You’ve Defined Roles…Now What?

Presented by

Roslyn Drotar

You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?1 © 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC

• Why: Planning for the work you anticipate

Planning for the work you don’t anticipate – the BIGGER challenge

Employees with clearly defined roles are statistically more engaged*

Clearly Define First!

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?2

• Blaming others for the job not getting done

• Out of balance workloads

• Lack of action because of ineffective communication

• A “not sure” so “take no action” attitude

• A reactive work environment

• Poor morale

• Multiple stops needed to find an answer

Symptoms of role confusion

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?3

1. Attorney

2. Client Services Coordinator

3. Drafting Coordinator

4. Medicaid Coordinator

5. VA Benefits Coordinator

6. Relationship Management

7. Funding Coordinator

8. Probate / Trust Administration

9. HR / Finance

Estate planning/elder lawpractice roles

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?4

The role of the attorney is to provide legal advice and counseling to clients. Meet with referral sources and participate in community. Provide leadership to the firm and generate revenue. Meet regularly with the team on the present and future practice. Goal setting and strategic planning.

Attorney

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?5

• Conduct RMS meetings (Synergy, Strategy, Relationship Review)

• Conduct firm presentations (Community, Professional, Firm Workshops, Private Workshops)

• Client meetings (Initial, Vision, Design, Sign, Review)

• Lead/Attend Firm meetings

• Trust/Plan Document Review

• Finance

Review weekly Firm reports

Ensure Firm bills are paid

Create annual budgets

• Operations

Ensure Firm equipment (copiers, computers, etc.) are purchased

Create priorities

• Marketing

Branding of Law Firm

Creation of marketing materials

Attorney:Roles & Tasks

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?6

Client Services is responsible for making sure the client is maintained at its highest level. This includes ensuring that all client calls are handled timely, all client questions are answered timely and all client issues are brought to the attention of the appropriate team member to address. Client Services is also responsible for all reporting of client cancellations, rescheduling, compliments and/or concerns.

Client services coordinator

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?7

• Schedule Client

• Workshop Registration

• Workshop Setup

• Create and Manage Workshop Materials

• Greet Workshop Attendees

• Workshop Attendance

• Personal Note to Client from Attorney

• Confirmation Letters for Client Appointments

• Miscellaneous Client Requests

• Client Phone Calls

• Client File Creation

Client services coordinatorRoles & Tasks

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?8

• Daily Client Meeting Preparation

• Fee Collection

• Mail Sorting

• Database Updating, Daily Filing, Copying & Mail

• Tracking Client Concerns

• Weekly Focuser Reports

• Answering phones

• Office Opening

• Personal Correspondence and Scheduling

• Daily Deposits

• Engagement Agreement Preparation

• Forms - Ensuring all key forms are in all conference/meeting rooms

Client services coordinator

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?9

Review Your roleJob Descriptions

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?10

Make it realWhose Doing What?

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?11

WEEKLY TIME TEMPLATE

HOURS MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

8:00 Weekend E-mails Drafting E-mails/Mail Guardianships SMH/JLR

8:30 Prep for Mtgs. Facebook/Blog Meeting

9:00 Team Meeting Prep for next day

9:30 Marketing

10:00 Marketing

10:30 Marketing (R&D)

11:00 Meeting

11:30

12:00 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch

12:30

1:00 Overflow Drafting Guardianships Marketing

1:30 Time Roundtable

2:00 (Start Drafting, Drafting

2:30 Misc. Projects, (Finalize Docs)

3:00 Development,

3:30 Etc.)

4:00 E-mails/Mail E-mails/Mail E-mails/Mail E-mails/Mail

4:30 Facebook/Blog Facebook/Blog Facebook/Blog Facebook/Blog

5:00 Prep for next day Prep for next day Prep for next day Prep for next week

time template

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?12

• Job Descriptions

• Whose Doing What

• Time Templates

• Team Meetings

The recipe to success

© 2014. Lawyers with Purpose, LLC You’ve Defined Roles… Now What?13

DebriefPlease Complete your Evaluation

Your Feedback is Important to us!

© 2014. Lawyers With PurposeActionStepping into the Future14