You may be wondering if hiring a virtual assistant is the right decision for your law firm. There are many reasons why this could be a great decision for you. Perhaps you need help managing your workload…maybe you want to reduce your payroll costs….maybe you want access to better talent… or maybe you simply don’t have the time to recruit a team.

The common challenge that lawyers have when hiring a virtual assistant for their law firm is that they don’t know how to successfully recruit, onboard, and manage them. Without the proper training and guidance, it can be difficult to ensure that your virtual assistant is doing their job effectively and meeting your expectations. In addition, it can be hard to keep track of what they are doing and how they are spending their time.

It can be hard to keep up with the demands of running a law firm, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed and stretched thin. That’s why we created this guide to discuss the various reasons why you might want to hire a virtual assistant for your law firm. We will then provide tips on how to find the best virtual assistant for your needs, as well as how to onboard and manage them effectively so that you can get the most out of their services. Finally, we will answer some frequently asked questions about virtual assistants that you may have.

1. Why Hire a Virtual Assistant for your Law Firm?

There are many reasons why hiring a virtual assistant can be a great decision for your law firm regardless of the size of your firm or the number of cases being handled. Small, medium, and large law offices have all begun implementing virtual staff as a critical part of their daily operations for various reasons. Here are just a few of the benefits:

Free up your Time

As we mentioned before, hiring a virtual assistant can help you free up your time to focus on more important tasks. This is because they will be taking on some of the tasks that you would otherwise have to do. Thanks to advancements in technology, nearly any task can be done virtually.

Cost Savings

One of the biggest benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is being able to reduce payroll. When you compare the cost of hiring a full-time employee with benefits to the cost of hiring a virtual assistant, there is a significant difference. This is because you are paying a flat service fee for the help they provide and since they are living in a different country, American Law Firms get to benefit from the relative strength of the US Dollar.

Access to Better Talent

When you hire a virtual assistant, you can choose from a pool of talented individuals from around the world. This gives you access to a broader range of skills and experience than you would be able to find locally.

Manage Workload More Effectively

It’s common to see employees at law firms that feel “stretched thin” because of the wide range of responsibilities or a never-ending pile of work. Virtual assistants allow for Law Offices to better streamline individual people’s responsibilities for the roles they are best suited for within the office operations.

Faster and Better Recruiting

Working with a company that specializes in sourcing, training, and managing Virtual Legal Assistants like Scale Up Staffing will give you access to hundreds of pre-vetted help within days.

Instead of posting jobs and waiting around, you will be able to review 3+ resumes of candidates that are pre-qualified for the roles you specifically need help with. Most interviews can typically be arranged within 48 hours if needed since they are constantly recruiting and looking for the best available talent from around the world.

2. Tips to Find the Best Virtual Assistant for Your Needs

Now that we’ve discussed some of the reasons why you might want to hire a virtual assistant, let’s talk about how you can find the best virtual assistant for your needs. Here are a few tips:

Define the Role You Need

The first step is to define the role that you need them to play. What tasks do you need help with? What skills are required? Once you have a clear idea of the role you need them to help with and the tasks they should perform, you can start your search.

Search for a Company that Specializes in Virtual Assistants

Many companies specialize in providing virtual assistants, and virtual legal assistants specifically. This is a great option because they will already have a pool of pre-screened and qualified candidates that you can choose from. They will also handle all of the training and onboarding for you.

Avoid Gig Websites

Services like Fiverr and Upwork can potentially be great to find help for a quick task but there are a few reasons you want to steer clear from here to find the best talent. First of all, you will have to spend countless hours reaching out to different people to find someone with the talent you need that you can trust to handle the job. Also, these service providers usually are working for 3-8 clients at a time which means your work will never truly be a priority in their minds.

Tips on How to Onboard and Manage Your Virtual Assistant

Once you have found the best virtual assistant for your needs, it’s time to onboard them as part of your team. Onboarding a Virtual Assistant is very similar to bringing on a new local employee – the main difference is their log-in information is just shared via email or a video call and they may need a local number from an internet phone provider.

One of the biggest concerns for business owners when it comes to a remote team is making sure they stay on task and are sitting at their desks working. That’s exactly why Scale Up Staffing provides all clients with a dedicated Client Success Manager to help manage their virtual team by monitoring screenshots that are taken every 10 minutes, tracking websites visited during work hours, and monitoring keyboard and mouse usage to prevent idle time away from the computer. We also help the employee get set up with their account info and take them through a complimentary 3-day training.

Our team will help walk you through every step of the virtual onboarding process to make it even easier than bringing on a local employee. Additionally, our Client Success Managers are always just a phone call or video chat away to help with any questions or issues that may come up – they’re like an extension of your in-house team.

Here are a few more tips to successfully add a new virtual staff member to your team:

Create a Training Plan

The first step is to create a training plan. This will help you get them up to speed on your business, your systems, and how you like things to be done.

Set Expectations

It’s important to set expectations from the beginning. This includes things like hours of availability, communication protocols, and what is expected in terms of deliverables.

Check-in Regularly

Once they are up and running, be sure to check in with them regularly. This will help you ensure that they are on track and meeting your expectations.

4. Tips for Getting the Most out of your Virtual Assistant

Now that you know how to find and onboard a virtual assistant, let’s talk about how you can get the most out of their services. Here are a few tips:

Make Sure They Understand Your Processes

One of the keys to getting the most out of your virtual assistant is to make sure they understand your processes. This includes things like how you like tasks to be completed, your communication preferences, and any other specific instructions you have.

Be Clear in Your Instructions

When you do give them instructions, be clear and concise. This will help them understand what you need and avoid any confusion.

Provide Feedback

Make sure to provide feedback regularly. This will help them understand what you are looking for and make sure they are meeting your expectations.

FAQs about Virtual Assistants

Do you still have questions about virtual assistants? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Q: Do I need to provide them with office space?

No, you do not need to provide them with office space. They work from a dedicated, quiet space in their home.

Q: Do I need to provide my Virtual Assistant with any equipment?

No, you do not need to provide them with any equipment. They have a computer and high-speed internet connection that meets or exceeds the requirements for the job.

Q: What if I need them to work overtime?

If you need your virtual assistant to work overtime, you will need to make the arrangements and communicate it with the management company and staff members beforehand.

Q: What if I’m not happy with their work?

If you’re not happy with your virtual assistant’s work, you can request a replacement through their employer. Scale Up Staffing offers a 7-day satisfaction guarantee so that you can find the perfect fit for your team.

Q: Can I terminate their services at any time?

Yes, you can terminate their services at any time. However, we ask that you give two weeks’ notice so that we can find a replacement for your team.

Q: What tasks can a virtual assistant do?

A virtual assistant can do a variety of tasks, including but not limited to customer service, data entry, intake, document collection appointment scheduling, social media management

Q: Can a virtual assistant who lives in a different country have a local phone number?

Yes – and our team will help you get that set up with an internet phone provider. These services can be as little as $20/month

Q: What if I have more questions?

Hiring a Virtual Legal Assistant: What You Need to Know