Something you may not learn in law school is that attorneys face a great deal of tedious clerical work in their day-to-day office duties. Many young lawyers who are just getting started are shocked and a bit overwhelmed with the administrative duties that take up the precious time they need to meet with clients, complete their legal research, and provide quality service to those who are counting on them. If this sounds like you, let us tell you how to hire a virtual assistant.
Lawyers Face Many Time-Consuming Tasks
Attorneys do much more than meet with clients, interpret laws and regulations, and appear in the courtroom. Most people don’t consider the day-to-day tasks that come with running a reputable law practice, many of which are important but don’t necessarily need to be completed by an attorney. A respectable legal practice should manage social media, tend to customer service needs, and handle the clerical work of the office. If you have your own practice, you may not be able to afford an in-house receptionist or an assistant, especially when you’re first starting out.
Virtual Assistants Can Help Attorneys
Top virtual assistant services, such as Virtual Latinos, can connect you with an assistant who can perform the administrative office support you need online. You can customize the tasks your assistant completes based on your needs, even if those needs change week to week. Your virtual assistant can help your law office run more efficiently and save you the cost of paying salary to an in-house receptionist or aide.
Outsourcing these time-consuming tasks to a virtual assistant allows you the time to focus on the truly important element of your practice: your clients.
What Duties Can Virtual Assistants Perform for Attorneys?
If the idea of hiring a virtual assistant sounds appealing to you, consider these 10 various responsibilities they can complete for you:
- Conduct Legal Research. Not all legal research requires the expertise of a seasoned attorney. There are many instances where a virtual assistant can easily find the facts you need, so you can focus on something that requires your expertise.
- Answer Phones. The last thing an attorney needs distracting them from client work is answering office phones and prioritizing messages. A virtual assistant that resides in your same time zone can handle this task with the utmost professionalism and care.
- Book Appointments. Scheduling and confirming appointments is essential to keeping your practice busy and successful. A virtual assistant can take this responsibility off your hands, helping you keep your schedule full while avoiding double booking.
- Send Emails. Your firm probably needs to send reminders and other communications via email to many people involved in any case. A personal assistant can do this for you and free up valuable time in your day.
- Provide Transcription. Transcription services are one of the most tedious tasks attorneys must do. Find a virtual assistant with experience in transcription, and you can get back to focusing on your clients.
- Manage Your Schedule. Appointments with clients, witnesses, law enforcement, experts, judges, and various others fill the days of most attorneys. No one wants to miss a meeting and appear unprofessional. A virtual assistant can organize your calendar and help you manage your time efficiently.
- Manage Emails. In addition to sending important emails, you need help responding to a multitude of incoming communications. A responsible and capable virtual assistant will provide the assistance you need with email management, so no email goes unnoticed or lacks an appropriate response.
- Provide Bookkeeping. Accounting services are essential to any successful business, and a law firm is no different. Virtual assistants can provide an array of bookkeeping services that take the unnecessary weight off your shoulders.
- Complete Website Maintenance. Trust plays an important role in any relationship between an attorney and their client. Oftentimes, a law firm’s website is the first opportunity to make a positive impression. Blog posting and general website maintenance helps to build trust with clients. A virtual assistant with English writing expertise, top-notch grammar, and tech skills will keep your website looking fresh and updated.
- Manage Social Media. No successful business today will reach their full potential without the wonder of social media. Reaching the greatest audience in any target demographic is a goal that marketing virtual assistants can easily help you to attain.
Hire an Assistant from Virtual Latinos
Virtual Latinos provides virtual assistant services to suit the many varied needs of any law office. Whether you have a small office of your own or work for a large firm, taking the menial administrative tasks out of your daily schedule will allow you more time to focus on your clients and win your cases.
Reach out to us today to find out how to hire a virtual assistant for a law firm.
