Lawyers’ Top Ten Law Practice/Client Service Problems and How to Solve Them, part 5
At ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., we use common sense and proven system to solve the “Top Practice & Client Problems.” “Problems” #8 and #9 and the ABRAMS LANDAU solutions are:
•8. Keeping track of billable time spent on client matters
Let’s face facts, most of my injured clients cannot possibly advance thousands of dollars for an hourly retainer like the doctors, businesses and lawyers who hire me. That is why 95% of our work is with a contingency fee contract where I am not paid for my time and effort unless I am successful in the case. That is also why my staff and I generally do not waste time keeping time records and billing clients. While I have won cases where the court has asked for a time computation, our thorough note taking, computerization and documentation has enabled the Courts to make significant fee awards in a number of our cases.
•9. Interruptions from clients
In addition to the strategies outlined in #3, above, we also discourage “walk ins” other than to drop off documents, evidence or to get pictures taken. Your neurosurgeon probably does not see “drop ins” and neither do I. It is not fair to long-time clients who have made appointments in advance. And nobody likes to be kept waiting, especially by someone else who has “cut in line.” So, while I do like my clients, I cannot possibly be effective if I am interrupted while in the midst of major case projects, depositions, conference calls or strategy sessions.
See tomorrow’s post for another of our strategies for solving these “law practice problems.”