Choosing the best live chat for your law firm’s website may come down to pricing, support, and functionality. Before reviewing a few live chats you can use for your website, let’s look at a few key features to help in your decision making.
The first thing to understand is what you can do with live:
Pre-chat Message: provide a pop-up to a visitor to prompt them toward clicking the button and starting the live chat session.
Pre-chat script: provide a series of questions the visitor must answer before the live chat session begins.
Proactive Live Chat: offering a live chat session to a visitor upon arrival.
Reactive Chat: waiting for a visitor to initiate the live chat button.
Unavailable Chat: when live agents are not available, an optional form is sent to the visitor to provide their email.
Next, in the marketing world, turning a website visitor into a paying customer (or client) is known as a conversion. Live chats are a great tool to increase conversions if you know how to use them.
Who Will Be Responding to Chat Requests?Will you be handling the chat notifications or an assistant? There is also the option of hiring a virtual receptionist and outsourcing. Are you aware of the ethical implications to answer legal related questions?
How Are Chats Being Answered? If you understand the ABA’s ethics rules for lawyers, you’ll know what kind of information you can or cannot collect during a live chat. If you have chosen a live chat with outsourced assistance, will they be given a script? Are they proficient in English? How should they handle sensitive information?
What Are Your Costs? There are many live chat solutions available and prices range from completely free to high hourly rates for active chat agents. You may also find the option to pay per lead or to pay per chat.
Now that you have an idea what to look for in a live chat software for your website, let’s look at a few options.
Overview: Legal 24/7 is a live chat provider dedicated exclusively to lawyers. They offer a team of trained operators capable of using legal language. They can also assist in designing custom chat scripts that suit your law firm’s style.
Installation: N/A
Features:
Legal training operators with focus on conversion
Live phone call transfer
Live chat 24/7/365
Branded chat boxes
Analytics
CRM integration
Lead notification (email, phone call, etc.)
Languages: Available in English and Spanish
Pricing: Pay per lead. Contact the company for more details.
Overview: Apex Chat offers both live chat software and professional agents 24/7/365. They have agents specialized in personal injury, criminal defense, bankruptcy, family law, immigration, estate planning, and other legal areas. Apex Chat is a leading provider of live chat solutions for lawyers.
Installation: N/A
Features:
Multiple chat agents available 24/7
Live phone call transfer
Practice area trained operators
Pre-defined scripts
Customizable messenger (for branding)
CRM Integration
Geo-mapping and routing
Detailed reporting
Language: Available in English and Spanish
Pricing: Pay per lead, with the ability to cap billing. For more information, contact their sales team.
The following live chat providers are not specific for legal services.
Overview: Chat.io offers a highly functional live chat messenger for your website. You’ll see a simple chat messenger in the bottom right corner of your website with the option to add the chat agent’s image and personalized message. They also offer 14-day free trial.
Installation: After you sign up for your account, you’ll receive an HTML code to place on your attorney website. They offer easy-to-understand instructions for this task.
Features:
Create canned messages
Check chat status
Share files
Create smart or manual chat (for offline)
Use on multiple websites and integrate into Facebook
Receive chat ratings
Access to agent profiles and transparency
Only $10 per teammate/month
Please note, this chat service only offers access to their live chat software. If you need agents, you may have to outsource.
Other live chat software similar to Chat.io include:
These live chat services offer manual live chat solutions. If you don’t have the staff to manage your live chats, you can outsource and provide scripts or set up an autoresponder requesting contact information.
Overall, the benefits of using non-legal focused live chats would be their affordability. However, the inability to hire staff available 24/7 can lead to missed leads and prospective clients.
In contrast, the live chat services devoted to the legal industry include operators who can speak both Spanish and English. In addition, with pricing being pay-per-lead from talented operators focused on conversions, you’ll get exactly what you pay for.
Lawyers depend on advertisements to build an awareness of their legal services and attract new clients to their firm. While traditional methods are still in use, online marketing (via hiring the best Facebook Ads agency and the best Google Adwords marketing agency) are becoming the common trend for advertising.
If you’re considering to use advertisements for your law firm, here are some of the biggest mistakes lawyers make and what you can do to avoid them.
Unfocused Marketing Campaigns
You may have a large budget to spend on marketing your law firm, but if you don’t have a focal point you’ll be spending your money on nothing. You can create a generic “contact for a free consultation” marketing message and take anything that comes in the door.
Or, you can segment your marketing message and target the specific legal services you offer. Invest your time and money creating marketing messages related to the specific cases your law firm handles.
Once you concentrate your marketing efforts you can find the right prospects for your firm.
Poorly Written Content
The content you publish on your website is a representation of you and your law firm. The internet is filled with spammy websites and people know when they’re being sold to.
Your content should be informative, error-free, and relatable to the people you think will read it.
Also, to improve the effectiveness of your content, add logical and emotional reasons to hire you. People are searching for someone who can truly help them with their problems.
Use your content to tell people you understand what they are dealing with and that your legal services are here to help.
Asking For Too Much
Your advertising efforts may be effective and delivering high traffic to your website. However, you may find that no one is contacting you for more information or to start a consultation.
If you’re asking prospective clients too much information in your contact boxes, many prospects are likely to turn away. People are constantly concerned about their privacy and with the rise of identity theft, there is a hesitancy to sharing personal information online.
Nonetheless, lawyers require some information to begin evaluating their case and being able to respond to it. Only ask for as much as you need and after receiving their contact information you can begin to ask the questions needed to get their case started.
Complex Web Design
There’s nothing more frustrating for a visitor to a website than a complex and confusing web design. This is known as your bounce rate, which is the number of visitors that come to your website then leave right away.
When you’re putting your legal services online, consider your visitors. Ask yourself these questions:
What is the most useful information my visitors need?
Does my law firm web design have a clear call to action (i.e. call for a free consultation)?
Is my contact information easy to access or will a visitor have difficulty finding it?
Does my website invite visitors to join my social?
Would adding a pop-up lead capture improve my conversions from visitors to clients?
If you’re struggling to come up with an effective web design for your law firm, consider these best law firm websites from 2017.
Also, if you have analytics set up on your website (i.e. to monitor where visitors are coming from and where they are frequently visiting) find your best content and feature them in the sidebar of your content pages.
Spending Your Entire Marketing Budget
Whether you’re using Facebook Ads, Google Adwords or and Instagram advertising agency, you have complete control over the duration and style of your marketing campaign. If you spend your entire budget without testing different ideas, you may end up with a lower return than you hoped for.
Start by setting your budget low and creating a series of tests to see which messages make the most impact on your target audience. The analytics offered in Facebook Ads and your Google account can help you determine which campaign is effective and could use more of your marketing budget.
Incongruent Landing Pages
In the world of advertising, having a congruent message is crucial. You’re marketing message and your landing pages should live up to the promise you’re making.
Advertising something like, “Steps to take after getting in a car accident,” then sending them to a landing page with a promotion to your service may not deliver the best results.
The purpose of proving valuable content online is to establish yourself as an authority in law as well as trustworthy.
Use your landing pages to capture leads in exchange for content that people are looking for.
Not Focused On Converting Visitors
You can spend thousands of dollars on advertising to get traffic to your website. However, if your website is not developed to turn those visitors into clients, you’ll be wasting your marketing budget.
The purpose of any website, especially a lawyer’s website, is to convert visitors into clients. There are many ways to do this. You can send visitors clicking on your Facebook Ads to a landing page requesting their email in exchange for valuable content.
Or, perhaps the most effective method of converting traffic, is by adding live chat to your website. Having the ability to communicate with visitors while they are live on your site allows you to address any questions they may have and arrange a consultation immediately.
The alternative would be to hope they find your contact page and send you an inquiry.
Not Having A Unique Selling Point
Having a distinct call to action is an important feature for any lawyer’s website. In addition to that, your website should have a unique selling point which differentiates your legal services from others online.
What makes you different from other law firms? How can you help more than other law firms with the same legal services?
Having case studies and client referrals on your homepage are one way of showcasing your legal abilities to prospective clients. However, you should take a moment and ask yourself what can you offer that differentiates you from your competitors.
Now that you know some of the mistakes lawyers are making with their advertisements, you may want to review advertising regulations from the State Bar.
We already know that if your law practice isn’t present online, you’re depriving yourself and your potential clients from finding you. A good website is one of the best ways for a broad range of clients to find your services, learn about what you do, and most importantly, get in contact with you. This is essential when considering that even way back in 2013, 76 percent of consumers used online resources when looking for an attorney.
Once your site has convinced a visitor that you can handle their needs, they’ll want to contact you. The methods and devices people use to access the Internet have changed significantly according to iLawyerMarketing’s study. They asked participants what devices they’re most likely to use when searching the internet for law firms, and overwhelmingly, the most common answer was smartphones, followed by a combination of smartphones and a desktop or laptop computer—this means making sure that your website works just as well from a mobile device as it does from a personal computer.
The value of traffic from phone calls can’t be understated: A Google-commissioned survey performed by Ipsos asked which phase of decision-making is most likely to involve a phone call to a business. Findings here are critical to how your law firm designs an online experience: 65 percent of respondents said they’re most likely to call during the research phase, and 68 percent said they’re most likely to call once they’re ready to purchase. Lucky for you—we’ve compiled 3 easy ways to use the phone to your advantage.
Make Your Contact Information Impossible to Miss
According to the 2014 U.S Consumer Legal Needs Survey, 74 percent of those who begin a search for an attorney online end up contacting via phone, so making your phone number clearly accessible is everything. Therefore, it’s a good practice to add a phone number at the bottom of every page on your website, as well as at the end of certain passages of text. When a visitor is finished reading, they’re immediately faced with a phone number they can easily call. This Tallahassee law firm’s website does a good job:
The office’s address and phone number immediately follows the text, which itself includes a link to their contact form.
They also feature their phone number at the bottom and top of every webpage, in addition to a separate “Contact Us” tab. With even a quick scroll through their site, you know the information you’d need to contact them is available with just about zero effort required to find it.
Enable Click-to-Call
The same Google survey referenced above found that 72 percent of those who search for local professional services are “extremely likely” or “very likely” to call a business if a phone number is accessible directly from search engine results. This means ensuring that your website works smoothly from a mobile device is paramount—especially since they’ll likely be contacting you from the same device they used to find your website.
Now they’ve looked through your site, found your contact information, and they’re ready to call—there’s even a decent chance they’re ready to do business. Do you have a telephone system in place that can make sure every caller’s voice is heard? Any attorney knows they spend a lot of time fielding phone calls; they might even have a receptionist or someone else do it for them. But what about when you’re out of the office?
You can’t exactly answer a potential client’s call from a courtroom or an appointment, which is why the right phone system is so important in converting interested leads into trusted clients. Cloud-based phone solutions are affordable and integrate easily into an existing desk phone system. They allow you to route calls to the proper destination using an auto attendant. (Press 1 for Billing, Press 2 for Dave) They can also be easily configured to route calls from one phone number (say, your office phone) to any other device (a personal mobile phone, house phone, or even an answering service) through Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, software. This means business calls are accessible from any device, regardless of where you are.
As Sam Glover of Lawyerist put it, your website is your business card. Except, of course, that it can hold a great deal more information and is far less likely to end up in the trash can outside of a Starbucks. The fact is, the majority of incoming clients will find you online, and creating an informative and effortless experience on your website puts you in the best possible position to gain new clients. All that’s left is to make sure you answer.
Julian de Sevilla is a Marketing Specialist at Tresta, a cloud-based phone system for businesses. He manages the company’s social media accounts and writes about a range of topics regarding communication and technology on Tresta’s blog.
If you’re thinking about creating a partnership, there are many types of partnerships to choose from.
In this article, let’s examine the benefits and ky features of a law firm partner, law firm executive partner and a law firm managing partner.
What Does “Making Partner” Mean?
First, let’s take a look at the meaning of “making partner.”
If you haven’t started your own law firm and you are not already a partner, you may likely be considered as an employee or associate for a law firm. In this position, you wouldn’t have ownership of the law firm but you would be permitted to practice law.
When you’re ready to make the transition into a partnership, this is when you’ll earn a higher salary, become a partial owner of the firm, take on greater responsibilities and liabilities, and also receive a portion of the firm’s profits.
The structure of any partnership will vary depending on how it is incorporated and you can learn more about that in Starting A Law Firm.
Law Firm Partner
Joining a starting your own law firm or joining as a partner will immediately place more work, responsibility and liability on your career. The skills and experiences you acquired as an associate can now be put into practice at a high frequency and a much greater pay bracket.
In regards to compensation, partners can be paid in a variety of ways. You may receive a salary or receive a more common method of withdrawal from a pool of profits. Other methods can include earnings that are based entirely on the clients you secured and provided legal services for yourself.
When becoming a partner for a law firm you will receive a well-written contractual agreement outlining all the terms and conditions of your partnership. Inside this contract may be things like:
Required capital contributions
Amount of profit a partner can draw and how often each receive it
Salary and payment schedule
Penalties for leaving the partnership
Partnership authority
Clauses defining death and disability
Procedures to resolve disputes between partners
Descriptions of roles, responsibilities, and accounting information
Law firm partnerships requires delicate consideration, strategic negotiations, and careful decision making. Think of joining a partnership as getting married for a certain period of time. You’ll want to know exactly who you are going to be partnered with, how they operate, what they believe in and most importantly the “marriage” rules that will influence your practice for years to come.
If joining a partnership is in your best interest, you may want to consider becoming an executive partner or a managing partner at a law firm.
Law Firm Executive Partner
As an executive partner at a law firm, you’ll take on many a distinct role in leadership and take on many of the major decisions that affect the fate and future or a law firm.
Executive partner’s require extensive insight which will support the growth of the law firm’s objectives and goals.
The responsibilities of an executive director include the overall management strategy, financial management, social accountability, workplace compliance, etc. The executive partner will be dedicated toward preserving and promoting the way the firm practices law and makes critical decisions regarding. The scope of work focuses primarily on short and long term operational decision. In comparison, a managing partner will be dedicated toward high level management decisions and strategic issues.
Executive partners take on most of the administrative duties in the firm to ensure that operations run smoothly. They also perform functions in accordance to the principles and rules the firm has in place. The executive partner will often be elected from a committee managing partners and other high positioned investors in the law firm.
If you’re being considered as an executive partner of a law firm or seeking this position, the overall success of the firm will be entirely up to you.
Law Firm Managing Partner
Before becoming an executive partner at a law firm, it may be in your best interest to become a managing partner.
Managing partners for a law firm are responsible for the overall operations of the firm. This includes delegating responsibilities to attorneys, secretaries, firm executives, paralegals and other employees at the firm.
Decisions regarding the cases the law firm will take on and which clients the firm will represent is one of the roles of a managing partner. They will also be required to ensure compliance with professional standards while following government laws and regulations.
Here’s a detailed list of skills required from a managing partner:
Whether you’re a solo practitioner of law or working with partners at a firm, having legal malpractice insurance will protect you from any unfortunate situations when a claim is made against you or your firm.
Mistakes are bound to happen and lawyers are liable for the decisions they make which have a direct impact on their clients personal lives and well-being. While some states may require legal malpractice insurance for attorneys, if you’re thinking about going without, understand the the consequences of being at the losing end of a claim against you can be devastating for your career.
This article will guide you through some of the benefits, considerations and examples of policies you can get to protect your legal services.
Why Purchase Legal Malpractice Insurance?
First and foremost, purchasing malpractice insurance protects you from any liability issues that can occur while performing legal services.
The cost of malpractice insurance for attorneys can come with a high annual premium. Depending on where you practice law, the area you practice, the years of experience you have, and the size of your firm, these are all factored into the annual insurance price.
Areas of practice such as real-estate lawyers and personal injury lawyers tend to pay higher premiums because these are seen as “high-risk” fields. Also, when a city has a higher number of malpractice claims, you can be sure to experience higher rates.
While he premiums may be extreme, especially if you’re a solo-practitioner or small law firm, malpractice insurance protects your reputation and personal indemnity.
What to Consider When Purchasing Legal Malpractice Insurance
Legal malpractice insurance for attorneys can cover many situations while leaving you liable for claims you may not see coming. When your considering which legal malpractice insurance to purchase, here is a few things you want to have in your insurance policy:
If you’re outsourcing or using a virtual receptionist, can your policy provide protection against outsourcing risks?
Does the policy protect all your staff and associates?
Will the policy give you peace of mind and confidence to practice law?
Does the policy legitimize your practice and build client trust?
Will you be protected against claims of professional negligence?
Does the policy cover the expense of hiring an independent legal counsel to represent you in the case of a complaint?
Another important consideration when choosing legal malpractice insurance would be the types of coverage you can receive. Each claim can have limitations of liability ranging from a few thousand dollars up to millions.
If a claim is made against your law firm, you may want to know if you’ll receive an increase in policy charges in future years.
Rates for Legal Malpractice Insurance
The actual rates of your legal malpractice insurance will depend upon factors listed above as well as the answers to some questions you’ll have to provide.
Here’s an example of some of the questions you’ll be asked which will be used to calculate the cost of your insurance coverage:
How many claims or incidents have you had per lawyer per year?
What was the nature of the claims (i.e. frivolous, ordinary negligence, gross negligence, criminal conduct)?
What was the degree of fault by the lawyer, (i.e. clear malpractice, statute of limitations, vicarious liability [when a lawyer leaves the firm])?
Have you been rejected from other insurance carriers or was renewal refused previous insurance provider?
What is the nature of your practice (i.e. family law, personal injury, etc.)
What was your attitude / conduct with the client in resolving claims (i.e. attitude toward client)?
Insurance companies will examine your firm carefully to determine your eligibility and insurance premium rates.
Be prepared to share some of the intimate details of your law firm or solo-practice. You’ll have to share information like your attorneys professional conduct, history of previous claims, list of attorneys, their roles, hours worked, and more. Applications will vary from insurance company to insurance company.
Some of the major factors contributing to increased insurance premiums come from the following list of “red flags” which insurance companies are looking for.
2 or more claims from the past year
3 or more claims from the past 10 years (depending on the size of your firm)
Type of claim
Pattern of claims
Being uninsured the previous 5 years
Not paying a deductible
Not cooperating with client suing
Any bar disciplinary incidences
Continued business relationship with clients that previous sued
Possession of other professional licenses.
Researching the Best Legal Malpractice Insurance
The list above determining the rates of your insurance policy can seem daunting, you have complete power to research and find the best policy provider for your firm.
Performing your own due diligence and criticizing the fine details of the policy will be in your best insurance. Insurance policy providers is a business and the advertisements you receive in your inbox are simply trying to sell you on their premiums while not providing you the right coverage for your firm.
In the case that you are rejected from an insurance provider, you can make any requested changes to the practices at your firm and reapply. There are plenty of insurance companies to choose from and comparative shipping will allow you to find the best price at the best coverage.
Insurance Updates & Renewals
Once you have selected the best legal malpractice insurance for you and your attorneys, you’ll have to continue to send any information to your insurer regarding changes to your practice.
If you hire on more attorneys or take on different kinds of clients, you may have to make changes to your policy.
When your insurance policy expires, you are responsible to make any necessary updates to avoid defrauding the insurance provider which can lead to legal consequences.
If you’re a solo practitioner or small law firm you may want to reduce your workload while improving the performance of your legal services. To do this in a cost-effective way, hiring a virtual receptionist can handle many of the small tasks required to run a law firm.
Virtual receptionists are able to help with tasks like social media, marketing, administration, advertising, answering phones and more.
Here you’ll find a variety of places to find a virtual assistant for your law firm.
What is a Virtual Receptionist?
Virtual receptionists offer highly-skilled service solutions that can manage many of the tasks your in-house staff would do. They can operate remotely, in office, or completely computer automated.
The benefits of hiring a virtual receptions include::
Cost effective
Time savings
Efficient
Reduce labour costs
Increased productivity
Access to expert talent
On-demand labour services
Virtual receptionists, also known as outsourcing, comes in the form of independent contractors, temporary office workers, remote workers, or
Are There Risks Using Virtual Receptionist?
While the benefits of having a virtual receptionist seem appealing, let’s take a moment to evaluate the risks of having a virtual receptionist.
Here’s some of the common risks that come with using a virtual receptionist:
Security & Confidentiality Risks. Providing legal services can expose you to a range of sensitive, personal information from your clients. If you choose a virtual receptions to handle your incoming calls, be sure there job requirements are clear: take calls, make appointments, and schedule consultation. Keeping sensitive information and data secure is a top priority at a law firm.
Quality Risks. Situations where quality becomes a risk include outsourcing calls to countries where language and cultural barriers exist. Potential clients may become frustrated explaining their needs to someone who is assigned simply to book appointments and set up an initial consultation.
Reputation Risks. Virtual Receptionists is another way of saying “outsourcing.” When you’re outsourcing work to other countries, it can sometimes lead to bad publicity and it may affect other staff working in house who may worry that they’ll lose their job to a cheaper, outsourcing solution.
When deciding how you’ll use a virtual receptionist at your law firm, if the risks outweigh the benefits, you should avoid including these outsourcing solutions at your law firm.
Law Firm Virtual Receptionists
If you’re busy providing legal advice or in the middle of a consultation, having an agent answering calls can increase the likelihood of securing new clients.
Services like AnsweringLegal provide dedicated call center solutions for law firms. They offer the following services:
Call handling
Message taking
Call routing
Legal intake
Customer support
Polite and professional customer experience
Call center virtual receptionist can be given a professional script to handle a range of questions and types of phone calls. Other services can provide 24/7 legal answering services to reduce missed opportunities at your law firm.
Here are a few more call answering services you can consider for your law firm:
Pat Live provides virtual receptionists employed from the United States. They can help your law firm with message taking, appointment scheduling, lead collection, event scheduling, after hour agents, and more. With 27 years experience, Pat Live offer competitive virtual receptionist solutions for all business types.
Hours of operation: 24/7 services.
Pricing: $99 per month (50 call minutes) to $899 (1000 call minutes); provides additional features and a free 14-day trial.
Conversational – Offers friendly virtual receptionists in North America.
Conversational is an industry leading virtual receptionist service provider. Their team of professional and friendly receptionists come from the United States and Canada. They have over 14 years experience and are one of the few with 100% North America only receptionists.
Hours of operation: Custom operation solutions.
Pricing: $300 per month (600 call minutes) to $1000 per month (2400 call minutes); offers a 30-day free trial.
RubyReceptionist – Offers professional virtual receptionists and a mobile app to synchronize and manage all calls effectively.
Ruby Receptionists is a popular virtual receptionist service used by smaller law firms. They provide you with your own phone number which can be used to transfer to different lines and use detailed instructions to handle any situation coming into your office.
Hour of Operation: 8 am to 12 am EST + 5 am to 9 pm PST (can also operate on weekends)
Pricing: $259 per month (100 call minutes) to $989 per month (500 call minutes); includes 21 day money back guarantee.
AlertCommunications – Offers bilingual virtual receptionists and provide services exclusively for the legal industry.
Alert Communications has been providing their services since 1965 and use a client intake call centre strategy with their virtual receptionists. Instead of taking a call and transferring it to you, these virtual receptionists can handle any call volume and turn them into prospective clients at your law firm.
Since Alert Communications is exclusive to the legal industry, their virtual receptionists are trained to use and understand legal terminology giving you that added edge of professional at your law office.
Hours of Operation: 24/7 services.
Pricing: Contact a sales representative to receive a quote for your law firm; requires a 1-month upfront refundable deposit.
Answer 1– Offer a tech based virtual receptionist that can also provide web chat, text messaging, emails and more.
Answer 1 offers virtual receptionists for businesses of all kinds and every size. If you have a website for your law firm, their software system can be integrated to add additional intaking solutions. You don’t have to feel restricted to answering phone calls only and can include web chats and other virtual methods for prospective clients to contact your law firm.
Hour of operation: 24/7 services.
Pricing: $90 one-time setup fee; $239 per month (100 call minutes) to $749 per month (500 call minutes); provides a 21 day free trial.
Alternative Law Firm Solutions
Looking for more ways to make your law firm run more efficiently? Try these software solutions to reduce your workload and focus on providing quality legal services:
Health insurance is a vital consideration for any lawyer practicing law. Whether you’re a solo-practitioner, small law-firm or a team of multiple partners, having the right insurance policy will provide peace of mind and financial support in the case of any unforeseen medical events.
Depending on the size of your firm, there are various packages you can obtain which cover general health, dental, and more extensive health related operations. You can choose between short-term medical to long-term medical and rates will vary depending on who you choose.
If you’re looking for malpractice insurance, you can read a comprehensive article about what you need to know.
Importance of Health Insurance
Health insurance is often in debate in the United States and regardless of the responses, having a good health insurance plan helps pay for the high costs of medical care.
Health care plans come in different packages and sizes. You can purchase individual health insurance plans or packages that protect you and the people working at your law firm.
All plans will vary on their degree of coverage however most plans provide coverage for general medical situations such as: seeing a primary care physician (i.e. for general medical check ups), medical emergencies (may require deductibles to cover expenses), preferred medical providers (where you have the freedom to choose your medical practitioner).
Getting the right health insurance deters any unexpected and unwanted costs associated with complications to your health. If you’re unsure where to get health insurance for lawyers, keep reading to review some of the choices available to you.
Health Insurance from the American Bar Association
Before searching for health insurance from private companies, you find a variety of beneficial health insurance packages from the American Bar Association (ABA) or your local state bar.
If you are or become a member of the (ABA), you are eligible to receive discounted rates for health, dental and long-term health insurance plans.
For a solo practitioner, you can apply for a non-subsidy plan or choose from a list of affordable medical insurance plans that cover short term, long term, or temporary periods of coverage.
Additional packages can be purchased separately such as dental and vision insurance. If you’re operating a firm with multiple partners and/or associates, you can receive group rates at a higher discount. These insurance plans offer 100% coverage and you won’t have to pay any deductibles. In addition, you’ll receive nationwide coverage and you have the freedom to select and dentist of your choice.
If you’re looking for long term health care coverage, the ABA provides coverage to protect you today until old age.
The options offered through the ABA offer high limits, no deductibles and no credit checks. If you’re unsure where to get your insurance, reviewing the policies offered here would be a good start.
Public Assistance Programs
If you’re looking for a simple solution for health insurance you can apply for public assistance programs. While these programs are often available for lawyers who have limited or no income, depending on your situation, they may provide a viable alternative to more expensive health insurance packages.
One example of a public assistance program includes Medicaid. Medicaid is a health insurance program provided by the federal state which covers nursing home case, personal care services, and other medical costs for people with limited incomes.
This option is typically for those lawyers with low incomes and may apply to your situation.
There is a lot of specific language included in health insurance policies. You will often see acronyms like HMO and HSA used repeatedly to describe what coverage you receive and how much the insurance company will provide.
As a legal professional, you know the importance of understand the fine details of a case. When it comes to choosing health insurance, you’ll want to know as much as possible to make the best decision for you and your lawyers.
Here’s a few tips to help guide you when deciding which health insurance provider to go with:
Who Needs Coverage? If you’re a solo practitioner, you may only need coverage for yourself and any staff that helps out at the office. However, for a bigger law firm, you’ll want to consider who needs coverage, what’s their family situation, and whether or not your employees have children. Finding family-friendly insurance policies will provide coverage for not only your own needs but the needs of those who work at the office.
What’s your budget? Once you know who needs health insurance and the kind of insurance you may want to receive, what is your budget going to be? Health insurance can be expensive and you’ll have to factor in your law firm’s budget when deciding how much coverage you can afford and the cost of the premium per person. Depending on where you practice law, you may be obligated to provide at least half the cost of the insurance plans.
What are your options? You have the freedom to shop around for a health insurance provider that works best for you, your staff and your budget. Before making a decision, here are a few important points to consider:
What is the monthly premium rates?
Is there a deductible or co-payment? How much?
Can you choose your own health care provider or do you have to choose from a predetermined list from the insurance provider?
Does the insurance plan cover prescriptions?
Are there add-ons available? Dental? Vision?
When choosing a health insurance provider for you or your law firm, it is importance to perform your own due diligence to find the best plan. Although deciding on an insurance policy will be determined based on your budget and number of staff in office, having the right plan is valuable for your staff and their overall well being.
First impressions are important and, as a lawyer, having an impressive briefcase defines both your profession and your degree of professionalism.
Briefcases are a necessity in the field of law. They secure important legal documents, carry around your laptop and organize your essential tools for performing your job.
Whether you’re walking into a court hearing or meeting a new client for a consultation, having the best briefcase for lawyers will provide you with that added edge your need to build trust with your clients and perform your job effectively.
Lawyer Briefcase Styles
When choosing the best briefcase for your legal work, consider sticking to simple and aesthetically appealing styles. High quality leather and neutral tones provide a classic and professional look which match the suit and tie you’ll often wear to the office and in the court rooms.
For colors, black is always an all-purpose briefcase color that works in every situation. However, shades of tan, brown, and navy can also work well with your style of dress and overall appearance.
For material, 100% genuine leather creates some of the best craftsmanship, longevity, and versatility for briefcase designs. While having a briefcase made with real leather may drive the prices upward, there are always synthetic alternatives that maintain quality at a more reasonable price point.
For style, there are all kinds of bags offering organizational structure and aesthetic designs. From the standard clip lock briefcase to fashionable satchel designs, choosing the best briefcase will come down to your own personal taste and organizational needs.
List of Best Briefcases for Lawyers
Edmond Leather Expandable Briefcase
The Edmond leather expandable briefcase offers a traditional looking style with lid locks, file dividers, holders for a phone, pens, cards, and accessories, and a dedicate sleeve to hold tablets or small laptops. This lawyer’s briefcase is made with premium cowhide leather with a soft suede lining.
Colors: Black & Brown Warranty: 1-year manufacturer’s defect + 30 day return policy
Thin Front Pocket Leather Briefcase by Saddleback Leather Co.
Here’s a briefcase that boasts professionalism, quality, and style. The this front pocket leather briefcase is made in 4 different colors and 2 different sizes to accommodate just about any tool and document you have. The inner lining is made from a natural pigskin and the quality is designed to last you a lifetime. This briefcase is one of the best on the list and is well worth the investment for your legal career.
Colors: Black, Chestnut, Dark Coffee Brown, Tobacco Warranty: 100-year warranty
Laptop Compatible Business Wheeler by Jack Georges
Here’s the perfect briefcase for any lawyer that’s always on the go and has to travel from city to city. The Business Wheeler by Jack Georges is designed with rugged German leather which makes it extremely durable and scratch resistant. The inner compartment can hold up to 17” laptop and other accessories from the office. The hardware components have a quality finish and are made from nickel. The highlight of this briefcase is it’s telescopic handle and skate wheels allowing lawyers to check in this bag at the airport or wheel it abroad the cabin to wherever they need to be.
Colors: Black
Warranty:Lifetime manufacturer’s defect
Handmade Genuine Leather Laptop Briefcase / Messenger Bag by Kattee
If you’re looking for a lawyer’s briefcase at an affordable price point, this handmade leather handbag by Kattee would be it. The briefcase includes various storage compartments to place your pens, smart phone, wallet and other stationery supplies. The inner compartment is smartly designed to fit a 15.7 inch laptop (perfect for any MacBook Pro users). For a bag made with 100% genuine cow leather, this is a very affordable, high quality briefcase for every lawyer.
Colors: Dark Coffee Warranty: N/A
Piazza Leather Luggage Bag by Floto
Here’s a stylish leather bag you can hang from your shoulder or carry like a briefcase. The Piazza leather luggage bag by Floto has a big interior pouch to carry your laptop, personal files, and large books. These bags are made in Tuscany, Italia using 100% quality calf-skin leather and hand made crafting methods. If you’re looking for a leather bag with enough space to contain your office on the go, this simple yet classy bag would be a good fit.
Color: Brown Warranty: Lifetime
Venezia Luggage Bag by Floto
Here’s another quality bag made by Floto. The Venezia luggage bag is the best briefcase for lawyers because of the price point and the quality. All bags are hand made with 100% Italian polished calf-skin leather. You can choose between brass or stainless steel hardware depending on your taste. The bag has a secure front lock requiring a key to open to protect all your client’s sensitive information.
This Original Briefcase by Filson is 100% made in the USA. The design is compact and practical with a water repellent cotton twill and genuine leather. The hardware is made with polished brass providing strength and resilience to carry all your heavy supplies inside. This bag works well in both professional and casual situations, so if you can continue to use this bag when your office work is done.
Color: Navy, Black, Brown, Desert Tan Warranty: N/A
Final Thoughts
When purchasing leather briefcases, something to keep in mind is that it takes time to break in the leather. After carrying the bags and using them in your day-to-day activities, the leather will mold to your body and the strong leather smell will eventually fade.
To protect your leather bags and increase their longevity, you may want to purchase a leather polish or conditioner.
If you’re fresh out of law school, you might consider starting your own law firm. In order to succeed in legal profession, having the ability to find new clients will become the foundation of your success.
One of the first things new lawyers that you can do to spread the word of your career is by simply talking about it. Whenever you meet new people, let them know you’re a lawyer.
What you shouldn’t be doing is giving away free advice but instead discuss what it is your law firm can do and how they can get in touch with you.
If you want a few more ideas on how an attorney can get clients, here’s a list of ideas to help you refer clients and grow your firm.
Friends and Family
Your friends referring clients and family will be one of the best referrals to help you find new clients as an attorney.
Since they know you best, you’ll become the first person they’ll mention if one of their friends or someone they know needs a lawyer.
If you’re opening a new firm, be sure to send an announcement via letter or e-mail to let everyone know.
Join the Bar Association in Your Community
If you have absolutely no connections, the first thing you should do is join any bar associations of committees in your community. Making connections and building relationships with other attorneys will give others a chance to get to know you and what you do.
Eventually, this can lead to mutual exchanges of clients back and forth. If one of your new lawyer connections has a client they can’t help (i.e. your connection is a divorce lawyer looking for legal advice for a car accident) they may refer that client to you.
In exchange, when you get clients at your own law firm, seeking services you don’t provide, you can refer them to someone in your list of connections.
Develop Your Online Presence
Social media and online browsers are great places to start finding clients as an attorney.
Get started with a website. Having a website allows you to showcase your previous cases, give information about your law firm, and most importantly, let’s visitors know how you can help.
Once thing to consider when setting up a website to find new clients is your domain name. The domain name you choose for your law firm’s online identity should stand out and briefly highlight your area of expertise. Make sure you choose the right domain name for your brand new law firm, before going live.
With your newly made law firm website, you can begin to share your knowledge on a blog. Blogging allows you to share content about your law firm in a way that connects with prospective clients dealing with legal problems.
Articles like, “What to do if you want a divorce” or “Steps to take after a car accident” provide information people may be searching. Of course, within articles like those will include “contact a lawyer to start a consultation.” If you’re content marketing is done well, you can use blogs to attract visitors to your website, get them to contact your firm, and potentially increase the number of clients you get.
Social Media
With a blog for your law firm’s website you can begin sharing content on places like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. Sharing on these platforms allow you to make direct connections with those who may need your legal services.
As your social media channels grow in size, you can occasionally share promotional posts such as “Get a free consultation” or “You pay if we win!”
Posting frequently on social media is how you’ll stand out online. While this may seem like an added amount of work, your posts have the ability to get new clients organically. An alternative to this would be advertising.
Creating a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign with Google will put your law firm’s website at the top of the search engines. Instead of worrying whether your website is ranking high in the search engines organically, you can use a PPC campaign to put you at the top.
Google AdWords uses keywords to match your ads with someone searching for it. For example, if someone was searching for, “attorneys in New York,” having an ad using that phrase will increase the likelihood of it being clicked. However, depending on where you live and what area of practice you are in, Google AdWords can be very expensive.
Facebook Ads is another way for an attorney to get new clients. You can modify your ads to target specific groups of people and create a distinct purpose. Facebook ads can be used to grow your social media page or directed toward a contact page or get in touch with your firm.
You can also create ads for LinkedIn and Instagram depending on your practice area and how detailed you know your prospective client types.
When using online advertising to push clients to your website, be sure to send traffic to pages that convert. You could end up paying a lot of money if you’re web pages are not created to turn a curious visitor into your next client.
Attorney Lead Generation Services
If you’re not good with technology, social media, or websites, you can use an attorney lead generation service to find new clients.
Total Attorneys and AttorneyBoost are services which allows you access to a pool of people looking for a lawyer. Total Attorney handles your own marketing efforts and sends traffic to your website.
Online attorney solutions vary in quality of clients and conversions on your website. Use these with caution.
As an attorney, getting clients is the key to a successful legal practice. How you find clients will require a combination of the above ideas in addition to the methods you discover and learn.
How to Get New Clients as a Lawyer
In the legal sector, digital marketing can attract up to 50% of potential clientele.
How Lawyers Get New Clients With Networking
Networking has never been a buzzword anymore and the key is to be a part of every sector. In law practice, lawyers must create networks for the client. Networking is essentially more than meeting attorneys at conferences or meetings. While networking has an important role to play, extensive networking is essential for attorneys in order to connect to individuals and entities outside a legal network. Imagine a motorcycle accident lawyer.
Lack of Positive Reviews
Our society is fueled by online reviews in a way where the average person will value the online review more than a friend will. When one searches online for an attorney, the choice usually depends on what stars are next to the firm. A lawyer who received poor ratings should read the reviews of those reviews carefully, as 90% of consumers’ decision is made based on what they read. Having positive feedback from previous clients can give them confidence that you have a great reputation and increases the chances that you will be asked for an interview. Then again, online reviews must be considered a bit like the credit ratings.
How Can Lawyers Get More Clients With SEO
The next steps in becoming a successful lawyer involve using the power of search optimization. Search engine optimization for law firm attorneys is a technique that makes your website recognizable for search engines. the Google search it’s algorithm for rankings differ according to various factors. Websites that get high rankings may appear on page 1 of the search engines. This organic results are shown above the paid advertisements, more about those advertisements to be announced soon. If one wants to be viewed in a clientele area the importance is in creating a landing page on the SERP.
Build a High-Performance Website to Attract More Legal Leads
If potential clients see you through an appealing website they will be happy with your firm’s ability. Using these steps, you can convert prospects into customers. A good lawyer’s website is essential and must have no overstatement. Having no good website can result in poor performance in marketing and advertising campaigns. Your paid marketing strategy generates a terrible return on investment. If you thought you didn’t have the skills to write an effective website to attract and retain new legal clients, then it’s not necessary.
Build an Online Presence
Referrals provide many clientele. However, it is decreasing from 21% in 1 year to 43%. It doesn’t surprise anyone as 96% seek legal counsel online for their questions. As a lawyer looking for clients you should not neglect the potential for digital marketing. The internet has become a more effective platform to advertise & have clients find other clients. How can I make more leads through my website? SEO isn’t a simple process.
Referrals From Other Lawyers
85% of business is generated through referrals. Developing strong relationships with your former clients and colleagues is the key for the business development side of an effective legal practice. Of course, sometimes it is necessary to go an additional mile for the best possible customer satisfaction. Law firms with higher referrals usually have quid pro quoi. Tell your customers you appreciate this gesture when a client does!
Create Free Lead Generation Opt-ins
To gain legal clientele, an attorney should gain the confidence of their target audience. This can easily happen utilizing free lead generation opt-ins. In general, lead generation opt-ins are very valuable content and can be easily accessed through e-mail. What are the similarities? Maybe you have already tried doing it to look at an item. For a new attorney, you can download e-books and other useful documents for legal matters (e.g. filing a divorce). Tell me the reason why people signup as clients?
Legal Directories Are a Good Source for New Law Firm Clients
Lawyer’s lists will help you improve brand visibility in many ways. Specifically, we suggest that you use legal directories to ensure search results are valid for multiple directories. Listed in legal directory websites can improve online visibility. Among the most popular legal websites you can find a list of all the top legal professionals and firms you work with in one site: You’re better off using multiple directories to increase visibility.
Local SEO Is Key to Getting More Lawyer Clients
Local SEO is an online optimization method that targets clients located near the location of law firms. This is the most efficient way to have clients find lawyers for a client. If your website has local clients, it must be optimized with keywords that match specific locations. You just need to tweak your keyword list and include words like the name of the city you live in. So let me say your lawyer provides bankruptcy services in Atlanta, Georgia. You can use the keyword Bankruptcy law practice in Atlanta.
How Lawyers Get Clients With Organic Search
Most people know about SEO. You might even be able to see how this is done by weaving keywords into the site content. Moreover, many people can type his query on Yahoo, and then contact an attorney for advice on the matter. But these are merely a few SEO tactics worth pursuing. Optimizing your website for search makes it a better search site. And a drop in rankings is astronomically huge. What does Google think happens when it shows up first in search? How many times do people click a site to get more visitors?
How to Get More Clients for My Law Firm Using SEO (Tutorial)
To improve search visibility, there are online and offline optimization strategies that need to be considered. For a personal injury lawyer alone, it can be tricky to determine keywords when searching a website for a particular keyword. We say this to our potential clients. Tell me your desire? How can one illustrate this problem? It’s great, and you aren’t here yet. Tell me the answer to this question? Your prospective clients will probably look into “what happens in personal injury cases” more frequently.
Run Advertising Campaigns
Often the most recent lawyers have a preference towards paid advertising. Advertising is available in all forms: print, radio, television or online. Because our firm specializes in Digital Advertising for Law Firms, our focus is Internet Advertising. It is also advantageous for your potential client-ele to find leads quickly within your target location. Tell me the way things are working. I mean, a man searches online for criminal lawyers in New York. Depending on the content of your site your ads should appear above the main page. The chances are increased that a customer clicked on a link or booked a meeting on this site. Does that sound very nice? Basically, advertising is an incredibly effective way to attract customers.
Be Helpful to Get More Clients
Several prominent law firms need SEO to be successful in Google. Your company is unique. Use Google Ads and digital advertising to improve your search ranking and increase visibility on search engines. Can someone get more legal clients? Answering client questions. The more beneficial the content, the longer they remain on your search engine marketing website.
Lawyer Directories
Legal directories are an excellent resource to grow your visibility. They help lead finding more paying clients by having an important place where they can be seen. Check all the legal directories available and confirm your application is approved. You can increase the chances people call you when someone wants help. Several legal directory websites specialize in just one field. Therefore, knowing what makes your presence different is important for a great result and for you.
Slow Response From Legal Team
Tell me the average amount of time a prospective customer takes in response to a website request? It’ll be hard to turn prospects into business. This is possible via chat bots or automated software. The technology can respond automatically to requests for specific data from clients. Automated response meets client’s desire for instant gratification.
Reputation Management Is Key
Let’s just say that some reviews will be good, some are bad. Finally, you must address the negative review. Your answers will show you the integrity your prospects are looking for. Upon the failure of a project, it will go back. Negative reviews can be useful lessons if you are concerned about something you could improve. All negative comments will mean that you either give help or contact me directly. Besides reputation management, some of these directories have been mentioned previously.
Make a Great First impression
Having a good first impression is vital for convincing someone to trust you on personal issues. With an ever-changing legal landscape, every law firm should differentiate themselves as an important choice for clients. Insight from clients automate their intake process to improve customer satisfaction. The rapid response of our clients leaves lasting impressions in every step of their journey.
Smooth Client Experience
Without the need for an ongoing client intake, the leads (potential customers) often get lost. Consumers enjoy smooth and low-effort experiences. The more attention you give the child the more happiness they’ll have. Client intake software allows for quick access and quick collection of leads’ data using an online client intake form that automatically creates a record of them in your database.
Email Marketing Can Get Lawyer Clients
Email marketing offers many benefits. Email marketing is a very efficient way of managing it all. For instance, if a user visits the blog a few days before the event and provides their information, you can include it in the list you have on this website. Afterwards, it is possible that you send regular mail weekly. The emails are intended to remind clients that your firm exists.
Accounting software for law firms allows you to record and process accounting transactions. Each software differs however you can find a range of services such as accounts payable, receivable, ledgers, payroll, balance sheets, invoicing, purchase orders, billing, and more.
Use the following list of law firm account software solutions to compare features, benefits and pricing to choose the best one for your law firm.
AbacusLaw
AbacusLaw is a leading technology solutions provider for both legal and accounting professionals. Some of the features you can enjoy with AbacusLaw are:
Billing
Invoicing
Payroll processing
Calendaring
Time tracking
You can customize one of AbacusLaw’s accounting software plans with case management and other professional solutions. One feature that makes this law firm accounting software unique is that they offer solutions by area of practice and type of law. If you’re a bankruptcy lawyer, employment lawyer, criminal defense lawyer, or practicing another area of law, AbacusLaw has a custom software for you.
You’ll have to contact AbacusLaw for pricing or you can sign up for a free demo.
Bill4Time
Bill4Time is used by thousands of legal practitioners accessing their end-to-end mobile-ready legal time billing software. Here are some of the exclusive features you can use with Bill4Time:
Time tracking
Online invoicing
Payment tracking
Matters management
Trust and IOLTA accounting
Document management
Bill4Time uses a secure, 256-bit data encryption to ensure your sensitive information remains protected. You can purchase a industry specific Bill4Time platform that incorporates the American Bar Association Task Codes, LEDES for exporting and conflict of interest checking.
You can use Bill4Time for 30 days and afterward you can choose one of their plans which start at $12 per month.
LegalFiles
Although not a dedicated law firm accounting software, LegalFiles is a comprehensive software solution to be used alongside any accounting software you choose to use. LegalFiles management features are superior when compared to other accounting software solutions on this list. Here’s a few of the things you can do with this:
Matter management
Phone messaging
Response tracking
Document and text searching
File notes and management
Automated task scheduling
LegalFiles is used by legal departments, law firms, insurance companies, university legal departments, and governmental agencies. They are a secure and effective legal software solution for all-in-one legal management. As well, they do have an optional e-billing and invoicing management solution.
You can try a demo or contact their sales team for a quote.
Clio
Clio was designed to allow lawyers to worry less about their administrative tasks and focus more on time with their clients. Clio provides all the you need to keep your law firm running and they have additional and powerful features beyond their accounting software:
Time tracking
Billing
Invoicing
Billing reports
Payment management
Matter management
Trust accounting
Lead tracking
Clio includes the option to choose law specific software which is tailored to your area of practice. It uses a cloud based accounting program to keep your information secure and accessible worldwide.
You can try Clio for free or start their entry package for only $39 per user / month.
PCLaw
Developed by LexisNexis, PCLaw is a scalable legal accounting software. The key feature that makes this law firm accounting software stand out is that your pricing is based upon the size of your firm. If you don’t have many clients to begin you can still use PCLaw at a very affordable price.
Contact management
Client management
Case management
Matter management
Trust accounting
PCLaw has a devoted team of customer service representatives to make the introduction to their accounting software seamless and simple. PCLaw allows you to accurate bill your clients and account for time which would have been lost without using this service.
You can start by contacting an agent to assist with setup, start a trial, or begin with their $39 per user / month package.
LeanLaw
LeanLaw is an accounting software designed by a lawyer. They use a simple user interface that makes timekeeping and invoicing quick and easy to do. Here’s a few of the features they provide:
Time tracking
Invoicing
Billing
Calendars
Trust accounting
With LeanLaw you can monitor your accounting on the go with their mobile app and dictate input data using their hands free, voice dictation. LeanLaw strives to give you a fully functional and practical accounting software to boost your law firm’s productivity.
Give LeanLaw a try or get started as low as $28 per user / month.
NuLaw
If you’re focused on improving the profitability of your law firm, NuLaw is an accounting software service backed by SalesForce. If you’re unfamiliar, SalesForce is a powerful cloud-based CRM provider dedicated toward increasing sales and revenue. Here’s what you can expect from NuLaw:
Intake management
Matters management
Case milestones
Checklists
Advanced calendaring
Billable hour tracking
Invoicing
Payment processing
NuLaw also comes with integrated research tools and aggregate data points to create an intuitive dashboards with detailed reports. You can use your dashboard to make real-time decisions to respond to clients accurately and quickly.
You’ll have to contact NuLaw for pricing and a free trial.
Coyote Accounting
If you’re a solo, small or mid-size law firm, Coyote Accounting has a law firm accounting software that might be right for you. Check out their features:
Advantage Law has been providing nationwide legal software since 1979. Their desktop software comes bundled with numerous features to assist law firms of any size.
Purchasing Advantage Law is a one time licensing fee depending on the product you require. You can also receive full money back guarantee within 60 days if you are unsatisfied with the product.
