Author: Madison Bates

Personal injury lawyers are civil litigators who represent clients – commonly referred to as plaintiffs – alleging psychological or physical injury as result of negligence or careless acts by another person, company, entity, government agency or organization. Personal injury lawyers practice in an area known as tort law. This area of law specializes in civic or private wrongs or injuries, monetary or nonmonetary damages. This includes defamation and actions of bad faith or breach of contract to a person’s reputation, rights or property.Although personal injury lawyers are armed with licenses to practice in all facets of law, they usually handle cases falling within tort law, such as work injuries, flawed products, accidents caused by slips and falls, road accidents and other related accidents. Personal injury lawyers help their clients secure compensation for losses incurred. These losses include the loss of capacity to earn, inability to perform normal duties, suffering, and pain. They also include expenses that may arise, the loss of companionship, legal costs, emotional distress and attorney fees.

The attorney will ensure clients are safe from being victimized by companies that offer insurance and the established legal system. Personal injury lawyers are often referred to as trial lawyers, although most of their cases are settled before going for a full trial.

What are the duties of a personal injury lawyer?

Personal injury lawyers have many duties in aiding their clients. These duties include both ethical and professional codes of conduct and rules provided for by the associations that license the lawyers. Once the state bar association licenses them to practice law, the lawyers can file complaints in court, argue cases, prepare legal documents and offer professional legal advice to plaintiffs of personal injury.

Personal injury lawyers have the sole responsibility for talking to and interviewing clients and assessing their cases. They further identify the pertinent issues within the client’s case, and thereafter conduct research to build a solid case. The most important professional mandate of a personal injury lawyer is to help clients obtain the compensation and justice they deserve after undergoing losses and suffering. This is done through client counseling, advocacy, legal advice and oral arguments. The case normally heads for trial when both parties fail to reach an amicable settlement.

Personal injury lawyers are expected to follow strict set principles of legal ethics when executing their mandate with clients. While the specified guidelines vary from state to state, each lawyer is expected to evaluate legal issues while exercising due diligence in any legal matter commenced. They owe plaintiffs the onus of confidentiality and allegiance as they work to protect their client’s best interests and not their own.

What are the credentials of a personal injury lawyer?

To successfully practice personal injury law, passing a written bar exam is mandatory in addition to a written ethics exam. These examinations vary from state to state. The majority of states require applicants to have a college degree and a law degree from an institution that is accredited. Non-accredited law schools have minimum set requirements before they are permitted to offer these courses.

As a prerequisite, most states require a Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a Multistate Essay Examination, a Multistate Expert Responsibility Exam and a set state bar exam as a prerequisite. Other states incorporate a Multistate Performance Test as well.

Once qualified and admitted to the bar, they are required to keep abreast with the current development in their fields by continually taking legal education courses. These courses are designed to ensure that personal injury lawyers remain updated in law-related developments, with the number of required hours varying from state to state.

Personal injury lawyers tend to concentrate on specific areas of law. By specializing, they are able to amass the required knowledge and experience to take them to the top of their field. There is a special certification program that personal injury lawyers must complete before they are referred to as specialists. The American Bar Association is responsible for this certification. Although individual states regulate their own lawyers, they still adhere to rules of professional responsibility as stated in the United States Constitution.

These certification programs come with set standards of knowledge, competence and experience that must be attained before personal injury lawyers are called specialists.

Once personal injury lawyers pass the bar exam and are licensed, they can deviate to any specialty within the law profession. However, legal ethics demand that inexperienced lawyers should not represent a client without first enlisting help or learning the issue at hand. To provide the highest quality representation for their clients, most lawyers prefer sticking to a particular area of law, thereby dedicating all of their resources to this area. Within personal injury, a lawyer has a massive number of possible claims. These include accidents, product liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, workplace injury and more. Some lawyers choose to go further and devote all of their energy and time to a single area of litigation in the personal injury law field, becoming very thorough and experienced at arguing specific types of cases such as work accidents, aviation accidents or medical mistakes.

What is the career makeup of a personal injury lawyer?

Personal injury lawyers are free to start private practice by themselves, join a midsize firm or opt for a large firm as an associate. They are also free to partner. The ones who enter private practice offer more individualized advantages to clients. These practitioners usually take on smaller cases and charge lower fees. In terms of numbers, small law firms usually have two to ten lawyers, midsized law firms have ten to fifty. Big law firms often have more than 50 lawyers.

How is a personal injury lawyers usually compensated?

Professional fees are based on a number of factors, including energy, time, outcome, difficulty, prominence, the experience of the lawyer, and the associated costs of the case. A lawyer may offer the plaintiff a number of payment options, including contingency fees, flat fees, hourly rates and retainers. The most common option is the contingency fee. This protects the client because payment is pegged on the success of the case. Here the lawyer receives a percentage of the awarded amount after a successful trial or settlement. The average mark is 30 percent of the awarded amount. An hourly charge is also a common option. This is where the plaintiff pays for every hour the lawyer represents them. A flat fee option is also available. A flat fee is paid prior to the commencement of the trial. Lastly, some options combine all or more than one of the above options.

As a lawyer, you’re 100 percent committed to helping your clients. But do your clients know this?

Strong client relationships are key for building a successful, client-centered law firm. You might be working late nights and 12-hour days for your clients, but if you’re not consciously building strong lawyer-client relationships, your clients could feel neglected. Remember: While you may have many clients, most of your clients will only have one lawyer. You’ll need to account for that mismatch.

Building strong lawyer-client relationships is key for the success of your law firm. Why? If your clients don’t feel that they’re getting instant, diligent representation, they may not refer future business, and they may even post negative feedback publicly.

Phrases like, “[insert lawyer’s name] didn’t fight for me” litter malpractice grievances and negative Yelp reviews across the web.

Here are a few tips for creating a strong lawyer-client relationship:

1. Be diligent

First and foremost, you have an obligation to be diligent on behalf of your clients. Rule 1.3 in the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct states, “[a] lawyer shall act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client.”

A number of items fall under the umbrella of diligence—arriving for appointments on time and managing a reasonable workload, for starters. On top of that, you’ll need to communicate with your clients promptly, whether it’s convenient for you or not.

Beyond your day-to-day commitments, there can be some heavy demands on lawyers in terms of diligence. For example, Comment 1 on Rule 1.3 states, “A lawyer should pursue a matter on behalf of a client despite opposition, obstruction or personal inconvenience to the lawyer.”

What might this look like? For one lawyer, it meant abandoning a $200,000 Ferrari in Toronto floodwaters to make it to his hearing on time.

That’s an extreme example, but lawyers can face personal risk to themselves or their property as a result of being diligent to their clients.

2. Exercise attention to detail

Lawyers are constantly being asked to do more with less. With new law firm technologies and more apps for lawyers being announced all the time, there are plenty of tools available to help lawyers work smarter.

But, that added efficiency comes at a cost—with more to do, there’s more to juggle. As a lawyer, it’s still your duty to make sure all the tiniest details are correct in every legal document you produce.

Tools like PerfectIt, WordRake, and jEugene can help you take care of details in your written work, while features like document automation in your practice management software can help make sure everything is properly formatted.

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3. Keep a reasonable workload

Diligence is important, but in order to be appropriately committed to all of your clients, you’ve got to keep your workload manageable. This might seem like common sense, but it’s also a requirement: Comment 2 on Rule 1.3 states, “[a] lawyer’s workload must be controlled so that each matter can be handled competently.”

In other words, balance isn’t just a matter of self-care for lawyers—it’s a matter of ethics. It’s no use getting more clients if you can’t provide all of them with appropriate representation.

Make sure you’re properly estimating how long tasks will take, and that you’re keeping an eye on your pipeline of new clients. Technology can make this easier. For example, Advanced Tasks, in Clio Manage, available to Elite plan subscribers, let you estimate the amount of time that goes into a task. You can also set statuses for your tasks, assign tasks to different people, and get reports on your firm’s productivity.

4. Take care of yourself

Taking care of yourself might seem out of place on a list of tips for staying committed in lawyer-client relationships, but it’s actually one of the most important things you need to be paying attention to. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you won’t be in a position to help your clients.

In some cases, the need for self-care is mentioned in state bar rules. In the State Bar of California’s Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3-110 states that “competence” for lawyers includes the “mental, emotional, and physical ability reasonably necessary for the performance of [legal services].”

As per our cheat sheet, make sure you’re taking at least an hour or two a day for your personal well-being—especially if you’re working long days. Your clients (and your health) will thank you for it.

5. Arrive on time

Comment 3 on Rule 1.3 in the ABA Model Professional Rules of Conduct states, “[p]erhaps no professional shortcoming is more widely resented than procrastination.”

Just meet your deadlines and get there on time. Seems simple, right? For lawyers who have a lot to keep track of, arriving on time might not be as simple as you’d think. Between meetings, appointments, hearings, and deadlines, there are plenty of places for scheduling errors to pop up.

Late meetings and missed dates can be troublesome for the lawyer-client relationship. Even when a client’s interests are not affected in substance, unreasonable delay can cause a client needless anxiety and undermine confidence in the lawyer’s trustworthiness. You can lose the client.

To keep on top of your busy schedule, use calendaring tools to set up reminders. Google Calendars, iCal, or Outlook are great places to start. There are also more advanced tools, like Clio’s Court Rules feature (available for Elite plan subscribers) that helps you calculate key deadlines based on court rules in your jurisdiction.

There’s only so much you can keep in your head. But with the right tools, you’ll get reminders for appointments and key dates right when you need them.

6. Listen

As with any relationship, listening is key when building new relationships with your clients. This doesn’t mean simply asking a token list of client intake questions either—take time to listen to your clients’ problems and make an effort to truly understand what they’re seeking from you.

Only then will you be able to demonstrate a genuine commitment to helping your clients.

Dan Pinnington suggests a good place to start: He asks all of his clients “What’s your greatest concern?” This forces his clients into a moment of clarity, and helps him identify how best to reassure them that he can help with their current situation.

7. Communicate clearly (and often)

How many problems are caused by a lack of clear communication? It’s your duty to promptly and clearly communicate with your clients in a manner that is convenient for them. But in terms of building a strong lawyer-client relationship, communication needs to go beyond the bare minimum.

For example, reaching out to clients unprompted can help them feel that you’re truly focused on their issue.

As Joshua Lenon, Clio’s lawyer in residence, says:

Unprompted communication is something that I think is really easy for lawyers to do, but so few actually do it. Reaching out to a client with an update—whether it’s significant or not—is a great way to show involvement in a matter.

8. Manage expectations

On top of communicating clearly, you’ve got to ensure your client understands exactly what you can do for them. Managing expectations is key for avoiding disappointment down the road.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep, as this can erode your clients’ trust. Just look at this parallel example from the business world: According to the Harvard Business Review, when a company consistently fails to meet lofty expectations, employees lose trust in the organization and start to spend time planning their next move.

In short, it’s better to set realistic expectations and inform your clients about what lies behind them.

Know that success does not guarantee a strong lawyer-client relationship

You may win your clients’ cases, but do you win their hearts? Whether you’re fighting for your clients in court or staying up late doing paperwork, your client needs to understand what you’re doing in order for you to be truly successful. 

Remember, to build a strong client relationship, you’ll need to:

• Take time to listen and understand their problems
• Communicate clearly and often
• Arrive on time
• Set realistic expectations about what you can achieve

If you’ve got those down, you’ll be well on your way to creating more client referral opportunities and helping your firm succeed.

The vast majority of individuals only work with lawyers when they are in desperate need. This means that many clients don’t know what to expect in terms of lawyer-client relationships. Getting legal counsel requires trust. You will be entrusting a stranger with the future of your family, career, or finances. On the other hand, for lawyers, developing excellent client relationships is essential for the growth of your law firm.

Knowing the fundamentals will help you make an informed decision and make sure you receive what you need out of the lawyer-client relationship. To help you be prepared should the need arise, here are some of the things you need to know about the lawyer-client relationship.

What Is a Lawyer-Client Relationship?

A lawyer-client relationship is established when a client requests legal counsel or representation from a lawyer. The extent of the representation may vary depending on the conditions of the agreement. A lawyer may agree to take on a specific case in which case the relationship may end as soon as the matter has been resolved. Occasionally, the lawyer may also accept the task of assisting the client in all potential legal cases, establishing an open-ended and continuing lawyer-client relationship.

It is important to note, however, that a lawyer-client relationship is not necessarily created by simply scheduling a consultation with a lawyer (unless the lawyer decides to take on legal representation for a particular issue) or if there is no expectation or assumption that the consultation will result in legal advice or representation.

Duties to the Client

Although the specifics of the lawyer-client relationship in Canada may vary depending on the jurisdiction, here are some of the common elements:

Competence
A lawyer is considered educated, qualified, and competent in the practice of law, so the client has the right to believe that their counsel has the competence to deal with any legal concerns that need to be handled on their behalf.

Competence is built upon moral and legal standards. It is more than just knowing legal concepts; it also entails having sufficient knowledge of the methods and practices that allow one to apply those principles successfully. To do this, the lawyer should stay up-to-date on changes in all areas of law in which they practice.

Additionally, a lawyer is required to act promptly and with due diligence. One must be committed to advancing the interests of the client and act zealously when advocating on their behalf.

A lawyer shouldn’t take on a case unless they are confident in their ability to manage it or that they can obtain the needed competencies without putting the client in unnecessary danger or expense. Any other justification for proceeding would be dishonest on the part of the lawyer. Incompetent legal representation harms the client, tarnishes the legal profession, and could compromise the integrity of the legal system.

Honesty and Candour

When giving legal advice to a client, a lawyer must be truthful and open and must disclose to the client all facts in his or her possession that might influence the client’s interests in the case. When a client wants legal advice, it is the lawyer’s responsibility to the client to provide a qualified opinion that is based on the practitioner’s own experience, competence, and sufficient understanding of the pertinent facts and applicable legislation. The advice must be unambiguous and open and must express the lawyer’s honest opinion of the case’s merits and likely outcomes.

Language Rights

A lawyer is required to inform a client of their language rights, including the option to continue in the official language of their choosing, where appropriate. They should be familiar with pertinent statutes and constitutional provisions about language rights, such as the Criminal Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which address language rights in criminal cases and courts with federal jurisdiction. Also, provincial or territorial laws may grant additional language rights, especially those related to aboriginal languages. The client, not the lawyer, determines the official language used.

Decision-Making in Legal Representation

A lawyer functions as a client’s agent. As a result, when a lawyer represents a client, the client is held by the lawyer’s choices, judgements, and actions, or lack thereof. The client must have a full idea of which decisions are up to the client and which situations provide the lawyer with the freedom to act on the client’s behalf.

As long as it is permitted by the general standards of professional conduct, the client’s requests determine how the situation is handled.

In contrast, the lawyer is often in charge of choosing the best course of action to accomplish the client’s goals. As a result, they are responsible for making judgements on several aspects of legal strategy, including the selection of motions, whom to call as witnesses, and the content of direct and cross-examination. Still, they have a responsibility to confer with the client before making choices and outlining plans, as well as to provide enough information about the risks involved and reasonably accessible alternatives.

Confidentiality

Lawyers have a responsibility to maintain client confidentiality. All information about the business and affairs of the client will be held in absolute confidence by the lawyer, and they will not share any client information unless specifically instructed to do so by the client or required to do so by law. This enables a lawyer and client conversation that is completely open and unreserved, which in turn equips lawyers with sufficient knowledge to represent their clients in the best way possible. Even after the client’s case has concluded, client and lawyer confidentiality must still be maintained.

Conflict of Interest

A lawyer’s obligation to refrain from serving a client if there is a conflict of interest is another significant obligation. There is a conflict of interest when the lawyer’s interests or the lawyer’s obligations to other parties has a significant chance of harming the representation of the client. When a lawyer is requested to assist in a case where they personally stand to gain or lose, or when they are asked to engage in unethical behaviour, including lying on the client’s behalf, conflicts of interest may occur. Conflict may also develop when a lawyer is requested to represent a former client in a case against them. To uphold their commitments to act in their client’s best interests, lawyers have a responsibility to avoid conflicts of interest, which requires them to decline to act in these circumstances.

It is for the mutual benefit of the lawyer and client to adhere to these standards. Once the relationship is established, these client-lawyer relationship rules and responsibilities need to be followed to preserve the integrity of the case and the system.

Personal injury cases have increased in the recent past. Consequently, there’s increased demand for the best attorneys for personal injury.

Personal injury attorneys have numerous duties, including helping clients seek justice, and more. If you’ve recently been involved in an accident, you should seek legal help from the best attorney for personal injury attorneys.

How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?

Personal injury law sets the rules for addressing all manner of accidents resulting from negligence, including:

• Car accidents;
• Construction accidents;
• Dog bites;
• Workplace accidents;
• Toxic exposures, and more.

Personal injury attorneys review their clients’ cases and help them seek compensation for their losses. But what are the primary duties and responsibilities of personal injury attorneys?

Gathering and Assessing Evidence

The justice process begins with the collection of evidence in all personal injury claims. Evidence should be collected at the earliest time possible to avoid tampering.

Personal injury attorneys understand the best practices for gathering evidence. That said, you should schedule a meeting with a skilled and experienced attorney for legal counsel on how to secure an accident scene when collecting evidence. But what does collecting evidence involve?

• Recording witness accounts or statements;
• Retrieving surveillance footage if available;
• Recording the details of the at-fault party;
• Preparing your medical records for presentation in case they’ll be needed, and
• Getting a copy of the police report, among others.

The initial stages of litigation are typically sensitive, but arguably the most vital. Consequently, the initial approach can make or break your case. Ensure to hire a competent lawyer to increase the chances of winning your case.

Legal Counsel and Representation

You’re an expert in your job, and so are personal injury attorneys. They invest time, effort, and money to gain legal knowledge in law school. They further persevere years of practice to perfect their legal skill and understand legal intricacies.

A personal injury attorney is therefore better-placed to offer professional advice on legal matters. Thanks to their background, lawyers can analyze legal issues and advise you on the best way to resolve your situation. While not all legal matters need to be handled by lawyers, most of them do. A lawyer can represent you in court in more complex cases while ensuring your constitutional rights are safeguarded.

Filing Legal Action

You’ll agree with me that filing legal action can be an arduous task without a legal background. Errors at this stage can have devastating consequences, including:

• A reprimand from judges or other court officials;
• Your case may be thrown out due to technical issues;
• The errors may be cited as a defense and set the faulting party off the hook, and more.

A personal injury attorney can help you file your case in the right way and avoid the aforementioned setbacks. Also, most lawyers have thriving relationships with court officials, so they know what to do and what to avoid.

First-time clients often ask what personal injury lawyers do. This question arises in a few contexts.

Some clients wonder if they can handle their cases themselves. Other clients want to know what personal injury lawyers do to earn their fees. And some clients simply want to understand the process the lawyer will use to resolve their cases.

Here is an overview of what a personal injury lawyer does to get you compensation after an accident.

The Role of a Personal Injury Lawyer

Injury lawyers have the education and training to apply tort law to the facts of your case. 

When you meet with a lawyer during an initial consultation, this knowledge helps the lawyer:

• Analyze your case
• Assess the legal merits of your claim
• Estimate the compensation you might receive
• Develop a strategy to recover compensation for you

A lawyer might determine that you have low odds of recovering compensation after a slip & fall accident because you were trespassing when you got injured, for example. 

Conversely, a lawyer might assess that you have a strong case for compensation after a car accident where the other driver ran a red light.

Armed with this information, you can decide whether to pursue a claim. If you decide to proceed with your claim, you and your lawyer will discuss legal strategies for getting compensation. 

The lawyer will explain the risks and benefits of each strategy, and you will pick one to follow.

The Process of Resolving a Personal Injury Claim

Every injury case has unique facts. You will work with your lawyer to develop the evidence needed to prove your case. The lawyer may also engage private investigators and expert witnesses to gather and analyze evidence.

Once you gather your evidence, most cases follow the same general procedural pattern:

Insurance Claim

In most situations, the at-fault party has some form of liability insurance. Under these policies, the insurance company might pay the damages associated with legal liabilities covered in the policy. 

Some examples of insurance policies that might contain liability coverage include:

• Auto insurance
• Malpractice insurance
• Homeowners insurance
• General business liability insurance
• Property insurance
• Product liability insurance

When the insured person or business causes an injury, the injured person can file a claim with the insurance company. 

The insurance company assigns a claim adjuster to determine whether the claim falls within the scope of the policy. If it does, the insurer must pay the damages covered by the policy.

This seems simple, but insurance companies have a financial incentive to cut or deny claims. As a result, they often make the insurance claim process as complex as possible. Without a lawyer, the claim process can be frustrating.

Injury lawyers have experience dealing with insurers and knowledge of insurance company practices. This helps them assemble the evidence and legal arguments needed to support the claim. This minimizes the risk that the insurer will reduce or deny your claim.

Settlement Negotiation

If you prove liability, Georgia law requires the insurer to make a good faith effort to reach a “prompt, fair, and equitable settlement.” But insurers and claimants usually differ about what a fair settlement looks like.

The first settlement offer from the insurer may not cover your losses. You and your lawyer will need to negotiate with the insurer for a better offer. Fortunately, injury lawyers have experience negotiating with claim adjusters.

Typically, your lawyer will present facts and legal arguments to push the insurer to accept a higher settlement. 

For example, suppose an insurer reduced your claim because it believed your back injury in a motorcycle accident was preexisting. Your lawyer could provide copies of your medical records and an opinion letter from a doctor to prove the accident injured your back.

Litigation

Most cases settle; only about 3% of personal injury cases reach a trial verdict. But not all of these cases settle before filing a lawsuit.

A lawyer may recommend filing a lawsuit for a variety of reasons, including:

• A lawsuit provides leverage in settlement discussions
• A lawsuit stops the statute of limitations from running out
• The discovery process can compel evidence from the at-fault party

To file a lawsuit, your lawyer must conduct a pre-filing investigation to make sure the lawsuit is not frivolous. Filing a frivolous lawsuit can expose you and the lawyer to sanctions from the court.

The lawyer will prepare the pleadings to initiate the lawsuit. The pleadings briefly outline the basis of the claim and the relief sought. Thus, an injury lawsuit typically explains what happened in the accident, the injuries you sustained, and the damages you suffered.

Discovery begins after the pleading stage. During discovery, you will request evidence from the other party. You will also respond to the other party’s discovery requests. These requests can ask for documents, physical evidence, and deposition testimony.

Your lawyer will implement a strategy to get the evidence needed to prove your claim. At the same time, your lawyer will also develop the evidence required to limit your exposure. 

For example, if the other party shifts blame to you by saying your actions led to your injuries, your lawyer will gather evidence to disprove that claim.

After the judge resolves motions by the parties, each lawyer presents their case at trial. Your lawyer will typically request a jury trial when you file the lawsuit.

At the close of the presentation of evidence, the jury will deliberate. If the jury finds in your favor, you will be awarded damages.

What makes a law firm successful?

Your practice is a professional services organization, but it’s also a business. Contemporary law office management comprises all the business processes that keep the firm operating, including marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, policies, procedures, and workflow management.

Thanks to improvements in communications and new legal practice management software, effectively managing your law office doesn’t have to take up all of your time. With a well-defined focus, the right processes, and the right legal technology, you can run your practice more efficiently and free up hours of time to spend on client engagement and billable activities.

How to manage a small law firm?

From organizational leadership to administrative work and everything in between, effective law firm management is about far more than just practicing law. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to managing a law firm, but practicing even one of these seven habits will help your firm stand out from the crowd.

The 7 habits of highly effective law firms

1. Define and communicate your firm’s focus

Focusing on a specific practice area allows potential clients and other attorneys to recognize you as an expert in your practice area. Attorneys with a practice area focus gain valuable experience, knowledge, and a network of contacts that enable them to solve problems faster and provide a higher level of service. Whether your focus is family law, civil litigation, personal injury, or estate planning, every practice area tends to have its own vocabulary and customs and care about different data.

Using a legal practice management system with custom dashboard views allows you to filter matters by practice area and other custom fields so you can dictate exactly what you want to see on your matter dashboard. 

2. Provide clear leadership from the top down

In a professional services firm, people are the organization’s greatest assets. As a law firm owner or partner, your role includes motivating employees and communicating the firm’s strategy, direction, and values. The skills needed to be an effective people manager are learned ones. If you’re new to managing staff, seek out CLE courses or an online or university class.

Good leadership also means investing in professional development opportunities for your attorneys (Check out these 5). This might look like offering 1:1 meetings between junior and senior associates, providing funding for courses, or sending employees to conferences.

3. Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs)

The key to keeping a law firm organized is to have a standard set of procedures (SOPs) that are understood and followed by the entire team. SOPs create a practice management “how-to” guide that’s unique to your firm. 

Your standard operating procedures will be tailored to the type of law you practice, but they will typically address tasks like:

• legal case management
• new client onboarding
• document automation and management
• appointment scheduling
• document review and approval
• time tracking
• billing and payments
• trial preparation
• archiving client files at the end of an engagement 

To develop your SOP, start by documenting and organizing all relevant information. Then, make it accessible to all employees in a searchable, digital format. Include a firm organization chart, all policies and procedures, and a data map for the organization. If you’re struggling to manage your SOPs, a legal practice management software solution can help with automating parts of your workload.

4. Organize and minimize paper with document automation

A paperless law firm is an achievable goal. But realistically, most of us still have to deal with incoming mail and client documents on paper. But, you can digitize as much as possible. By scanning documents into digital formats, they can be stored within the firm’s practice management software, shared with clients on a portal site, and archived efficiently. Plus, legal practice management software enables you to create and save templates, so important documents only need to be created once.

5. Use legal technology to your benefit

Technology is changing the legal industry in powerful ways. Outside of document management, organization, and automation, legal practice management technology has become a game-changer for growing law firms.

Simplify your time and billing

If your firm operates on an hourly billing model, a practice management platform with time and billing software capabilities can save you hours each week, allowing your firm to maximize revenue and capture details to help you understand activity and productivity levels. 

Upgrade your calendar

Intelligent calendar technology can automatically schedule critical deadlines for a matter based on the applicable federal, state, and/or local court rules. Your firm can save even more time with a system that provides current court forms for your practice area and jurisdiction, reducing the time required to create and file documents.

Increase your referrals

Legal practice management technology can also help generate referrals, giving you and your employees valuable insight into past referrals while managing incoming opportunities in one easy-to-access place.

Work from anywhere

Perhaps the most significant benefit of legal practice management software is seen when it comes to managing remote workers. Secure cloud applications designed specifically for law firms have made remote work significantly easier, and assistance from a cloud-hosting provider or technology consultant can help you put together a comprehensive technology strategy for your firm.

A suitable legal practice management tool will enable your team to collaborate effectively, offering a central hub for managing projects and tasks and connecting your calendar, documents, and emails to client cases. When you’re on the hunt for a practice management platform, be sure to find one that supports your practice area and jurisdiction.

6. Be vigilant with finance and accounting

As with any business, accurate accounting is important for law firms. Timely billing and efficient cash management are key to profitability. Perhaps more importantly, effective accounting is critical for compliance with Rule 1.15 of the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct, outlining firm responsibilities regarding trust accounts, record-keeping, and notifying clients of the receipt of funds or property. 

When combined, automated invoicing and payment processing software help firms everywhere save time, improve efficiency and reduce paper consumption. A good billing and payments solution will process all types of credit cards and e-checks, take payments from trust and operating accounts, and integrate with your practice management system.

7. Track KPIs

Most law firm leaders say they would like to add more clients, increase revenue and improve profitability. To know if your firm is on track in meeting those goals, make it a practice to gather and analyze key performance metrics on a regular basis.

Revenue and client goals are easily measured. Profit, calculated as total revenue minus total expenses for a given period, can be improved on either side of the equation: increase revenue or reduce costs by automating manual tasks. 

In addition to measuring profit, analyze utilization rates to assure that associates and partners are maximizing billable hours. Track income by practice type (or by client) to gain deeper insight into which type of work or client generates the most revenue. These metrics offer insight into your practice and can inform your decisions on a growth strategy for your firm, setting you up for future success.

With the rise of personal injury cases over the past few decades, the need for dedicated personal injury lawyers was realized some time ago. In essence, a personal injury lawyer is a specialized litigator who seeks justice for clients who have suffered as a result of the negligence or recklessness of another person or entity.

Put simply, the role of a personal injury lawyer is to act on behalf of their client to negotiate fair compensation for damages sustained during an incident. When personal injury lawyers negotiate settlement amounts, it is their responsibility to get you the financial settlement you deserve. Taking every aspect of your case into consideration, personal injury lawyers are experts in assessing how damages sustained will affect their client in the short and long term. This includes everything from medical bills, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, and more.

What Kind of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Help With?

Personal injury is a broad term which covers a multitude of different situations where physical or psychological damage has been inflicted on a victim. This is perhaps the reason that, although some lawyers position themselves as ‘personal injury lawyers’ many further specialize in one or a few of these areas.

Among the most common reasons for personal injury are auto accidents and workplace accidents, of which slip and fall accidents are the most prolific.

What Do Personal Injury Lawyers Do for Clients?

After an incident which has resulted in personal injury, many people are left feeling vulnerable. Adjusting to life after a life-altering injury can be a trying time indeed, so navigating the unfamiliar world of personal injury law is something that most people don’t have the confidence or energy to do. In fact, without assistance, many people who deserve compensation would never pursue a claim, for fear that the unknown territory would take them out of their depths.

This is where personal injury lawyers can be a lifeline; their experience in dealing with these types of cases and seeking justice for their clients makes filing a personal injury claim much less stressful. What’s more, personal injury lawyers can also help you achieve a just outcome that you may not have been able to achieve alone.

So, if you’ve been injured in an accident that was not your fault, you may be wondering what a personal injury lawyer can do for you. Here are five key things that you need to know.

1. They Explain The Process

The process of claiming for personal injury compensation is often unique to the specific type of injury you have sustained and how you sustained it. Moreover, personal injury law differs from state to state. Different statutes of limitations, rules surrounding comparative negligence and the unique intricacies of individual cases can make for a legal minefield, difficult for non-lawyers to wrap their minds around.

In Florida, for example, auto-accident personal injury claims are at the mercy of no-fault state laws, meaning there are certain conditions you must meet before you can file a personal injury claim. Additionally, legislature surrounding time frames for claims has so many exceptions that understanding into which category your claim falls can be puzzling, to say the least.

Your personal injury lawyer will fully explain the process of filing your claim and will go into detail about what to expect in the coming weeks and months. They will help you understand your rights and the entitlements you may be eligible to receive.

2. They Provide You With Professional Advice

In addition to explaining the process and your rights, personal injury lawyers will provide you with professional advice about what you should and shouldn’t do following your injury and during your case.

Your lawyer, for example, may advise you to seek the appropriate medical treatment for your injury to ensure the damages you’re attempting to claim for can be backed up by your medical records. You may also be advised not to provide any kind of written statement to any at-fault party or their insurer as repercussions pertaining to this could make obtaining compensation more difficult.

3. They Deeper Investigate All Aspects Of Your Case

Personal injury lawyers ensure that they fully investigate every aspect of your case to determine the level of compensation that they think you deserve. By understanding the full extent of your injuries from a medical perspective and assessing the circumstances around your accident, they can make more accurate judgments, and put forward stronger arguments when it comes to negotiating your settlement amount.

Furthermore, this helps personal injury lawyers ascertain whether the at-fault party is attempting to put forward a settlement offer which doesn’t fully compensate you to the degree it should. While many personal injury cases achieve a positive outcome quickly, sometimes the at-fault party can present an unfair offer, usually because they have either not done their own thorough investigation or because they have not considered certain aspects of it with the gravity it is owed.

In such cases, your personal injury lawyer’s investigation of your case will provide a basis for dispute.

4. Negotiates A Fair Settlement

One of the most reassuring aspects of hiring a personal injury lawyer is the knowledge that they will negotiate with the at-fault party so you don’t have to. With expert knowledge of how to deal with insurance companies and other attorneys, personal injury lawyers have a deep understanding of how to best ensure you get what you deserve.

Personal injury lawyers look at more than just the immediate after-effects of an accident. Most victims only consider how their injuries will affect them in the short term and hence will end up overlooking certain aspects of their case and negotiating a lower settlement if they do it themselves. Personal injury lawyers, on the other hand, look at how an accident has changed your life on a larger scale and expertly estimate its long-term effects.

For example, if you’ve had an auto accident and you haven’t been able to work for some time, calls from debt collectors may be causing a level of anxiety which is compensable. If you have been in a workplace accident, for which a major back or spinal cord injury has been sustained, you may have to buy specialized equipment in the future and/or visit a physiotherapist for much longer than just the weeks or months which follow.

In many cases, once a personal injury case is settled, it cannot be reopened, and your lawyer wants to make sure they take everything into consideration before advising you to accept an offer.

5. Represent You In Court

Most personal injury cases will be settled outside of court, but on occasion where a fair settlement cannot be reached without third-party intervention, it may be necessary to take a case to trial. In these situations, it is your lawyer’s responsibility to represent you and continue to fight for the compensation you deserve.

Although taking a personal injury case to court is rare, you must ensure that you pick a personal injury lawyer who is happy to take this path should it be necessary. Some personal injury lawyers opt for a quick settlement, rather than a fair one and hence can advise their client to settle out of court in spite of it not being the best option. Before you engage the services of a personal injury lawyer, ask them what their position on taking cases to court is, as well as their experience.

All in all, the number one duty of a personal injury lawyer is to ensure that you are adequately compensated for your injury. They should get to know your case intimately so they can properly estimate an appropriate settlement figure and negotiate with the at-fault party to get it.

When facing legal trouble, or pursuing legal action against another person, some people may be tempted to represent themselves in order to save costs. While you may want to avoid legal fees, the repercussions of not hiring legal representation can far outweigh saving a few dollars. Here is why you should always consult with a lawyer before any legal proceeding:

1. Lawyers are professional negotiators
2. Lawyers are subject matter experts
3. Lawyers can present you case in an organized manner
4. Lawyers know court etiquette 
5. Law is extremely complex
6. The other party will most likely have representation
7. Lawyers are not emotionally involved

Lawyers are professional negotiators. Even if it seems like your case has no hope, and you think representing yourself without a good criminal defense lawyer won’t matter for the outcome of your case, you should still consider representation. Lawyers are great at negotiating sentences, and can lower the amount of time you serve. In some circumstances, they can even get your case dismissed.

Lawyers are subject matter experts. When it comes to the finer details of your case, nobody has the knowledge and expertise quite like a lawyer. If you hire a good lawyer, they will do their homework on your particular area of legal emphasis, and may have previous experience in dealing with it.These seemingly small details can have a major impact on the outcome of your case, so hiring a legal representative is imperative.

Lawyers can present your case in an organized manner. Court proceedings have an order to them, and unless you have studied law, you’re not going to be very well versed in the structure of your proceeding. Presenting your claims/evidence in the right structure can help simplify your case for a jury, and ultimately lead to a better outcome for your case.

Lawyers know courtroom etiquette. Motions, presenting witnesses, and submitting evidence (as well as many other actions in the courtroom) have to be done in a certain manner. The courtroom is not a free-for-all, and it takes a person with specific courtroom knowledge to jump through the legal hoops that will help strengthen your case.

Law is extremely complex. Legal jargon, and the ability to understand the law, is extremely difficult to navigate. This is why lawyers spend a significant amount of time in schooling, and have exams they must pass in order to verify their knowledge. Legal representatives not only have a wealth of knowledge, but also a significant amount of relevant resources they can call upon to help them with your case.

The other party will most likely have representation. Nine times out of ten, the party pitted against you will have hired a lawyer to represent them. The last thing you want to do is put yourself up against someone who is trained in the law, when you yourself are not. If your opposing party has hired a lawyer, it is best to follow suit for the sake of your case.

Lawyers are not emotionally involved. While this may seem like a negative aspect, this doesn’t mean the lawyer does not care about your case. Simply put, a lawyer is less likely to cause disruptions in the courtroom and will most likely have less clouded judgement when it comes to your case. Keeping a level-headed, fact-oriented mindset in the courtroom is extremely important when presenting your case.

The road to becoming a lawyer is a long and difficult one, however, it is also an achievement that only the best talents can attain. The fact that you are even thinking about it shows that you have the determination and desire to succeed. Despite the difficulties, it is also a profession that will bring incredible job satisfaction and financial reward. If this sounds like your dream career path, here are five essential tips to reach your goals and become a lawyer. 

1. Shine During High School

Excelling during high school not only can put you ahead of your competition when it comes to applying for colleges, but it also puts you in the correct frame of mind to pursue a career in law. You are going to have to work hard, so start working hard early. Get involved in extracurricular activities and take part in other activities that involve debating and meeting people as your personal skills will be key once you leave college. 

2. Consider Participating In A Clerkship

A clerkship can give you the opportunity to work for a law firm over the summer or part-time. This will give you essential experience and law firms will look favourably upon this attribute on your résumé. There is also the possibility that the law firm that is providing you with the clerkship may take you on once you graduate from law school. If you are struggling financially and need extra funds to help you with living costs during an internship or clerkship, you can consider personal loans from private lenders. Doing so will keep you financially stable until you start to make money. 

3. Get Involved In College

Like with high school, you should be getting involved as much as possible while at college. If there are positions of responsibility available you should be applying for them. Take extra classes if you need them and try to foster good relationships with your professors, as it will be them who are writing your reference for law school. If you can find work experience, this will help you even more as it shows your willingness to put yourself out there and start learning early. 

4. Don’t Get In Trouble With The Law

It might seem obvious, but it is worth emphasising that you should not get in trouble with the law as it could prevent you from having a career in law. Bar Associations usually put candidates through a moral screening process and any involvement with the law will not look good. The number one rule of becoming a lawyer is to stay out of trouble.

5. Network

Your network can never be big enough, especially in an industry as competitive as law. Start networking early and never miss the opportunity to do so when you are at college or completing an internship or clerkship. The main importance of networking is your connections as they could provide you with opportunities that will completely change the course of your career. Networking works both ways and, to maintain your network, you will need to be prepared to help others when they are in need. A good network will also be able to provide you with advice and support during your journey.

Starting your own law firm can be a daunting task. Not only do you have to worry about the legal aspects of setting up a business, but you also need to find clients and build a reputation.

Here are six tips to keep in mind:

1) Choose the right location

Location is a key factor when it comes to starting your own law firm. Though the type of practice and clients you wish to serve will determine what kind of location will be best for you, there are a few things that remain the same no matter which field of law you enter. Make sure the area is easy to get to from other regions so that potential clients can easily reach out to you if need be. Also, look into local zoning laws and regulations pertaining to businesses in your area; make sure your business complies with all applicable laws.

Via Pexels

2) Have a clear business plan

No matter the type of business you are starting, having a clear and detailed plan is essential for success. With that in mind, creating a comprehensive business plan is crucial when founding your own law firm. This will help you develop an actionable strategy to reach your goals, as well as provide potential investors with details about your objectives and vision for the future.

3) Understand billing requirements

Billing is a crucial aspect of any law firm, so it’s important to have an understanding of how to bill clients properly. According to the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers must have clear communication regarding fees with their clients before they start working on their case or issue.

4) Invest in marketing

Marketing is a necessity for any business, and your law firm should be no exception. Invest in marketing materials such as brochures, mailers, websites, and more to ensure that potential clients are aware of your law firm’s services. Additionally, consider advertising through social media platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook to boost your reach and attract new clients.

5) Excellent customer service

Clients should always be treated with respect and understanding, no matter the issue. When starting your own law firm, you might not have much office help so you want to be sure that all calls and queries are answered and not ignored. Investing in an answering service for attorneys with Go Answer can ensure excellent customer service that goes beyond what is expected of you. This includes responding to clients in a timely manner, listening carefully to their needs, and going above and beyond to meet their legal requirements.

6) Build a strong team of attorneys

No law firm can operate effectively without a team of experienced and knowledgeable attorneys. Building a solid team that can address different legal issues is essential to provide clients with comprehensive services. When building your team, look for diverse backgrounds and experiences so that you’re able to cover as many areas of law as possible.

Starting your own law firm takes hard work, knowledge, and dedication. Keep these six tips in mind when setting up a shop; choose the right location, have a clear business plan, understand billing requirements, invest in marketing strategies, provide excellent customer service, and build a strong team of attorneys. With this foundation established from the start, you will be well on your way towards creating a successful practice.