client files, case files, contracts, etc.
Delegating legal research and document management to a VA frees up more of your time for things that matter most.
4. Data entry and transcription
Outsource data entry tasks to get things done more efficiently. A virtual legal assistant can also help format, proofread, and check the citations of your papers. During meetings, your VA can take minutes and give you a report after. They can also transcribe audio and video clips needed for case files and pleadings.
5. Court filing
One of the most distinct tasks in the virtual assistant services list for law firms is court filing. Legal VAs can provide support in drafting and filing legal documents with the court. These can include court briefs, pleadings, motions, discovery notices, and the like.
6. Billing and invoicing
Your legal virtual assistant can prepare invoices, track payments, and follow up on unpaid invoices. On top of that, they can keep track of and remind you about bar association dues and other recurring bills. This is helpful for lawyers and legal practitioners who might not have the skills or time to focus on the financial side of the law firm.
Implementing Virtual Legal Assistant Services in Your Firm
Outsourcing and delegating tasks for virtual assistant hires is a quick and easy thing to do if you know what you’re doing. So, here are some tips on hiring a virtual assistant for your law firm to make sure that you’re getting the most out of their services:
1. Determine the specific tasks you need to outsource
Before anything else, you should look at your law firm and how work is done. With this, you’ll know exactly which tasks you need help with and which you can delegate completely. This also helps you choose the right types of virtual assistants you need for your law firm, giving you an idea of what skills and qualifications to look for in the hiring process.
2. Find the best virtual assistant service provider
Once you know what you’re looking for, the next thing you need to search for is where to find a virtual assistant. You can outsource virtual assistant services through different means such as referrals, recruiting platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, and virtual assistant websites.
3. Set clear guidelines and expectations
After hiring a virtual assistant, make sure you convey your goals and expectations clearly. Onboard your VA with clear guidelines to avoid disruptions in your workflow. Also, you should discuss legal and ethical concerns such as client confidentiality and data protection.
4. Always communicate with your VA
Foster a good working relationship with your virtual assistant. Outside of the virtual assistant services list, your remote worker is a person — respect and trust go a long way. Give your VA autonomy in working to build rapport and avoid micromanaging.
That said, keep the line open and give feedback and guidance. Make sure that your VA feels comfortable reaching out to you with questions or concerns. Not only will this make for a good working relationship but also deliver high-quality results.
You can also assess your VA regularly to ensure that they’re hitting their KPIs. If you hire through a virtual assistant outsourcing agency, they can help manage and conduct VA performance reviews.
Get Magic for the Most In-Demand Virtual Assistant Services
At a low cost, virtual assistant outsourcing can greatly help lawyers and their legal teams to work more efficiently and effectively. Be it admin or customer support work, a legal virtual assistant can handle tasks to ease your workload or fill in a role.
Get the right VA for your law firm at a low cost with the help of Magic! Our virtual assistant services list covers the most in-demand functions and skills you need in running and growing your business. Talk to us to learn how we can help!
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