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Hiring a legal assistant can be one of the smartest decisions your solo practice ever makes. Many attorneys feel that legal assistants are an extravagance reserved only for large law firms. The truth is that attorneys in small law firms can often benefit more from having a legal assistant than the attorneys in those large firms. Attorneys in solo practices and small law firms often have no one to pick up the slack when challenges arise. To learn more about how to hire a legal assistant, read the other two articles in this series called “Hiring and Managing Legal Assistants Parts I and II.”
Once you’ve hired your assistant, you will need to do a few things to ensure that your get off to a good start. Remember that your legal assistant is a partner, a critical member of your team.
Spell Things Out
Be crystal clear with your legal assistant about your expectations. Don’t assume that they will understand what you want or why you want it.
Decide together how often you want to be updated on projects. Have a weekly meeting or connect once at the start of each day, depending on what works best for the two of you. Find a communication balance. Checking in with each other too often can lead to a lack of productivity. However, not checking in often enough can lead to projects getting off course. The more that the two of you work together, the easier it will be to find a natural flow of communication.
Remember that no one is perfect
Prioritize. You’re not hiring a best friend or looking for a life companion. While you may not generally like outspoken people, it may just what you need in an assistant. You want a legal assistant who is bold enough to tell you if they see trouble on the horizon and you want them to have the guts to handle it if you’re not around. Many assistants will simply act as if their job was to record the disaster. You want someone head strong enough to make last minute decisions, even if it is an area where they have yet to receive proper training.
Don’t Keep Secrets from You Legal Assistant
If you want your firm to fail, keep your assistant in the dark. Your assistant is your ally, not your enemy. If you can’t trust them with sensitive information then you need to get someone who you can trust. Your assistant will be tasked with making decisions everyday on your behalf. Let your assistant get into your head. Help them to understand not only what you are doing, but why you are doing it. You want to feel that, when you leave the office for meetings and litigation, you have left a small version of yourself behind. Your legal assistant should be someone who can, to some degree, handle things while you’re unavailable.
A competent legal assistant should know you and your style well enough to write your blog, send out your newsletter, and even seek out networking and speaking opportunities for you. They will also need to know where you plan to take your firm and your plan on how to get there.
Maintain Boundaries
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your legal assistant is going to become your best friend. Sharing too much of your personal life will get in the way of work. Maintain a courteous and professional relationship to ensure smooth sailing. Getting too close can lead to problems between the two of you that are not work related. Since you hired an assistant to ease your burden, don’t add to it by letting the relationship get complicated.
Read up on Human Resources Law
Every state has different guidelines for hours, overtime, vacation, communication etc. Be sure to have a general idea of what things are and are not acceptable in your state. Be sure that your work conditions meet OSHA standards. The last thing you need is a lawsuit because of an unnecessary work injury.
Invest in Your Legal Assistan
If there is new software that could make your legal assistant’s job easier, buy it and get your assistant trained. Remember, that these types of investments will almost always pay off in the end. You will find that as your assistant’s skills grow, so will their levels of responsibility. The goal is for you to pass off things that can be done by someone else, so that you can focus on the things that only you can do for your firm.
Making the decision to hire a legal assistant is a big step to take. Be sure to plan before you start your search. When you do search, be thorough as you screen applicants and up front about your own expectations. Additionally, develop a strong relationship with your legal assistant from the start. Realize that a good legal assistant is more of a team member than an employee. Lastly, enjoy having some extra time on your hands. Use it to find new and innovative ways to grow your practice and deepen your expertise.