What’s the best law office organization system? Easy. It’s the one you will use. If you want to control the chaos in your office, you can’t wait for the perfect system to come along. So let’s start.
Table of contents
- Organize the CHAOS of Your Office Once and For All
- Organization for Law Firms
- 10 Tips to (Finally) Organize Your Law Office
- Additional Tips for Organizing Your Law Firm: Don’t Forget About Law Firm Time Management and Legal Technology
- How to Be More Productive and Less Stressed.
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Organize the CHAOS of Your Office Once and For All
What do I mean by CHAOS — and what’s with the caps? If you have read any of my past articles here at Attorney at Work, you know I have a thing for creating acronyms: D-A-F-T, SAD, Ctrl Journal, BYOB. One day I’ll create a dictionary of them all, but for now, I’m concentrating on one of my favorites — the CHAOS of the office, which includes the critical aspect of file organization.
CHAOS stands for ‘Complete Havoc and Overwhelming Stress’
From the piles of paper everywhere to the inbox with hundreds (or thousands) of emails, to the apps and pieces of equipment you need to master so you can process both paying and business work — it’s A LOT. A lot to know. A lot to do. And you are only one person, and the day only has 24 hours.
So how, in the whirlwind of office life, client commitments and court dates, the digital demands and overwhelming data, do you clear the office CHAOS? Simple: You need to get organized.
Your office needs to be decluttered, your inbox needs to be emptied, and you need to make sure you have processes and people in place to delegate all the tasks that you can.
Getting organized isn’t hard (when you KNOW what to do).
However, before you DO anything, here are a few tips to make law office organization much, much easier. Using law firm software is crucial to improve efficiency and manage tasks effectively amidst the demanding nature of the legal profession.
Organization for Law Firms
In a law firm, organization isn’t a nice to have – it’s a must have. A organized law firm can manage its workload, prioritize tasks and meet deadlines which means increased client satisfaction and loyalty. When your law office is organized you can reduce stress and improve employee morale which means better performance and less turnover.
Staying ahead means managing your time and resources. Implementing good organization strategies means law firms can streamline, reduce waste and increase their bottom line. By keeping digital files in order, clear client communications and using project management tools you can increase client satisfaction and revenue. Remember an organized law firm is a thriving law firm.
Understanding the impact of organization on productivity and client satisfaction.
10 Tips to (Finally) Organize Your Law Office
1. Getting organized is a choice.
Plain and simple, you have to choose to do something about the chaos that is your office. Continuing to do what you have always done will result in the same frustrations, stresses and negatives. And as the world flings even more data and to-dos at you, the problem will only get worse.
It will be hard, but you will have to decide to make yourself change — to stop ignoring the problems with your office and its workflow and take action to get organized.
2. Knowing what you need to get done is half the battle.
This is where most people find themselves at a loss. You decide to get organized but either don’t know what needs to be done or don’t know how to get organized. Start with a clean pad of paper and begin writing down everything you need to do “for the office.” Then rework the list into similar items — tasks that can be batched or, even better, delegated and off your personal to-do list altogether!
3. Balance is bullshit.
Think about it. Balance just means you could be giving 98% to your work and 2% to everything else. The scales are balanced, but are you? No! So stop trying to juggle everything. Instead, learn how to control the flow, so you don’t drown in the digital.
4. Write stuff down.
I am a digital warrior, but that does not remove the need for me to write things down, by hand, on paper. Studies show that writing helps people store and recall information. You think about it differently than you think about things you type. But that’s not the only reason I write things down: There’s an intention when you commit something to paper.
I write things down in my Ctrl journal — my process for daily note-taking. This is where I list my three MIT (Most Important Things) each morning, and where I have a spot for free-form note-taking plus a spot for structured notes. My journal also contains a calendar with annual dates and ongoing commitments.
Here’s my process.
Each morning I begin the day by flipping to a new spread in my Ctrl journal, where I write the day and date, and list 1, 2, 3 in the upper right. This could be the initials of a person I want to connect with or a few words about the item I need to get done.
In writing down this daily list of three, I not only commit to them, I also:
- Have a visual reminder of what I need to get done.
- Give myself a way to feel good by crossing off items as completed.
- Create a record of what I have done (or not) — all with just a couple of initials or words.
Not bad, for one little habit! That said, I truly believe this next tip is the most important.
5. Wake to a fresh new day.
Once you get your law office’s processes, workflow, systems and technology organized, you will feel tremendous gratification. It won’t last.
I’m not saying the habits you create won’t last, but even the most organized person will have some really disorganized days. Sometimes weeks. That’s OK. When it happens, just remember that tomorrow you get to wake to a fresh new day, pull out a pad of paper and start getting everything out of your head. (See No. 2 above.)
6. Start with just one problem area for file organization.
We’ve already established that you have A LOT to do. Don’t try to set up every single system at once. Instead, choose one single area to work on at a time. For example, all the incoming paper is a big problem for many businesses. By getting paper under control, you immediately eliminate a lot of the clutter. You may at some point try transitioning to a paperless law firm by digitizing documents and reducing reliance on physical paperwork, this can really enhance organizational effectiveness.
Back to the task at hand, decide where to start based on how you complete this sentence:
“The thing that bothers me most in my office is … ”
7. Choose a law office organization system you know you will be able to work with.
Simple is generally best — anything too complicated might become overwhelming. Why set yourself up to fail? Remember, if paper management (or whatever area you are trying to improve) was easy for you, you would not be in this bind in the first place.
8. Put together the items you need to implement your law office organization system.
Organizing paper (piles) might require file folders, file cabinets, binders, a good scanner and so on. At some point, you might consider using legal practice management software that can automate tasks and manage digital files, improving efficiency and organization in your law firm. But, let’s continue. Don’t let a lack of sticky notes sabotage your organizing effort. Establish an incoming mail center. Take notes as you go to memorialize the steps you are taking with each repetitive task, and carefully follow all directions in implementing any system.
9. Don’t try to do all the organizing your business needs at one time.
Once you’ve gathered the tools you need and understand the steps required, further breakdown and work on organizing the pile or inbox or to-dos as you can throughout your day. You’d be surprised how quickly things get done in only 10- or 15-minute blocks.
If you find that the system you are using does not address a particular need, fix it. Decide how to handle that need going forward, and add it to your system. The beauty of organizing your practice using systems — even systems other people create — is that if something doesn’t work, or you need to add something new, you can make changes at any point and reorganize as you go.
10. Make no excuses for poor time management
Finally, you must use your system like clockwork. That is the only way any system will work well for you.
Additional Tips for Organizing Your Law Firm: Don’t Forget About Law Firm Time Management and Legal Technology
Time Management Tips
Time management is the key to productivity in any law firm. By learning to prioritise tasks, billable hours and not procrastination you can manage your workload and achieve your goals with less stress. Here are some time management tips for law firms:
- Prioritize tasks: Identify the most important tasks and do them first. Use a task management tool to categorize tasks by urgency and importance so nothing slips through the net.
- Use a calendar: A digital calendar is your best friend. Book appointments, meetings and deadlines and set reminders to stay on track.
- Billable hours: Accurate billing is key. Use time tracking software to track billable hours closely.
- Don’t multitask: Focus on one task at a time to reduce errors and increase productivity. Multitasking leads to mistakes and wasted time.
- Take breaks: Regular breaks are vital to recharge and avoid burnout. A fresh mind is more productive.
By using these time management tips law firms can be more productive, less stressed and achieve their goals.
How to Be More Productive and Less Stressed.
Technology for Efficiency
Using technology in your law office can increase efficiency big time. Here are the essential tools and software to help you streamline your processes:
- Law practice management software: This all in one tool manages client communications, digital files and project management so everything runs smoothly.
- Task management tools: Prioritize tasks, assign to team members and track progress with ease using task management software.
- Time tracking software: Track billable hours to ensure accurate billing and increase revenue.
- Document management system: Organize and manage digital files so you don’t need to rely on paper files and improve collaboration.
- Client portal: Improve client communication by providing a secure platform to share documents and case updates.
By using these tools law firms can be more efficient, cost effective and client happy. Using the right tools can turn your law office into a well oiled machine ready for anything.
Illustration ©iStockPhoto.com
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