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Posted by College.com on April 30, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Maybe you just graduated from law school and opened up your own practice in your hometown or joined an existing small law firm. You want to be a success, but there is no shortage of lawyers. You want to expand your client base as much as possible, but you don`t have the resources for a large PR campaign and aren’t well known enough for word of mouth business.
Having an online presence is a necessity in these times and the first step is a website. If you want a professionally designed website, it can cost several thousand dollars. If you have basic 
technical knowledge, you can create your own website using platforms such as Drupal and WordPress.
These are relatively user-friendly content management systems and they provide many website templates, so if you needed to, you could simply plug in the information for a website. Why is a website important? When a person needs a lawyer, they don`t look it up in the phone book anymore. They go to a search engine to find one. A website is your portal to new clients. A well designed website that highlights your skills and knowledge along with easily accessible contact information can begin generating leads as soon as it`s indexed by Google and other search engines.
In a world dominated by cloud computing and virtual everything, you can save money by having a virtual office. A laptop, tablet and cell phone can be your office manager and an answering service can be your receptionist. You don`t even need to have a brick and mortar building. Check your messages on the road, access your financial and contact records via your laptop or tablet and you can be completely plugged in.
There are also companies such as Total Attorneys that specialize in creating efficient virtual offices. They are cloud-based companies that assist in all aspects of your practice from marketing to office management. What makes these companies a hit with small firms is that they can pool the resources of all their clients to save money on large-scale projects. For example, it would cost a single firm considerably more for advertising, but if a company like Total Attorneys could broker for 100 law firms, the advertising company would probably provide a price break.
They can also assist you in all aspects of your office management including legal software, invoicing, data storage and client collaboration. You can focus on gaining clients and winning cases and Total Attorneys can keep your one-man office running smoothly and efficiently.
Most new law school graduates have to start at the bottom and work for several years before they have the clout and clients to start their own practice. With today`s low cost alternatives like Total Attorneys, new grads can start out with all the help they need to begin their own practice.
There are a million law degrees graduates out there and they all want to be the best. The ones that rise to the top are those not afraid to take the bull by the horns and try something new. With today`s technological advances, you can shoot to the top right from the start.
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Posted by Marie Westerhof on December 16, 2011 at 10:32 am
December 16, 2011 (San Diego, CA) – Law firm practice management software, such as a Virtual Law Office (or VLO), may be an excellent solution for law firms expecting to suffer setbacks due to the coming changes to the Unites States Postal Service delivery system. The USPS is seeking to end next-day mail delivery in an attempt to cut costs and stay open – and as attorney web design firm Legal Web Experts reports, many law firms that rely heavily on prompt mail delivery could find their practices in trouble without a reliably fast mail service.
With increased reliance on email and internet technology for communication and sending of documents, the U.S. Postal Service has struggled over the last several years to continue providing many first-class mail services. They recently announced a plan to save $2.1 billion in costs by laying off 28,000 workers, closing hundreds of mail processing plants and ending next-day delivery of regular (also known as “first-class”) mail.
Without next-day mail delivery, the delay of important court papers, documents, evidence and other materials could cause problems and even cost an attorney their case. By switching to a law firm practice management software system, legal practices that rely heavily on the mail could completely avoid problems associated with the USPS. “Sending and uploading documents via the internet is beginning to affect every industry, including legal,” says Ryan Nelson, Director of Operations for attorney web design firm Legal Web Experts. “All firms must seriously consider having a digital document sending solution – or, at the very least, have a solution that can be implemented quickly should they need it.”
The Virtual Law Office (or VLO) system allows attorneys to set up a client login portal on their website. Clients can log in over a secure connection to download and upload documents, send completed forms, securely message their attorney and even make payments online. Beyond simply solving the mailing problem, a VLO allows lawyers increased flexibility at their office and gives them the ability to work from anywhere. Clients also love the flexibility of sending and completing forms and documents online and communicating without traveling to their attorney’s office. The VLO can be integrated into almost any website in under two weeks – in many cases, within days. There are a number of low-cost online law office solutions that can fulfill a law firm’s document-sharing needs.
The USPS anticipates holding off on the mail delay until at least May 15, 2012. In the meantime, it is advisable for attorneys who depend on prompt mail in their legal practices to look into options like VLOs.
About Legal Web Experts
Legal Web Experts, a division of New Wave Enterprises LLC, offers expert attorney web design and affordable Virtual Law Office integration for law firms of any size. For more information, visit http://www.legalwebexperts.com.
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Posted by Marie Westerhof on July 27, 2011 at 2:36 pm
The concept of “cloud computing” has really taken off among legal web development agencies and users in the past several years. It’s a system that solves a lot of problems, but many business owners looking into web development solutions are unsure of what it really is and how it can help them.
Cloud computing is a way of storing and accessing digital documents – as well as performing digital tasks – on an outside server. A server is a large computer that stores files and displays them online. Traditionally, while you’re working on your computer or smartphone, your documents and data will be stored on that computer or on that smartphone. Instead, cloud computing systems store this data on a server that is accessed via the internet.
As “cloud” is a common metaphor for the internet, the name explains more now: rather than computing on your own computer and home (or office) network devices, you’re doing your computing work on an outside server, which allows you to store information and access it from any location. SaaS (or “software as a service”)-style cloud computing uses a single browser application to allow users to access the information stored on the “cloud.” This means no additional costs or investment in software or servers for the clients, and the price of an SaaS system is usually quite affordable.
So how can cloud computing benefit a legal practice? With more and more law firms creating a “Virtual Law Office” identity for themselves, SaaS cloud computing is the simplest and most cost-effective way to set up a VLO system. Cloud computing makes this possible by allowing for document storage and tasks on a browser-accessible shared portal. For more information on setting up a virtual law office, visit Legal Web Experts online.
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Posted by Ryan Nelson on July 18, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Updated 7/19/2011 – When we speak with lawyers in our business, which we do every day, we often hear complaints about the mounds of paper that add up in
the office. We also hear that communication is not what it ought to be between employees, clients, and even with judges. The new tablets on today’s market may be changing both of those things substantially.
When the iPad first came out in 2010, it was looked at mostly as a toy for gaming, watching movies, browsing the web and reading books. Now, thanks to its open platform for creating apps, there has been an explosion in useful utilities for business professionals and lawyers to use. Furthermore, with Google’s Android tablet platform, the price of tablets has dropped to where just about anyone can afford one. Google’s Android platform is also open source, so anyone with the programming knowledge of the platform can create a useful app. A recent ABA technology survey estimated that about 130,000 lawyers (or 13%) nationwide use an iPad.
As a legal website design firm, we are beginning to see the desire for attorneys not only to find useful apps for their firm, but also create their own to help out their practice or business. Tablets can not only be used with Virtual Law Offices to access client data, but also with other more conventional software like Microsoft Office. For presentations, attorneys can simply plug in their tablet to show an exhibit in PowerPoint.
Many larger firms are distributing tablets to their employees to allow better inter-firm communication as well as the ability to locate files from anywhere, even sometimes showing documents to judges from a tablet. Having this quick and easy access to such necessary documents in a courtroom is invaluable to those who are utilizing this technology now. Starting from as low as $100, there is no reason every firm does not have at least one tablet to try out in their office.
Two personal injury lawyers in Arizona, Marc Lamber and James Goodnow, give iPads to all of their personal injury clients. The iPads enable clients to contact them 24/7, take photos of accident scenes, videos of injuries, and exchange legal documents over dedicated email addresses.
We make websites in the medical industry as well, where we have seen tablets rise in popularity, even long before the iPad was spoken about. The issue thus far has been that they are cumbersome, slow, and use inefficient software like Windows, which was not made to run on a tablet PC. With Apple and Google’s newer platforms, those issues are resolved. The increase not only of tablets in doctors offices, but also apps to help physicians, has spiked in the past year and is not likely to stop. The great thing about open-source app development is that even if your device is older, you can get the newest apps to make your device better and more valuable to you than the day you bought it.
Bottom line: Go buy a tablet now, you won’t regret it. Our recommendations are the iPad 2 for Apple or the Samsung Galaxy Pad with Google Android.
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Posted by Ryan Nelson on July 15, 2011 at 1:40 pm
If you are looking for ways to increase practice efficiency, de-clutter much of the paper mess that you currently shuffle through, and ultimately increase your bottom line, here is where you should start:
1. Start Using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System
Implementing a CRM is not very expensive, and there are many that are tailored towards lawyers, called Virtual Law Offices (VLOs). In a 2010 ABA survey, 14% of lawyers polled said affirmatively that they use Internet-based software to communicate with clients, and that number is on the rise. VLOs allow you to manage clients from any computer in the world, track billable hours, receive payments, make appointments, etc. Our business operates with one and we wouldn’t dream of life without it now.
2. Build an Attorney Website
It’s simple to get a website up and is affordable for literally everyone. You can create your own site for free, or pay a legal web design company to create a nicer custom one for you. For about $2,000 you can have a great looking site that is built to have you found in Google. If you need more clients, most design companies can do additional marketing to improve your site’s ranking in search engines.
3. Go Paperless.
We know … it’s a daunting task. Converting thousands of your documents can be overwhelming even to think about. In many cases it isn’t even possible, as you will have to present certain documents in court. So start by selecting one process you do now, that can be done paperless. If you don’t already, start using an online calendar like Google’s – you can sync it with your phone and access it from anywhere. The dusty rolodex you’ve had for 12 years? Have someone in the office put it into Outlook or Google contacts…then you can see it wherever you are.
4. Make Yourself Mobile
There are countless numbers of cell phones to choose from, but if you are looking at smartphones, we recommend a Blackberry, an iPhone, or any Android-ready phone. These phones make writing email and general communication easy. One of their strengths is that they are very customizable, so if you have written off ever using a smart phone, you may want to rethink. They can be stripped down to the basics for simple users, and many apps can be added to help productivity. In a recent survey of attorneys, 27% of respondents said they use at least one legal-related app on their phone.
5. Pick Up a Tablet
Tablets aren’t for everyone, but they can be a great way to keep track of just about everything for attorneys. Smaller and lighter than a laptop, but larger and more functional than a phone, tablets allow you to read documents and websites, while easily fitting into your briefcase. 1 in 5 firms says an iPad is available for their employees to use. An iPad or Andriod-enabled tablet is your best bet.
Check back in with us periodically for more tips on how to stay ahead of the game in the legal industry. For more ways to help your firm excel online, contact us.
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Posted by Ryan Nelson on February 23, 2011 at 1:19 pm
In working closely with law firms and legal software, legal web design firm Legal Web Experts is reporting an increased trend toward virtual law offices in recent years. A method of delivering legal services from anywhere the client or attorney can access the Internet, virtual law offices are joining a trend set by other industries in taking many primary business functions online.
While a traditional law office requires much face-to-face contact and constant in-person meetings, a virtual law office has the advantage of delivering legal services completely online and over the phone. This is done through an online client portal allowing clients to log in and communicate securely with their attorney. This portal affords the same amount of security as an online bank login, and a similar system (dubbed a “patient portal”) is becoming increasingly popular amongst physician practice and hospital websites.
The legal client portal allows for full interaction between client and attorney up through payment transactions. This is not only a more convenient system for clients; the online access means that they can consult with their attorneys and resolve legal matters without leaving home. Many portals also feature legal document storage, filing, legal forms, organization of legal documents, and other services. Clients of virtual law offices can access their legal documents through an online portal with no need to contact their attorney in advance.
The system also has many advantages for law firms. Virtual law firms are often completely paperless, which saves money, space, and has added environmental benefits. They also enjoy lower overhead expenses, more flexible hours and travel considerations, and the ability to reach out to clients in different locations. “Virtual law offices aren’t just a new opportunity for law firms who are in the market for more clients,” says Ryan Nelson, Director of Operations at legal website design firm Legal Web Experts. “They’re a way to increase the quality of your services and improve the way you run your practice.” With the growing trend of legal practices leveraging technology to improve and streamline services, Legal Web Experts predicts that the American legal community will see an increasing number of virtual law firms offering accessible, online legal services in the coming years.
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