Feature Article: Law Practice Management Series
by Mary G. Anderson, Life Management Consulting Group
Life is good. You have some wonderful clients and some challenging work to complete. You are feeling confident that you are providing excellent service to your firms clientelle and you are always learning new things and being challenged in your work. Then one day the mail arrives and you receive a letter from some attorney (out-of-state) who claims that you have taken advantage of a certain client’s assets and you are going to be sued. What stops you? What keeps you up at night? Are you able to read the letter, step back, think, recollect and then proceed to gather your resources and stand firm? Most professionals accept some level of risk in their profession. This risk can easily become an underlying source of daily stress and ultimately fatigue.
Part of managing this stress and ongoing risk is to find colleagues, other seasoned professionals and/or resources that are easily accessible. When you have a reserve of resources immediately available, you will have the immediate satisfaction of knowing someone is always there to bounce your thoughts, concerns and ideas about how you will respond to any new ‘threat’. You may rely on a family member or partner, friend or colleague, however there often can be challenges trying to share complex work issues with others outside of your field.
As time goes by every practitioner becomes more seasoned in dealing with the challenges of managing a legal practice. Dealing with daily stress, ups and downs and unknown outcomes is a natural part of working in a high-risk profession such as law. How do you handle stress? What do you do in your practice to manage your time, reduce risk and still grow your client base? Do you have a viable support system? Remember there are legal coaches available, mastermind groups, online support forums and more to keep you balanced and on task. Take a moment to recognize that you may need additional help– reach out and get support before stress affects your health. Time is finite, work is infinite. Get support when you need it.
Quote To Ponder
“The best of the best small business people I know are extraordinarily grounded people;
they are compulsive about detail, pragmatic, down-to-earth,
in-touch with the seamy reality of ordinary life.
They know a business doesn’t miss the mark by failing to achieve the greatness
in some lofty, principled way, but in the stuff that goes on in
every nook and cranny of the business…
yes, the simple truth about the greatest business people I have known
is that they have a genuine fascination for the truly astonishing impact that
little things done exactly right can have in the world.”
~ Michael Gerber, Author, The E-Myth
About the Author:
Mary G. Anderson, is the Program Director at Advanced Legal Training Institute. She also provides client service programs through her company, Life Management Consulting Group. Many estate-planning attorneys have clients that are in need of guidance and support as they manage their elder years. Mary offers 1-on-1 coaching support for families that are facing some of the challenging aspects of end-of-life/eldercare such as choosing/evaluating a nursing home/assisted living center, professional organizing of important papers and documents, estate settlement and support with funeral planning, grief and loss. These consulting services assist clients who are either in 1) the midst of handling a death of a loved one and executing their estate and/or 2) a client who has decided to get organized and plan ahead by completing their will, organizing their important papers, completing a checklist of final wishes and creating a legacy will. Mary is the author of “My Estate Management Guide”, “Pet Protection Legal Care Plan: Financial and Legal Planning to Protect Your Companion Pet” and a Certified Mediator & Estate Settlement Agent.
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