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Lawyers and Technological Change
It can be hard for any of us to embrace new technology, but a recent article from law.com addresses how lawyers in particular have trouble embracing advances that would improve their work experience (and probably their bottom line too!) It certainly has been my experience that lawyers can be cautious about embracing technology. I know of many sole practitioners who were hesitant to even get internet in their offices – they were more concerned about abuse by employees than the many benefits online access could offer. Personally, my favorite technological advances are the ones that reduce my dependence on paper! I have found in my years of legal assistance work...
Read MoreLegal Secretarial Layoffs
I just read this article about a large lawfirm in the US that laid off 70 legal support staff – wow! It’s pretty scary for people during these times of economic slowdown, layoffs and paycuts. This is an excellent time though, I think, to take a chance and change your approach to support staff. Freelancers make it easier to slow down on the amount of work being completed (and thus save some money), but also leave open the opportunity to ramp up quickly when work picks up again. You keep your experienced and professional support personnel near to hand but don’t have to provide busywork when your practice has taken a...
Read MoreThink Outside The Box
When I first decided to start a freelance secretarial business, I worried it would be a difficult concept to sell. I still worry actually! But when I read this article from Law Practice Today I realized that so many services are already outsourced by lawfirms and businesses that my fears are unfounded. Virtual assistance (legal or otherwise) may not be a “job” people are well aware of, but for visionary people it’s actually a logical step forward in the rapidly changing business market. After all, what business owner doesn’t need to free up some time? What business owner doesn’t want a skilled and experienced assistant to tackle at least...
Read MoreChallenging Tradition
I first read about the company Fairway Divorce Solutions a few months ago in Alberta Venture magazine. Now I see an article about it in the Financial Post and I’m so glad. Divorce is a sad and often ugly process and I love that there are alternatives coming into existence. I’ve worked as a legal assistant in a couple of firms that did divorce law and I enjoyed certain aspects of it but always felt that mediation would be very helpful to a lot of clients. It’s pretty tough in an emotional and volatile situation to step back and really come to a resolution that works for everyone but it’s definitely the best choice, especially when children...
Read MoreVA Blog Carnival
I participated in a blog carnival over at VagabondetteVA this week. I think a va carnival is a great idea and hope more va’s participate next time! And I better get a good post or two going so I have something to submit!
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