Maine Law Practice Management

Law firms lack structure, generally;  and,   that’s  also true of how they  compensate  their lawyers, beyond their salaries .   And,   that’s   maybe the  most dangerous game to be playing in the current hiring environment – because, if you  can’t  keep your current staff happy,  they’re  more likely to be able to find an alternate position, easier  and faster  than  they  ever  have  before.   Most law firm s  rely on  ad hoc  bonuses for their employees;  but,   that’s  a bad idea .   One reason  that’s  the case is because those sorts of bonuses  come at random times for random reasons .   That creates an expectation that  they’ll  come  along  again, but without grounding for how  or  when .   And then, since  there’s  nothing tied to those bonuses aside from the wh...

Contingency firms scratch a bunch of lottery tickets, and sometimes get a (big) hit .  I mean, it’s a little better than the lottery, because there is some skill involved; but, it is a lottery.     So, when that endorphin rush of a big hit, um . . . hits – it’s easy to just plow that money into a new Maserati .  But, you have other obligations , as well.   The best strategy to employ, then, is to create a payoff sheet for settlements .  You can use whatever format you want: a document, a spreadsheet, notes in your case management system – but, it would look something like this :     First, get any disbursements out that need to be made on the case, eg – medical bill payments on behalf of the client .  (This process almost always festers in law firms; and so, you want to move through it as quickly as you can.)  Next, allocate the appropriate percentage for payments of taxes (federal and state, if applicable) from the settlemen...

Images in marketing are more important than ever – including moving images (videos).     But, you know what remains pretty boring about websites?  The stock images that are utilized at almost every single one of them to relay the value of a service or product.   So, why not shake th ings up a bit ?  Instead of buying the same old stock photos from Getty , or using a free service like Unsplash , or even taking your own photos . . . Why not try an AI image tool to generate fresh and interesting pictures?     Most mainstream generative AI tools, at this point, can create images.     Utilize specific prompts to generate compelling images related to what you do, and avoid known IP – like, ‘ make Darth Vader an estate planning lawyer ’ .   And, you should be good.     At least you’ll be different, which helps you to stand out , in a competitive marketplace.     . . . Want to talk over how to change your image ?...