Like most businesses, law firms struggle with the decision of whether to hire a consultant or not instead of an administrator. Since law firms are a company, there are many business aspects of the firm such as human resources, payroll, and purchasing supplies. Most lawyers do not have the time or training to manage this side of the business and prefer to focus on legal matters. Even if those duties were to be delegated, their employees may lack the experience or training as well. The solution to this issue is to hire a consultant who can manage the business side of the company when you do not have an administrator.
Benefits of a Consultant
Accomplish Short-Term Goals
Short-term goals for permanent employees can be difficult to implement and those who currently perform specific duties may be irritated at the requirement of picking up new tasks. An experienced consultant can focus on the firm’s short-term goals which could save the business a large amount of time and money.
Leverage New Ways of Working and Skills
For a consultant to be successful within the legal industry, it is crucial that remain updated on the latest business trends, methodologies, strategies, and ways of working that can be tailored to the law firm. When these skills are implemented, a consultant can help make different internal processes more efficient or focus on the growth of the firm through new client acquisition strategies.
Outsider’s Perspective
Partners in a law firm have invested an endless amount of time and money into their business. They are often blinded when issues arrive to see clearly. However, any outside consultant with solid experience will have fresh eyes and can spot and report the true issues of a law firm that could help grow the business. In a family-operated firm, personal relationships between partners and staff can make it difficult to discuss problems holding back the firm. A neutral consultant can speak openly about these issues with bias so any problems can be rectified.
Problem Solving
A hired consultant will do whatever is necessary for the good of the firm. All issues will be sorted and not occur a second time. The firing and hiring of new employees is an extremely arduous task that can perform these functions or aid with these challenges.
Results-Oriented
When bringing a legal consultant into the firm, the new hire must set the correct goals for the company. This includes bringing in fresh ideas that may be unorthodox and unique compared to what has been done in the past. The consultant’s role is not just to order supplies, they can also assist with the further development of the firm and the associated employees.
Work with Any Size Firm
The final amazing benefit of hiring a consultant for a law firm is they can work with any size firm, large or small. A common concern within a small firm is the cost of hiring such an expert. The best way to justify this type of hire is to consider the amount of time for all attorneys to manage the business side of the firm. If the resulting time spent multiplied b the hourly billing rate is greater than or equal to the cost of hiring a consultant then this hire becomes an asset. In some instances, even if the cost of time spent on business functions is less than hiring a consultant, it still may be worth it when considering the future growth of the company.
What to Look for in a Candidate
With so many applications, finding the ideal consultant to help the business side of the firm operating smoothly can be challenging. However, there are some traits to look for in an excellent candidate, including:
Communication
Internal communication skills are critical to ensure all staff is in the loop on important information and this also keeps employees feeling like they are part of the big picture. The worst approach a company can take is isolating an employee as it can leaded to poor relations resulting in internal problems. The consultant can maintain robust internal communication to ensure no employee is left out and miscommunication is minimized.
Facilities Management
Prior facilities management experience is always a plus. Facilities management includes ordering supplies, maintaining office equipment and furniture, and organizing records. Each task likely does not consume a lot of time but collectively the time adds up quickly. Therefore, the consultant must be able to easily manage these tasks so that attorneys are not distracted from their legal focus.
Human Resources
Having a consultant with a human resources background or training can be key to the firm. Human Resources duties typically involve the hiring and supervising of any non-legal support staff and managing employee benefits and compensation. The hiring responsibilities can be left to the firm’s hiring partner, but the consultant can weed out any unqualified candidates to help free up valuable time.
Patience
When searching for the perfect consultant, patience and robust interpersonal skills are a requirement. Attorneys demand a lot of work in preparation for cases in a high-stress environment over lengthy periods, so the candidate must have a high patience level. This unlearned skill is critical to properly and effectively managing the business side of the law firm. A high patience level also typically means the candidate will fit in well with others.
Having a legal consultant on the books can carry out many of the administrative tasks which will help the firm produce better results while managing employee issues and keeping excellent internal communication. Companies like https://www.lawyersmarketingassociates.com/ can help determine the best course of action when hiring a legal consultant as an alternative to an administrator.