Legal teams can use business process outsourcing services to free up their lawyers and other full-time employees for different tasks
Most law firms are extremely busy, stretching their full-time staff to the limit. When there aren’t enough hours in the day, particularly when working on a time-consuming case, it might be tempting to hire more paralegals and other full-time employees.
However, when the firm isn’t always this busy, hiring new people can put a financial strain on the organization or leave these employees without enough hours.
One solution is finding temporary employees to handle specific tasks through a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) service provider. Keep in mind that you don’t want to use just anybody when dealing with complex legal issues, so finding knowledgeable professionals in the field is essential.
Here’s a look at how law firms can use BPO to maximize their efficiency and profits going forward.
Key takeaways:
Hiring legal specialists is expensive.
It’s possible to outsource these jobs.
Using a reputable BPO firm like DOXA provides access to myriad legal professionals.
The benefits of using a BPO firm
There are endless benefits to using a BPO company to assist with your law firm’s daily tasks. First, it provides all kinds of convenience and flexibility. You don’t have to hire a full-time worker to handle the job and you can use this staffing agency whenever you require additional labor. The result is your internal employees never feel overworked and you never fall behind during a busy period.
The cost savings are another excellent benefit offered by BPO companies because you don’t have to worry about adding to your in-house team. Of course, you know that hiring a paralegal or associate attorney to assist with case preparation would cost your firm a lot of money. When outsourcing the job, these costs won’t be as much of an issue.
There’s also the fact that BPO provides legal expertise when you need it. As long as you utilize a BPO service provider with access to legal experts, using these services is like adding another lawyer to the team without paying for one full-time. This benefit comes in particularly handy for smaller firms that might not have much in-house experience with specific topics.
Finally, BPO can help you create a work-life balance. If you’re constantly working long hours and you don’t have time to spend with your family, you know that it would be nice to hand some of these tasks off to someone else. The problem is that hiring a full-time employee could cut significantly into your income. Outsourcing some of this work takes it off your plate, freeing you up to enjoy life a bit more.
A 2019 survey by Altman Weil reveals that 48 percent of law firms use contract lawyers and 24 percent of offices outsource other necessary functions. These numbers suggest that lawyers nationwide are already taking advantage of BPO and are likely to continue this practice in the future.
How BPO for law firms works
The process of using a BPO service is relatively simple although you’ll want to be careful about the provider you choose. Law offices should be particularly mindful they’re utilizing a BPO company with access to experienced legal professionals and not a firm that hires employees without adequate training.
You will want to speak with a few candidates before hiring to find the right fit. Reputable BPO firms will only present you with qualified candidates and will allow you to conduct interviews, too.
As for the candidates you choose, it all depends on the task at hand. For example, you probably don’t need to use an experienced attorney who will command a high rate for work that a paralegal could handle. Likewise, you can outsource office work that doesn’t require a legal eye to someone with office administration or financial experience.
BPO services are excellent in this regard because you can hire someone with experience and training relevant to the specific task you need to complete. That way, you won’t spend too much money on someone overqualified for the assignment. You can also return to the BPO firm time after time in search of professionals to handle new tasks as they arise.
Jobs you can outsource include: handling research, document reviews, discovery responses, pleadings, motions, memos, wills, leases, and legal articles. You can also leave these workers in charge of writing summaries, demand letters, and corporate by-laws. It all depends on what your firm needs at any given time.
Finding the right talent
The key to taking full advantage of BPO is finding the right talent to meet your firm’s needs. After all, there’s no benefit in sourcing a worker who can’t handle the task at hand.
DOXA assists small and medium-sized businesses to build high-performing teams by matching them with highly-skilled candidates in their industries. We can help you find the right legal talent to handle the necessary jobs within your firm, saving you money and maximizing your output. We also allow you to interview up to three candidates before signing an agreement with us.
Get in touch to speak with potential candidates or for your free consultation.
