Your mission, legal assistants, should you decide to accept it, is to handle many of your boss? phone calls. A good legal assistant continually strives to free up the attorney?s time for court appearances, meetings, and more in-depth legal research. After all, this is how an attorney earns his fees. But in order to have fees that can be earned, new work must materialize. The majority of new work for attorneys comes in the form of phone calls. Handle these phone calls wisely.
The ability to filter through types of phone calls and handle as much of the phone work as possible, with finesse, is an excellent skill to develop. A paralegal must be familiar with her boss? schedule, his caseload, his clients, and his particular style in order to filter the phone calls well. She must also be thoroughly familiar with the types of new cases her boss may accept. This includes understanding the office?s standard procedure for inquiries he is either unable to fulfill or too busy to fulfill.
Often new assignments are derived from repeat business - a client who has used your attorney?s services in the past. A paralegal should possess basic knowledge of these return clients, including how to get in touch with clients by mail, phone, fax, and e-mail. Utilize your office?s file management system to keep this information handy. (If your business has no file management system, I urge you to campaign for one as soon as possible.)
One of your duties may be to recall old matter files for a returning client. Many law offices utilize off-site storage for closed files. Depending on the situation, old files may contain valuable information that will assist your attorney in handling new matters.
Sometimes new clients are referred by your boss? colleagues, professional peers, friends and acquaintances. When referrals occur, make note of it so you can prepare a thank you letter from your boss. If this type of appreciation is not standard practice at your firm, discuss the benefits with your attorney. Once approved, do just that, automatically. Do not slack on the newly adopted nicety. Niceties often develop into more business referred your boss? way. In any event, it shows appreciation and is a highly professional touch.
There will also be ?cold callers? who are shopping through advertising resources: phone books, the internet, television advertising. Here is where the true colors of a paralegal come out ? having the ability to ferret which callers are just shopping for free advice over the phone. Some folks will be unable to afford your attorney?s services. For those types of calls, there may be organizations to which you can refer such a caller. Know your community so that you will be able to efficiently refer callers to appropriate help.
Other ?cold calls? may concern cases your boss will accept, but the potential client may need some selling tactics to win their business. Highlight your boss? skills and track record. In the process of doing so, you will also be highlighting your own skills. This makes hiring your boss doubly attractive because you are already establishing good rapport with the new client.
Never forget the importance of professional handling of phone calls. If phone etiquette is lacking, it can actually lose business for your attorney. Support him well by handling phone calls with tiptop professionalism.
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Laura McDonald is a paralegal, employed by Michael L. Hawkins & Associates, P.L.L.C. She is a member of NFPA (National Federation of Paralegal Associations). Laura is experienced in the areas of personal injury, civil litigation, family, environmental and corporate law, estate planning and bankruptcy.
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