If you’re a solo or small firm attorney, your revenue is limited to the maximum number of hours you can work in any given day, week, month, or year. And hiring more associates isn’t always the answer. Associates are expensive, plus you have to worry about keeping them busy on billable work. They may also lack the expertise or specialization you need, thereby putting you at a marketing disadvantage. Instead of hiring a full-time associate, you should consider the advantages of using freelance attorneys.
Outsourcing legal services offer many benefits to your practice. These include:
- Make more money. Outsourcing can improve your bottom line by leveraging excess legal capacity and talent. Currently, there is an overabundance of graduating lawyers and the big law “up or out” system is creating thousands of talented and available lawyers with specialized knowledge. You can take advantage of this and get skilled attorneys at reasonable rates on a freelance basis.
- Expand your practice area expertise. With outsourcing, you can meet your clients’ needs by selecting skilled freelance lawyers who have subject matter legal expertise in other areas of the law.
- Achieve flexible staffing for your cases. By using freelance attorneys, you can get help when you need it. You can find qualified legal help at any skill level for any project. You can get assistance with preparing memos, agreements, pleadings, written discovery, and other types of work.
- Move away from the billable hour toward flat fee billing. Outsourcing allows you to engage talented lawyers in a paraprofessional capacity on a flat fee basis to assist you with discrete projects. As a result, you can charge your clients a set fee for legal work instead of hourly billing, which is more frequently being demanded by clients and gives you a marketing advantage.
- Lower the cost of legal services and be more competitive in the market. Outsourcing is often more economical than hiring attorneys because of the overhead costs employees add to your business. Those savings can be passed along to your clients, which gives you a competitive advantage.
- Find work/life balance. Solos and small firms are under more pressure than ever to work constantly in order to make a profit. By using freelance lawyers, you can bring in extra help when you need it without the overhead of a full-time associate, thereby giving you more time with your friends, family, and hobbies.
Companies who provide temporary legal staffing may not meet your needs because they are often geared towards large law firms and have “big law” cost structures. As a solo or small firm, you should consider utilizing a legal services marketplace where you can securely and confidentially find freelance lawyers with the right skill set at the price you choose for your project.
If you are considering using a freelance lawyer to help your practice (and you should), check out www.lawclerk.legal. LAWCLERK is making attorneys more profitable. Signing-up is absolutely free. It’s secure and compliant, fast and easy to use, and always available to help meet your needs.
