While some professions have already embraced the opportunities that remote work offers, others are only joining the game. This applies to much of the legal sector, and their precaution was only natural because the need to nurture a highly safe environment is even greater than some other industries due to the confidential nature of their work.
However, as technology developed, most standards have been raised high and the time has come for the legal teams to join this game. So, let’s see what tools can help them function as a tightly-knit team even though they may be living on different continents.
ENABLE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Meetings are crucial events in any line of work because this is where ideas are exchanged, decisions are made, and misunderstandings are cleared up. Many teams who work remotely have had to choose software for this purpose. Among the elements which create trouble are an unstable internet connection, not muting the microphone, pixelized video stream, and occasional pet or a child barging in unexpectedly. Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts are some of the possible options so it is just a question of choosing one and finding a quiet room.
Another essential area is everyday communication which has to be reliable and fast. Instant communication is the key to getting things done properly and on time and luckily, there are also many software solutions your team can use without the fear of compromising data. Most of them include chats, file sharing, creating groups, and many other useful features.
ENSURE THE SAFETY OF YOUR DATA
If your team was made to work remotely for a particular period, chances are they didn’t have the time to download all the data they have on their office desktop computers. Even though most of the important documents are probably available to them, there will always be some personal notes and data they have on there. One way of accessing them without physically visiting the office is via TeamViewer or a similar tool that allows you to access your device remotely and in a safe manner.
However, law firms most often need a higher level of management, not just in terms of how data is accessed but also how it is stored and sent to clients. This is why many of them choose to rely on legal practice management software to support their day-to-day document and accounting management. They need an easy-to-use tool that will help them grow their business and such software solutions are a perfect fit for their needs.
STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CLIENTS
Like most businesses, a legal firm needs to both tend to its current clients’ satisfaction and procure more clients. It is not uncommon for individuals or businesses, instead of opening the legal section of ads, to contact somebody they know has used the legal services of some firm recently to ask for a recommendation. This only goes to show how essential it is to nurture good relationships with your clients – you never know the number of clients a satisfied one can bring.
With that in mind, email is not always enough since sometimes both the potential and current customers wish for somebody to talk to them in person, and if you or they can’t meet physically, there are ways to do it from the comfort of your home. A legal business can use numerous VoIP solutions as an alternative to making calls which can be expensive and therefore impractical.
OPTIMIZE TIME EXPENDITURE
Individuals who work remotely sometimes have a problem with time management – some of them prefer working remotely because it allows them a sort of flexibility in their schedule, while others subconsciously slip and get used to having more freedom with their time, especially if they are working from home. However, this can be detrimental for the team because it can affect communication, quality of work, and not to mention the possibility of missing deadlines.
This is something every business faces, not just in the legal sector but luckily, there is a way for team leaders and those who are in charge to review the time spent on specific tasks. Time tracking software tools are not only applicable in stopping procrastination but also to conclude if the workload should be distributed in a different way. You can give some free tools a try to see if they’re sufficient to determine if all team members are assigned tasks that they are able to fulfill on time and in a quality manner.
WRAPPING UP
There are many advantages to introducing remote working among which expanding the talent pool is the most prominent one. In that way, you are giving your team access to invaluable experience and knowledge that will come from somebody who lives in a different city, country, or continent.
In addition to that, in most cases, having a remote team is a more financially sound option so if data safety is not an obstacle, why wouldn’t your law firm take advantage of such perks? You can also expect new clients to come with that person because a talented and hard-working employee will always have people who want to work with them in particular. So, it’s best you leverage many tools available to expand your legal business beyond current borders!
