What makes a successful law firm?

With an abundance of law firms - big and small - flooding search engine results, you may be wondering how your firm will stand out to prospective clients trying to decide what firms' services they should use.

With many firms offering similar services and levels of expertise, identifying successful firms that might achieve a better outcome for their legal endeavours can be difficult for prospective clients. This begs the question - what makes a successful law firm and how do you differentiate your firm from the rest?

Firms that provide exceptional client service, have positive word-of-mouth, embrace technology, have great marketing, and have a team with expertise that is consistent with the firm's mission are all markers of successful law firms. Perhaps most pivotal to ensuring you have these markers of success is having a great practice management system as your backbone. Firms that invest in innovative practice management systems are able to spend less time tending to administrative and technical tasks and can focus on providing exceptional client service, better marketing their firm and nurturing their staff.

When investing in practice management software for your firm, it is important to choose software that is comprehensive and all-encompassing. LEAP's practice management software is the industry leading software solution for law firms, giving you the functionality to run an efficient and flexible law firm from wherever you may be. With countless productivity boosting features and time-saving tools, LEAP allows you to reduce non-billable time a focus on your clients.

How will legal practice management software make my law firm more profitable?

It's simple - investing in practice management software for your law firm enables you to spend less time on administrative tasks, and focus more on billable time with your clients. Servicing your clients in the most efficient and productive manner is how you maximise profits and remain attractive to current and prospective clients. Practice management software like LEAP is equipped with numerous time-saving functionalities that will optimise your practising time and allow you to run a successful law firm.

Document Management

Having an electronic document management system in place is undoubtedly the most efficient and secure way to manage your clients' matters, documents and correspondence. Having all of your client information in one convenient and accessible location is performed easily with effective practice management software like LEAP.

With an in-built legal document management system that lets you create, store and share documents, correspondence, searches and forms in one secure and searchable location, LEAP ensures that you and your staff have one version of the truth for each matter. With LEAP's document management system, you can also improve collaboration within your firm and eliminate duplication by having one matter file. LEAP servers update your data in real-time so all your staff have access to the most current information from anywhere, at any time.

Accounting & Billing

All of the most successful law firms understand the importance of legal accounting essentials so that they remain compliant. By choosing practice management software with trust accounting capability, there's no need to outsource your accounting and billing needs. With LEAP, you can easily perform complex transactions with in-built office and Law Society certified trust accounting, as well as with LEAP's comprehensive Pre-Billing Guide.

Client Services

Why is client service so important? Well, clients are at the centre of your whole operation - without them, you don't have any business, and therefore cannot run a successful law firm. When investing in practice management software for your firm, it is important to choose software that is equipped with client service features and self-service technology so that your legal services are as accessible as possible to your clients.

How do law firms remain successful and attractive to clients?

Constantly look for ways to innovate

The most successful law firms aren't afraid to embrace technology and innovate their processes. Streamlining your processes by adopting practice management technology is a great way to run an innovative law firm. While transitioning all of your files and processes online seems like a daunting move, it is one of the best things you can do to ensure that your documents are all in one secure place and don't have duplicates.

Keep your clients as your primary focus

With the rise of consumer power in recent years, it has never been more important to provide exceptional client service - the most successful law firms recognise this. Offering exceptional client service will not only help you retain your clients but will also help your firm attract new business through referrals. Choosing practice management software with features that allow you to offer an exceptional standard of client service is crucial to running a successful law firm.

With LEAP's exclusive integration with the Web Portal, you can provide your clients with secure access to their matters so that they can stay in the loop. Functionalities in the Web Portal aim to improve client touch points and make your firms services more accessible, including the ability to book appointments with your firm and as well as the ability to provide their details via online intake forms.

Offering your clients flexible billing options is another way to ensure that your firm is providing exceptional client service. Exclusively integrated with LEAP, RapidPay offers payment instalment plans - enabling your clients to pay their bills in instalments on either a monthly or fortnightly basis. Not only do RapidPay instalment plans offer your clients greater flexibility and build rapport, but they will also allow you to forecast a more predictable stream of revenue for your firm.

Be accessible and available

The key to perfecting your client service is ensuring that your services are readily available to your clients and that they can reach you when they need to. There may be a time when you're out of the office, whether it's in court or meeting with a client, that a client or colleague might need an update on the progress of a matter. With cloud-based and app-enabled practice management software like LEAP, you are no longer confined to your office to be accessible and available.

With the LEAP Mobile App, you can take your practice with you wherever you go. Available on iOS and Android, the LEAP Mobile App allows you to communicate with clients and colleagues, record time and access matter documentation - all from the palm of your hand.

How do I differentiate my law firm from the best law firms in the world?

Start right

The processes you implement when you first start your law firm will undoubtedly play a role in setting up your law firm for success. There are many important considerations that might not have crossed your mind but are crucial to ensuring this success.

If you are thinking about starting your law firm but don't know where to start, read our Start a Law Firm Guide. Complete with practical guidance and helpful checklists, this 10 step guide covers the essential steps for starting a law firm.

Be acknowledged for your achievements

Be recognised for your innovative practices by entering your firm in legal industry business awards. Winning a business award and receiving recognition from credible third parties will help to solidify your reputation among rival firms and establish you as a highly successful law firm.

Define your areas of practice

Successful law firms have a clear mission, values and clearly defined areas of practice. You should communicate your firms' mission and values through all of your marketing activities, and have a team with expertise consistent with your firms' mission and values. From time to time, you may be required to assist with a matter that doesn't align with your area of expertise. To show your clients that your firm provides an exceptional level of client service, you want to demonstrate an apt knowledge of multiple areas of law.

Configured with matter types covering all common areas of law, with easy-to-complete fields that enable you to automate documents and run all matters efficiently and confidently, LEAP will ensure that you are able to run a successful law firm - no matter what areas of law you are required to work with.

Exclusively integrated with LEAP, the practical guides and materials from By Lawyers empower lawyers to educate themselves on practice areas out of their expertise. With the help of By Lawyers, you can easily assist your colleagues with tasks - whether they're familiar with that practice area or not.

Attend educational events and webinars

Facilitating professional development is key to ensuring that you and your staff are at the forefront of innovations and changes in your areas of expertise. Beyond fulfilling your CPD requirements, you should always be on the look out for educational events and webinars that will broaden your expertise and knowledge of changes occurring in the industry.

LEAP offers a range of events and webinars that are available to both clients and non-clients. Registering for our events, webinars and Live Q&A sessions will help you improve your practice management, stay ahead of industry trends, and will help you optimise your use of LEAP.

Summary

So, what makes a successful law firm?

Successful law firms provide exceptional client service, have positive word-of-mouth, are recognised in their community, embrace technology, and have a team with expertise consistent with their firms mission. Vital to ensuring your firm has the time and tools necessary to achieve these markers of success is having an effective practice management software like LEAP as your backbone.

The most successful law firms, however, don't just achieve these markers of success and then stop. Instead they continue to innovate their services and processes, educate and up-skill themselves, and look for new and meaningful ways to provide the best possible experience to their clients.