Dan Bowman

It’s important for law firms to set goals early on and create accountability plans to stay on track. The legal industry is uncertain and rapidly evolving, but lawyers and firms that can adapt can thrive, no matter what the future brings. Use this blog to learn how to set goals for yourself and embark on a successful year.

Set Goals for Lawyers with SMART Goals

SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals are a bit of a buzzword, but that’s because they work! Vague goals, such as increasing revenue or boosting firm awareness, are undefined and difficult to achieve.

The benefit of SMART goals is that they’re defined, clear, and measurable to keep law firms on track.

SMART goals are:

Specific

Broad goals have little to back them up and are even more difficult to achieve. Goals are specific and defined.

The specific goal should include:

• Why it’s a goal
• How it can be accomplished
• Potential challenges or obstacles

A specific goal helps law firms zero in on what they’re trying to achieve and organize the resources and tools necessary to accomplish it.

Measurable

The only way to tell if a goal is on track is by measuring it. Goals should have metrics that track and assess their progress against milestones or benchmarks.

For example, if a goal includes increasing revenue, it should have a percentage of 5 or 10 percent. Then, law firms can verify if they’re on track to meet or exceed this goal or falling behind, so changes can be made to course correct.

Achievable

Lofty goals are great, but they’re difficult to achieve. If unrealistic goals are set and law firms repeatedly fail, it’s easy for them to lose momentum and get discouraged.

For example, trying to set a goal to increase revenue by 1,000 percent is neither realistic nor achievable, and it’s likely to fail. It’s better for firms to have a realistic, conservative goal that can be met, or even exceeded.

Conversely, setting goals that are too achievable isn’t valuable either. For example, increasing clients by two per year isn’t much of a goal, since that’s likely to happen anyway. Law firms should aim for goals that avoid both extremes and fall in the middle.

Relevant

Goals should always be relevant to the firm’s larger business objective and vision. Increasing revenue is a relevant goal for a firm and contributes to long-term success, but setting personal staff goals or goals that don’t serve the film overall is not.

Time-Bound

Every goal should have a time frame that determines whether it’s successful. Like the other elements of a SMART goal, the time frame should be specific and realistic. Trying to accomplish too much in a short period is a setup for failure, but having no specified time frame makes it more difficult to know if the goal is on track to success.

Using the revenue example, law firm goals should be reasonable and relevant to the specific goal. If the goal is to increase revenue by 5 percent, it should be set for a year’s time. Firms can monitor the progress of the goal and determine if they’re underperforming, overperforming, or on track to hit that target by the end of the year.

Some other examples of SMART goals for law firms include:

• Reduce overhead costs by 15 percent in the next financial year by renegotiating vendor contracts, reducing unnecessary subscription services, and implementing energy-saving practices throughout the office.
• Hire three new senior lawyers with expertise in corporate law, intellectual property, and civil litigation by the end of the fiscal year to meet growing client demands.
• Reduce non-billable hours by 15 percent over the next 12 months by implementing a legal time tracking software that identifies and minimizes inefficiencies in administrative tasks.

Prioritizing Goals for Lawyers

Setting too many goals can be overwhelming and hinder success. Especially if your firm doesn’t have a defined task management process. When planning goals, law firms should consider the firm’s biggest pain points and prioritize them to determine the most important goals to focus on.

Law firms should start with a list of pain points ranging from significant challenges to smaller issues that would be helpful to correct, but not vital. The challenges at the top of the list should determine the goals to prioritize.

Smaller goals may be able to be addressed in shorter time periods, such as a month or quarter, and could be considered after the firm has developed goals for mission-critical problems.

Some examples of significant challenges or pain points may include:

• High billable hours missing
• Inaccurate time tracking
• Inaccuracies and corrections on documents
• Inefficient client onboarding processes or billing processes
• Poor time management

Evaluating Last Year’s Performance

Law firms struggling to determine goals can use the previous year for guidance. When evaluating the prior year’s performance, law firms should consider what goals were met, what was accomplished, and what hindered certain goals from being met.

Identifying areas of improvement is the best way to improve performance and set more attainable goals. Not meeting goals shouldn’t be viewed as a failure, but provide insights into how to improve processes in the future. When assessing goals, firms should get a wide range of opinions from everyone in the firm — not just partners or senior attorneys. Different perspectives can provide insights into the full picture and what contributed to the failure in the first place.

Measuring Goals

Measuring goals is vital to their success, and “measurable” is part of developing SMART goals. The specific key performance indicators (KPIs) a firm uses can vary according to goals, but using technology tools can be a big help.

Legal management platforms, like Bill4Time, offer valuable tools for time tracking, reporting, and revenue tracking to ensure firms reach their goals. These tools can be used to track firm performance metrics, such as revenue and billable hours, invoices, number of clients, and more.

Set Goals for Lawyers to Achieve Success in 2024

The legal industry is changing and evolving, so it’s crucial for firms to set goals to make each year as successful as it can be. Whether the goals are related to marketing, client acquisition, revenue, or growth, goals should always be SMART and aligned with the larger vision of the firm. We hope you found this information on how to set goals for lawyers useful and provided actionable steps to get started!

Did you know that 77% of lawyers have admitted to experiencing burnout? Unfortunately, this alarming statistic isn’t surprising when considering the daily realities many lawyers face.

One of the biggest challenges of life is balancing a career with the desire to live a fulfilling life outside of work. This also applies to lawyers — a career path that’s known for intensive work schedules. Law firms are notorious for long hours, demanding workloads, and competitive environments that aren’t conducive to work-life balance.

Lawyers aren’t immune to the stress of constantly hustling. They are at a higher risk for depression, drug and alcohol abuse, heart disease, divorce, and suicide, according to a study by the American Bar Association.

For lawyers, time — especially billable time — is a finite resource. They may find themselves sacrificing their personal commitments and free time to meet overwhelming demands at the office, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Work-life balance is achievable.

What Is Work-Life Balance?

Work-life balance is the ideal state of balance in which a person prioritizes their career demands with the demands of their personal life equally. Some of the common reasons that work-life balance can suffer may include:

• Increased responsibilities at work
• Long hours
• Increased responsibilities at home
• Having children

A good work-life balance has numerous benefits, including lower stress levels, less risk of burnout, and a strong sense of well-being. While it will never be perfect, you can find better ways to achieve work-life balance and take care of your professional and personal responsibilities.

Why Do Lawyers Struggle with Work-Life Balance?

Every size law firm faces its own unique challenges when it comes to managing operations, staff, and workload. Lawyers often double as managing partners or managers on top of their own caseload. 

This is how lawyers may find themselves working a few evenings or weekends. Before they know it, there’s no separation between work and home. 

For young lawyers, this problem can be more pronounced. They work hard now in hopes that it will pay off later, whether that’s making partner or having a smooth-running practice. But there will always be more clients, more cases, and more work, even if they can no longer work at the same volume and pace.

How Can I Help My Law Firm Staff Have a Better Work-Life Balance?

Work-life balance isn’t a box you can tick off as completed. It’s an ongoing process that should evolve with your firm. 

An important place to start is by documenting what work-life balance looks like for each staff member. You can then use this information to determine a course of action that’s flexible but committed to achieving that goal. It may not be perfect to start, but small steps and consistency can lead to results.

Here’s how each staff member should approach work-life balance:

Outline Personal and Professional Goals

Work-life balance is an individualistic process. Lawyers need to determine what’s working and what isn’t to identify patterns and develop concrete goals. These goals should be written down to keep them top of mind.

Promote Accountability

For your staff to achieve their goals, they need to be accountable to someone. Have your staff share their goals and meet with them once a month to discuss their progress. This will allow you to assess any bottlenecks in their progress and support them as needed. 

Consider Alternative Work Schedules and Styles

Not everyone is suited for a traditional 9-5 schedule, and more and more lawyers are seeing the value in hybrid schedules. Part-time and flex work are also options to give staff more control of their workday. They’ll be more productive when they are working but still have the freedom to balance the responsibilities in their personal lives.

Provide Time for Rest and Relaxation

Making time for self-care can minimize the effects of lawyer burnout. Self-care looks different for everyone, but the general needs include activity, good nutrition, and adequate sleep – all the elements of taking care of yourself.

For this to happen, staff may need some time away from work as needed. Give your staff time off to travel or engage in hobbies or family events. While they may be out of the office, they will come back with new perspectives and renewed focus.

Designate Time for Different Tasks

Few things are as disruptive to productivity as checking your email or phone every few minutes to stay on top of communications with clients or case developments. This not only hurts productivity in the office, but it can seep into personal time and prevent them from being in the moment.

Make sure each lawyer strategically organizes time for emails, case correspondence, and client communication. Instead of responding to each message or email individually, lawyers should set aside an hour or two each day at specific times to address any correspondence. 

Here are some more quick tips for managing tasks:

• Block off focus-time
• Learn strong time management
• Prioritize tasks with deadlines
• Avoid overcommitting to tasks

Ditch the Electronic Leashes

Most everyone carries a digital device that keeps them tethered to work, blurring the boundaries between work time and free time. As more firms embrace digital transformation and automation to make running a law firm easier, less expensive, and more efficient, the downside is that it keeps lawyers “always on,”

Instill boundaries to allow your staff to truly unplug. It’s common for lawyers to sneak in some time on weekends or during vacations to get ahead, but it’s important that they understand that they need some distance in their personal lives.

Use Legal Technology

Cloud-based technology like Bill4Time can help law firms reduce the time spent on administrative tasks and keep everything in one centralized location. Having law practice management software can help you maximize billable work, automate the client intake process, and obtain electronic signatures to get more done in less time.

Achieve Work-Life Balance at Your Firm

Improving work-life balance not only benefits your lawyers, but it can have tremendous advantages for your firm. It’s a work in progress with small steps toward prioritizing work and personal lives equally for more satisfaction and fulfillment.

The six-minute billing increment reflects the intricate nature of legal work. It allows for a detailed breakdown, showing the value of every action taken on behalf of a client. Billing in six-minute increments has historical roots as early as the 1920s and was designed to enhance efficiency and precision.

Transitioning into modern legal practices, advances in technology have significantly simplified the process of capturing six-minute increments. Many law firms now use legal time tracking software to easily record billable hours and foster adherence to billable hours best practices, eliminating manual tracking’s complexity and potential for error.

With all this in mind, let’s examine different billing increments and how to apply them effectively to polish your billing process.

How To Calculate Time in 6-Minute Increments

To calculate time in six-minute increments, divide the work duration in minutes by 6. Each of these increments equals 0.1 of an hour when converted to decimal form. So, for 42 minutes, you get seven increments, which equals 0.7 hours.

Let’s illustrate this with an example: If a client meeting lasts 30 minutes and 12 seconds, you’d record it as 0.6 hours. For a task spanning an hour and a half, it would be 1.5 hours. This method becomes second nature with practice. Some attorneys use a billing increment calculator to simplify this process, or they print a handy 6-minute increment chart like the one below for quick reference:

Legal time tracking software is also extremely helpful in calculating time increments. For example, Bill4Time allows legal professionals to start and stop timers to track exactly how long they spend on each task. Users can also enter their time manually after completing a task if they prefer to keep time that way.

How to Bill in 15-Minute Increments

To bill in 15-minute increments, determine the total minutes worked and divide this number by 15 to find the number of 15-minute blocks. Each block is equivalent to 0.25 of an hour. Thus, working for 45 minutes gives you three blocks, totaling 0.75 hours for billing. Here’s a visual representation of a 15-minute increments timesheet:

Billing in 15-minute increments offers a compromise between the precision of 6-minute increments and the simplicity of rounding up to the nearest hour. The advantages of 15-minute billing include reduced administrative burden, as it’s less time-consuming than tracking in 6-minute blocks. 

However, it does have its drawbacks. It may not provide the same level of transparency as six-minute billing increments and can potentially lead to overbilling if not carefully managed.

For those looking to switch from 15-minute to six-minute increments, consider using time tracking software to make the switch easier. It will automatically record your time, convert it to decimals, multiply that by your hourly rate, and organize it neatly into branded invoices for your clients.

How Do You Calculate Your Billable Hours?

To calculate your billable hours, simply multiply the 6-minute or 15-minute increment you record for the task by your lawyer billable hours rate. So, if you spend an hour and 10 minutes at a court hearing, and your hourly rate is $350, the calculation would be 1.2 x $350 = $420. The client would then be billed $420 for you representing them in court that day, along with any other billable tasks you add to the invoice.

To refine your billable hours process, consider following these best practices:

1. Define Billable Activities: Clearly delineate what qualifies as billable work in your practice. Examples include client meetings, research, drafting documents, court appearances, etc. Ensuring your team understands these definitions is vital so billing is consistent across the firm.
2. Implement Time Tracking Software: Invest in time tracking software to record your billable hours accurately. Such software saves time and reduces the error margin, providing an organized and easily accessible record.
3. Consistency Matters: Stick to a consistent time-keeping routine. Your billing increments, the frequency of invoices, the tasks you bill for — the key is uniformity. This minimizes confusion and enhances transparency for both you and your clients.
4. Review and Analyze: Regularly review your billable hours and law firm profitability metrics to look for trends or patterns. This practice can help you identify areas where you’re spending too much or too little time, allowing for better firm management.

Mastering these best practices ensures your legal practice operates at its highest level of efficiency and integrity.

How Many Hours Is 1,800 Billable Hours?

To meet a yearly quota of 1,800 billable hours, expect to work more hours to cover time not directly billable to clients. This means your total work hours could reach 2,000 to 2,200, or roughly 8 to 9 hours daily.

Pursuing 1,800 billable hours annually is a common aspiration for lawyers and an industry-standard benchmark. But how can you reach this target? It’s achievable through diligent time management, focused work, and supporting software. Common strategies to meet and surpass this target include:

1. Tracking every minute with legal time tracking software to capture billable activity, no matter how brief.
2. Setting daily and weekly goals for billable hours to keep progress in check and adjust pacing as necessary.
3. Understanding what your firm counts as billable work to make sure you include all activities that can be invoiced to the client.
4. Automating routine attorney and client task management with software to free up more time for billable work, enhancing efficiency.
5. Prioritizing tasks based on their potential for billing to focus energy on the most profitable activities during peak hours.
6. Educating yourself on effective billing strategies through mentorship or CLE training workshops to increase billable hours.
7. Keeping detailed records of your work to support billing accuracy and justify hours to clients or your firm.
8. Reviewing billing habits regularly to identify opportunities to minimize non-billable time.
9. Scheduling non-billable tasks for less productive times to ensure peak periods are dedicated to billable work.
10. Taking advantage of your software’s mobile billing app to record time while away from the office, which is perfect for those working remotely or on the go.

By adopting these strategies and staying disciplined, you may be surprised by how many hours you manage to record, regardless of the minute increment you use. 

If you’re trying to make time tracking easier for yourself and your firm, consider using Bill4Time. With Bill4Time, you can implement any or all of these billing practices easily, ensuring accurate billing while improving overall productivity and efficiency. Why not try it for yourself with a free trial?  

The challenge of attracting new clients in the legal sector can cause frustration among many lawyers. In contrast, rainmakers, who have a knack for bringing in business, receive high praise for their abilities.

The common perception is that success in this area demands aggressive sales techniques. However, an approach centered on earning trust through quality client reviews reveals itself as a surprisingly effective method for growth.

Why your law firm reviews matter

Research from Northwestern University’s Spiegel Research Center analyzed 57,000 reviews from anonymous consumers and 65,000 reviews from verified buyers of more than 13,500 unique products and services across a large variety of categories. Their findings demonstrated that reviews could increase conversion rates by 270%. On the conservative end, businesses that display ratings and reviews experience average revenue uplifts of around 18%.

It’s more than just having reviews. Your law firm should focus on the quality of the reviews rather than the quantity. Especially, if you’re just starting your strategy to increase reviews and have very few reviews currently. Even 1 or 2 bad reviews can severely impact how prospective clients view your firm. In fact, bad reviews put businesses at risk of losing:

• 21.9% of customers if you have just one negative review listed on page one of Google
• 44.1% of customers if you have two negative results
• 59.2% of customers with 3 negative results
• 69.9% of customers with 4 negative results

If your law firm has four negative (aggregate) results listed in Google, you will lose 69.9% of your customers, three reviews 59.2%, and so on. 

Let’s look at Mackenzie and Milford, a fictitious law firm, to see how this would affect their firm:

• Average order value (per customer): $6,500
• The average number of transactions per year: 2
• How long customers stay with the business: 3 years
• Total number of new website/offline visitors per month: 2,633
• A conversion rate of 2%

$6,500 * 2 transactions per yr * 3 years = $26,000 lifetime value (per client)

52.65 clients * $16,000 = $1,368,900 in projected revenue. 

These numbers are impressive.

How do they change once we begin attracting more four and five-star reviews? Let’s plug in the numbers we received from our research above to get a better idea. 

• Firm revenue jumps to $1,615,302 if we use the 18% estimate. 
• Firm revenue jumps to $5,064,930 if we use Northwestern University’s 270% estimate. 

That’s an enormous increase. 

This doesn’t require a whole lot of work either. The steps you follow are simple, repeatable, and precise: 

1. Ask your existing clients (via a third party, i.e., your administrator) for reviews.
2. Collect reviews for major platforms (Google, Yelp, Avvo) then pursue smaller niche platforms (e.g., Martindale, Lawyers.com, etc.).
3. Use remarketing/retargeting to advertise your reviews to prospects who have visited your website or viewed your ads (online or offline).
4. Present these prospects with an irresistible offer to entice them to schedule a meeting with you. 

It’s a straightforward process you can use to grow your business. 

Now, what if clients in your practice area (i.e., B2B) don’t rely on online reviews as much? This strategy is still incredibly effective. Work to create case studies; provide prospects with as much specificity in your case studies as you’re able to (e.g., names, dates, contacts, outcomes, etc.). Then repeat steps one through four. 

Why reviews produce exceptional returns

Clients don’t know what they don’t know. Especially, about the complexities within the legal industry and how they operate. For this reason, you have to meet them where there are and tap into what they care about most:

• Price
• Experience
• Service
• Results

Your reviews provide prospects with an inside look at all four areas. This is good news because it lets prospects know you’re a safe bet, a reliable option they can trust to handle their legal matter. You don’t need to do any selling, and your clients just need to tell the truth about the incredible results you consistently provide. 

How to get started: 

1. Create a list of passionate clients who love your firm and would happily advocate for your work
2. Create a template your support teams or virtual assistant can send feedback requests to clients on your behalf.
3. Have a trustworthy person in your office interview your client about their experience with you or your firm. Be sure to record the conversation (with their permission, of course). 
4. Transcribe your conversation, then send a snippet to your clients 
5. Include links to websites where your clients can share their reviews, add it to your email signature, and your website. 
6. Once posted, create remarketing display ads that are targeted to prospects who’ve already visited your website or clicked on your ads. Use these ads to attract new clients and request reviews from existing clients.

What makes this strategy so significant? 

• Only tagged and segmented prospects who have visited your site will see your ads
• Most attorneys aren’t using this strategy to win new clients, so there’s less saturation
• Prospects see that you’re able to generate huge wins for your existing clients
• Your business development costs go down, while revenue shoots up

It’s a simple strategy that produces exponential returns over time. 

Law firm reviews are important to your business development

The secret to growing your firm lies in harnessing the enthusiasm of clients who appreciate the value you bring. This strategy paves the way for sustainable expansion, avoiding the pitfalls of traditional sales tactics.

Navigating the complexities of business development in law requires a delicate balance. Emphasizing genuine connections over aggressive sales can transform the way your firm attracts new business. Encourage your clients to become advocates, and watch as your practice grows stronger.

Lead and client acquisition is a big part of your law firm’s business development strategy. The tactics your firm uses to attract leads are one thing, but converting leads into loyal business is another ball game. 

An effective client interview is crucial for a smooth client intake process and a client-centered experience, and that starts by understanding your ideal clientele and asking all the right questions.

Why Are Lawyer-Client Interviews Important?

Lawyers devote a lot of time and energy to nurturing client leads and attracting clients. If you don’t handle the initial interview properly, you can miss out on valuable opportunities.

Client interviews are necessary to:

• Assess client needs and understand how you can help
• Check for potential conflicts of interest
• Determine the scope of work for the case

What Information Do Law Firms Need from Clients?

Before the interview takes place, it’s important to have a pre-screening process with your intake questionnaire to decide if the client is the right fit for the firm. It’s also crucial to do a conflict check before proceeding with the client as well.

The client intake form also contains contact information, basic details, and supporting documents, which you should be familiar with prior to the interview. The purpose of the interview is for both parties to ask questions and get a clear idea of the legal situation and expectations.

Tips to Prepare for Client Interviews

Here are some tips to prepare for your client interviews and set the stage for the professional relationship:

Standardize the Process

Client intake should be standardized to keep you organized and reduce manual data entry. This should include a pre-screen with online intake forms and a conflict check prior to the interview to ensure you’re not wasting time on a client that’s not the right fit.

Use Technology to Capture Information

Tracking and managing the client relationship with law practice management software provides better service for the client and makes your firm more efficient. Bill4Time’s client management provides a comprehensive view of the client relationship, from the first touchpoint to invoicing, with all the information in one centralized location. You can also gather and manage documents related to the client.

With all this information at your disposal, you can thoroughly prepare for the interview and ensure you and your client get the most out of your time.

Plan Ahead

The interview will be for you to ask questions to understand your prospective client’s legal issue, but it’s also an opportunity for the client to ask you questions. This is important for setting up expectations and communicating clearly with the client.

Generally, the client will want to know what to expect from their case, the anticipated timeline, and their next steps. Another concern is often price, so this is a good time to discuss your law firm’s collections and billing policies to help them prepare. If you offer alternative fee structures, offer them to the client during the interview.

11 Essential Questions to Ask When Interviewing Clients

The questions you will ask may vary according to the client’s specific situation, but these will apply to virtually every client:

1. Could I confirm your contact information and case details?

Mistakes can happen with manual data entry. This is a good time to confirm the client’s contact details and ensure you cover all the basic information. 

2. Can you tell me more about your legal issue?

You will have done the research on your prospective client’s issue in advance, but it’s important to listen to it from their perspective. Ask for clarification where needed and take notes of any flags you may need to address such as conflict of interest or services you may not provide.

3. Have you worked with a lawyer before?

If the prospective client has worked with another lawyer in the past, their answer to this question will give you insights into their expectations of the lawyer-client relationship and whether they’re the right fit for your firm. It also reveals how familiar they are with the legal system. 

Additionally, this question will reinforce the conflict check process to ensure there are no red flags with retaining the client.

4. Have you worked with a lawyer on this specific matter?

If the prospective client has worked with another lawyer on this specific matter, it’s important to know why they are coming to you instead. Be sure to ask follow-up questions if needed to understand their reasoning.

5. Can you tell me why you want to pursue this matter?

This is an opportunity for the prospective client to share their understanding of their legal situation and how they feel about the case. It will reveal how serious they are about the issue and why they’re pursuing it as well.

6. Can you walk me through your legal issue?

This is another question to glean an understanding of how the client views their legal matter and their understanding of the facts. You’ll also gain some insight into what’s most important to them.

7. What are you most concerned about with this matter?

As a lawyer, you’ll likely have a different focus for the case than your client. This is the time to understand what is concerning the prospective client, such as the cost of pursuing legal action or the possible outcome, and how you can best serve them.

8. How can I help you with this matter?

This is an open-ended question that can reveal what the prospective client expects from you and why they’re looking for the aid of a lawyer instead of handling it themselves. It also shows the prospective client that you’re putting their needs first.

9. What is your goal for this matter?

You may have an idea of how you want to handle a case and what you expect the outcome to be, but it’s crucial that you understand how your client sees the case unfolding.

10. Do you have any additional information or supporting documents that I should have?

It’s possible for either you or the prospective client to miss details or documents. Asking this question gives them the opportunity to add any details that may not have come up.

11. Do you have any questions for me?

After you’ve covered all the information you need in the initial interview, give the client a chance to ask questions.

Strengthen Client Interviews at Your Firm

The lawyer-client interview is a key part of your client intake process. It’s best to be prepared with the right research and questions to understand what the client expects of you, whether they’re a fit for the firm, and how you can provide the best service.