How to Qualify the Best Legal Service Partner for Your Firm

In working with US attorneys and law firms who are into litigation and transactional practices, I found out that one of the key issues they’re struggling with is saving their time for client interactions, a quick turnaround time, and high overhead costs.

In my previous blog, I shared how a small law firm partner – Angela Simpson solved her problem and managed to get maximum ROI by sending her work to a legal services provider. I thought to take a step ahead and share how you and your firm’s partner can also achieve the same by following simple steps to qualify the best service partner for your law firm.

While running your practice, you and your paralegal/assistant find out that with the expert services (Depo/medical summaries, Settlement demands, Multi-jurisdiction legal research, Briefs & motions, summons & complaints, Spreadsheet preparation, Discovery requests, and Responses), there are various time-consuming tasks (Indexing, Bates Stamping, Review of documents, Database management, Wage & hour calculations, Other customized & need basis support) that are taking most of the time and resulting in project delays, increase in budgets and hampering productivity.

To keep up the pace you finalize that you will look for a cost-effective resource (a legal services provider) that should be qualified enough to produce a good quality work product under your or your paralegal/assistant’s guidance.

Before agreeing to anything ask questions, go for a trial project, and always look for improvement.

1. Ask the support partner (vendor) what all medico-legal, paralegal or customize support services they can offer to you and your firm?
2. Ask for work samples for various support services to review their templates – Document Reviews, Indexing, Bate Stamping, Deposition/Medical Records Summary, Legal Research, and Writing, and other Customized Assistance as per the need and requirements of the firm.
3. Share guidelines and ask the support partner (vendor) for a ‘Trial Project’ of any of the required assistance – done by you or your paralegal/assistants on regular basis to see the quality and efficiency of the final product.
4. After the proper screening, understanding of the process, and signing NDA and PSA, start sending projects at an Ad-hoc Price or under a Monthly Package to a vendor similar to Draft n Craft.
5. Send projects which you need on an urgent basis at a prior fixed rate.
6. Share your feedback, and ask them to add or delete things that are not relevant to you. Give them your time initially for one or two projects.
7. Allow them to be your extended arms and treat them as your friend in need.

Key benefits of partnering with a legal services provider:

• Resulting in a 24*7 working environment
• Minimizing and cutting down the overhead costs
• Getting multiple resources (experts and common) in one place
• Your firm’s inhouse team gets additional hours to focus more on clients and business development activities
• Securing data, maintaining confidentiality, and increasing productivity and efficiency

Does that sound similar to past challenges you’ve faced? I have some offers that might interest you and your team.

More to read:

11 Things an Ultra Productive Attorney Should Do

Attorneys: Take your time but say ‘Yes’ to Social Media

Angela’s law firm earns double than yours

6 Thoughts About Law Firms & Lawyer That Will Turn Your Practice

For Attorney: Readers are Leaders

Frequently asked questions

How do you choose the right legal services provider for a law firm?

Ask detailed questions, run a trial project, check quality under your own or your paralegal’s guidance and keep reviewing for improvement before committing.

What work can law firms send to a legal services provider?

Deposition and medical summaries, settlement demands, legal research, briefs and motions, discovery requests and responses, plus time-consuming tasks such as indexing, Bates stamping and document review.

Why do law firms outsource to legal services providers?

To protect attorney time for clients, speed up turnaround and reduce overhead costs.