12 New Year resolutions for law firms
AS the year comes to a close, most people start thinking about their new year’s resolutions. But did you know that about 80% of New Year’s resolutions end up failing? New Year’s resolutions for lawyers can be even more challenging—since they’re trying to balance the goals for their law practice with personal ones.
However, having a few realistic resolutions can make a big difference for lawyers, both professionally and personally. New Year’s resolutions for lawyers are more likely to succeed if lawyers take care to set realistic and achievable resolutions.
Here are 12 realistic New Year’s resolutions for lawyers. Focusing on one each month can help you stay on top of your game.
1. Get organized
Start your new year off with a clean slate by tying up loose ends and getting organized. Review your open matters and ask yourself these questions: should any open matters be closed? If so, close them; are any cases stalled? Make a plan to address the issue, if possible, or consider referring the case to another lawyer; do any matters have outstanding balances? If so, start sending out invoices.
2. Take a client-centered approach to practicing law
In the digital age, law firms that focus on their clients first are best positioned to succeed. Clear communication, thoughtful processes, and consideration for the entire client journey make for happier clients, more referrals, and more pleasant client interactions overall.
3. Start Accepting Online Payments
If your law firm doesn’t accept online payments yet, make this one of your top New Year’s resolutions. If you’re still not sure about accepting online payments at your law firm, consider this: According to Clio’s 2021 Legal Trends Report 66% of legal consumers prefer making payments online. Also, 61% of consumers prefer paying for legal services via automated payments, and the same number of consumers prefer paying via a mobile app.
Accepting online payments can also help your firm grow and improve your cash flow.
4. Network more
The 2021 Legal Trends
Report found that when looking for a lawyer, 81% of legal consumers seek positive referrals from friends and family. In other words, in addition to providing an excellent client-centered experience, you need to go to more networking events, both to meet other lawyers and to meet new clients.
These events don’t have to be boring—legal technology conferences, legal meetups and events (virtual and in-person), social gatherings, and local industry meet-ups can be valuable (and fun) to attend.
To connect with potential clients, consider networking events outside of your industry. Give talks at non-legal-specific events, get involved in your local community, and remember to mention to new connections that you’re a lawyer available for hire.
Also, keep in mind that networking isn’t limited to in-person events. Network online by joining professional groups on Linkedin, and starting conversations around legal hashtags on Twitter.
5. Bring more of your legal practice on the go
You already check your email on your phone, so why not try managing more of your practice while mobile? Turn bus rides and dentist office waiting times into pockets of productivity: There are plenty of apps for lawyers to help you run a mobile practice with ease.
6. Revamp your online reputation
In the information age, your online reputation is key. No matter how your clients hear about you, they’ll likely look you up before they sign on the dotted line, and a raft of twostar reviews could work against you.
How do you create a strong online reputation? It starts with a structured online marketing plan. Invest some time in creating and implementing a solid marketing strategy, and start the year off by reviewing your website, blog, Linkedin profile, and other social media properties to ensure you’re keeping up with the latest best practices.
7. Become more datadriven
How well is your law firm really doing? To properly measure your success, you need to take a datadriven approach: Define key metrics and track them.
We’re not just talking about keeping tabs on the number of new clients you bring on each month either—look at where your clients are coming from and track the return on investment of your marketing efforts.
More importantly, keep an eye on how efficiently your firm is operating. For example, look at how many billable hours you’re logging as a percentage of your total workday. Create a matter for non-billable/ administrative work, and use a timer to keep track of time spent on these tasks, just as you would any other billable matter. Then, compare time spent on this matter with time spent on all other matters combined, and—voila—there’s your utilization rate.
Compare your utilization rate to the average (which is just 31%, according to Clio’s 2021 Legal Trends Report and look for ways to cut down on non-billable work, or consider alternatives to the billable hour, such as flat fees or contingency agreements.
8. Prepare for client intake before you meet your next client
If you have yet to set up an automated client intake system, 2022 is the year to do it.
A streamlined client intake system will save you time and eliminate the added potential for human error that comes with manual data entry. More importantly, a well-thoughtout intake process means a better first impression and a better experience for your client—both critical aspects of taking an increasingly client-centered approach to lawyering.
9. Take better care of yourself
Lawyering is inherently stressful, but if there’s one thing that’s more important than your career, it’s your health.
If you’ve been working long hours and neglecting self-care, use the new year as a turning point. Eat well, get enough sleep, and take care of yourself. You may not be able to avoid stress as a lawyer, but you can definitely find ways to manage stress more effectively.
Jeena Cho, the author of The Anxious Lawyer, has written plenty about the benefits of mindfulness. Try meditating, even for just a few minutes each day, to clear your mind and set yourself up for success at work.
10. Manage your time more wisely
Time is your most valuable resource, and we all only get 24 hours a day. In the new year, resolve to start managing your time better, so that you’re spending more time on billable work and less on administrative tasks.
Utilising a robust practice management solution can help minimize time spent on non-billable work.
11. Attend events to invest in your firm’s future
Beyond just networking, attending legal industry events can leave you with a wealth of ideas to improve your practice and make your business more profitable.
12. Try a new tool to help your practice succeed
If you’re already using practice management software and other tech tools to make day-to-day tasks at your law firm run more smoothly, you know how much of a difference tech can make. Tasks like billing, creating documents, and tracking time can be completed much more efficiently!
Why not experiment with a new tool to address specific needs and workflows in your practice in 2023? One caveat: Think carefully about your needs and optimize your processes before you optimize your tech!
Which one of these New Year’s resolutions would you be trying come 2023 to better your firm?
New Year’s resolutions are more likely to succeed if lawyers take care to set realistic and achievable resolutions