Buy SSL Certificate 2010 June | Document Direct

Outsourcing for solicitors

June 17, 2010

contact1I’m asked these same questions regularly:

1.  How can outsourcing work for me?
2.  Do we need to change the way we dictate and work?
3.  Do you need to have access to our case management systems?

Now, just because outsourcing needs technology, that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult or mind-boggling to explain or implement. 

Legal secretaries are performing far more tasks than typing and producing documents.  You no longer see job vacancies being advertised for legal audio typists.  The role has developed and they are (or should be) professional PAs who are assisting solicitors, dealing with telephone calls, time recording, the mail, filing, diary keeping, in some cases running case managed matters.  They are unqualified fee earners.  But still, 50% of a legal secretary’s time is spent typing documents. 

Now that it is possible to identify each piece of dictation a team’s work can be managed more efficiently.  Digital dictation systems can identify  urgent letters, a non-urgent file notes, statements or pleadings.  The urgent correspondence can be prioritised and for very urgent (note, there’s alwas 3 levels o urgency: urgent, very urgent and mega urgent) work, it’s now possible to have multiple secretaries work on separate pieces of dictation so it can be completed in half the time. 

Outsourcing helps when non-urgent work (those dastardly file notes which are essential for fees and compliance) can be produced  elsewhere on a completely different cost basis, freeing up the in-house secretary work flow - usually resulting in reduced head count and  overhead. 

How it  works is different for each individual and firm.  But let’s face it, if it was too difficult then nobody would be using it and it would have failed years ago. 

No, you don’t need to change the way you work.  Well actually  that’s not entirely true.  Sometimes some changes are necessary.  But not in the way you think.  Your style of dictation remains the same, your documents remain the same.  What may change is how you work in the future.  Because once you have access to remote working, flexible hours and 24 hour services then that opens up a whole new world of opportunity.  If you’re brave enough to take it. 

If you would like a no obligation chat with me about how outsourcing can work for you click here for our contact details.

Posted by Jayne Smith | Filed Under General | Leave a Comment