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    Time Management Tips for Law Firms

    by SimpleLaw on
    Time Tracking Time Management for Attorneys Time Management

    In this increasingly fast-paced world, time management is a crucial to ensuring the law firm has a positive reputation. It’s also a skill that is criminally overlooked. Mastering time management will set you up for a higher caliber of productivity and reliability. Time management mastery is a must have any law firm aiming to be a step above their competitors. Here are some tips to help maximize time management in your law firm, and let its punctuality speak for itself.

    Prioritization

    To maximize your productivity and output, you first need to identify the priorities. Law firms are always busy and it’s incredibly easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work or responsibilities. That’s why it’s important to make decisions regarding the order of importance of your work and obligations. Figure out what is the most urgent and start ranking from there.

    There is a difference between urgency and importance. If you have the time, check out the Eisenhower Matrix. Guidance under this philosophy identifies items as urgent, important, both. For example, completing a filing for a court deadline is urgent and important. Other items, like responding to a unexpected calls or emails can feel urgent, but may not be important. Important items are those that lead to a desired outcome, whether matter related or professional development, but are not bound by a specific deadline, CLEs not withstanding.

    When reviewing and creating priorities, consider which items fall in which categories. To the extent possible, follow urgent & important first, then important, then urgent. Of course, tasks move between categories over time and developments.

    Blocking Time

    Also known as Time-Blocking, it’s the process of going through your calendar and making actual blocks of time dedicated to certain tasks. Making sure your time-blocking is concrete and consistent gives you a reliable outline of your workday. This a great to clear up uncertainty and the stress that often comes with it. If time management is the key to productivity, then time-blocking is the key to time management.

    When setting your time blocks, think in big chunks of categories. Examples may be document creation and management, client contact, business development, research, etc. Of course, each day will vary based on urgent/important items noted above, but having some structure to the day gives you guidelines and keeps an eye on the big picture. 

    Delegation

    Recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses is one of the most important parts of any business, law firms included. Figure out what each member of your team is best at (if you haven't already) and delegate tasks accordingly. Give those with writing skills tasks such as drafting briefs or legal memos. Those with good social skills can manage tasks that involve direct communication and so on. Effective delegation can maximize chances of completing work while also establishing trust and camaraderie between coworkers. Working together will help you win together.

    If it's just you as a solo law firm and your list is simply too long, consider engaging a part-time or contract team member. Many case management software platforms, like SimpleLaw, provide portal access for these on-demand resources. With SimpleLaw, firms can find vetted paralegals right through the platform, too.

    Keeping Track of Time

    This is different from Time-boxing, which pertains to planned usage of time. Time tracking, meanwhile, is exactly what it sounds like: keeping track of how time is actually spent. By keeping concrete and precise records of how time is spent, you'll see the strengths and weaknesses of your firm more easily. It can also tell you whether or not changes in the framework are needed.

    Case management software platforms support tracking time whether billable or not. If your firm isn't sure how time is being spent, consider using the non-billable time tracking feature to gain insight. 

    Deadlines

    Finishing things on time is important, and so is understanding what you can and cannot. Set realistic, achievable deadlines for tasks. If a task can be broken down into smaller segments, build deadlines for each of them. If you have a particularly daunting task ahead of you, think of it like building a house. Set deadlines for the foundation, walls, roof, interior, furnishing, and so on. This will greatly minimize stress for you and your co-workers.

    Naturally, deadlines move. Planning ahead, with cushion, is always a good idea. No one likes feeling like they are behind. Consider using case management software to set your deadlines, reminders along the way, and more. Workflows are a great tool to automatically create and assign the work with the deadline in mind.

    Time management is a crucial skill for everyone, but law firms in particular. Consider these recommendations, what works for you, and how you can leverage case management software to make the most of managing your time. What tricks do you use to keep the firm on track?

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